The table was in silent chaos.
Round and old, the table was a casualty of time. Marks of colorful paint and carved names spoke of its history. The 7 friends had managed to drag themselves out of bed and to the table. Each presented different feelings.
Liam sat on the broken chair. A case of drunken antics had caused the once favored chair to lose a leg. It was now propped up by the sheer will of a branch, tennis ball, and duct tape. The smile that rested on his face made Kato, who was sitting across, glare at him.
Kato stared at the limp dick who smiled as if it wasn't 8 am. No coffee and it was raining, but Liam could still smile. It pissed Kato off, irrationally so, but he didn't care- not until he got his coffee. Head resting on the table, he pondered on the ways he could go to school but put in the least amount of effort in each of his classes.
Next to Kato was Amaia. She had managed to drag a brooding Elian out of his room. Black messy hair and brown eyes that constantly shifted to close, Elian did not look happy. His chair sat facing Amaia as she spoon-fed him eggs, his look of contrite slowly faded as he enjoyed his breakfast. Amaia once again lamented how she had found herself in the "mother" position of the group. However, a smile crept up on her face as Elian came out of the crevices of his mind.
Leo sat on the other side of Kato. He couldn't care less about the other fools sitting around him. He ate his bacon, downed his OJ, and considered the probability of living through 84 years old. It just didn't make sense. How do you just grow old? It made more sense to cap yourself at maybe 45? 50?. Another thought- is math real?
Feet on the table, cheeks puffed up with eggs, and wine in a glass at her side, Maren sat to the left of Leo. She wasn't on her phone or contributing to the standoffs happening around the table. No, she sat and observed. Observed how Amaia liked to give off 'leave me alone or I'll stab you" vibes but was the first to care for Elian when he needed it. How Liam's smile graced his lips more than any other expression. A mask to provide comfort to others, even when he himself needed to be comforted the most. She sat and she watched because she refused to be left out ever again.
Emory had her laptop on the table and papers strewn around it. Every so often she would sigh but her fingers continued to swiftly move across the keyboard. She had an assignment due at the start of class but procrastination had taken her in a chokehold. Lucky for her, her best work was produced by the race of her heart and the knowledge she had to turn in whatever she produced- no hesitation.
Brooding but monetarily happy was Elian. He had been stuck in both his mind and his room for the past week. Flashbacks held him down as memories controlled him. Every so often his trauma played peek-a-boo with him. He always lost. He didn't even know you could lose at peek-a-boo. The game always left him raw and tired; so fucking tired. At that point, it didn't matter what future Elian would want. Present Elian enjoyed being "babied" by his friends. Enjoyed knowing he was no longer hated- no longer alone.
The first to speak was Leo.
"Knitted condoms, yay or nay?"
All heads swiveled toward him except for Emory who's hyper-focus blocked out outside noise and Elian who was still entrapped with his eggs.
Maren matched Leos's wide grin as she turned her chair to face him.
"My guy, can I have some of whatever you're smoking."
Leo's green eyes gained some sparkle as his grin impossibly widened and his legs joined Marens on the table.
"It was an attention grabber but nonetheless warrants proper discussion." His voice had taken an airy tone while his hands exaggeratedly gestured his words.
"I was thinking of death and old people. That got me thinking about olden times and how people lived. That led me to think: how did people prevent babies before condoms existed? Then I was like what's one thing grandmas love doing: knitting! Connecting the dots, condoms must have been knitted."
He noticed that all 6 peeps were now staring at him in amusement. They were used to his antics, to the laughter he brought when all seemed hopeless.
Mission accomplished, he stood up and flutter-clapped twice.
"School time!" He shouted, picking up his bag and leaving.
Everyone stood and followed him, sporting grins of his making.
Well, almost everyone followed him. Amaia grabbed Emory's papers and backpack, swinging it across her shoulder as she laughed at Leo's antics. Liam tapped Emory on her shoulder so as to not startle her. Gently, he picked up her coffee and practically manhandled her into a standing position. Maren grabbed the laptop and ran off, laughing as Emory's concentration was broken and she started running after her, face twisted in bewilderment and exasperation.
"Huh?" She asked as she realized everyone had their bags and was walking towards the door.
Her confusion only added to the laughter and bright smiles, the happy glow enveloping the group contrasting with the gray sky.
It would be a long time before the group would feel the same sense of comfort and hope the round table provided.
~~~~~~
The group had split into two cars.
Kato drove Leo and Emory.
Maren drove Amaia, Liam, and Elian.
The car Kato was driving was clearly on its last legs. Metal scraped the dewy road as an unidentified part hung from beneath the car. Leo liked to say that "It wasn't needed if the car worked perfectly fine without it". The cars check engine light went off, so maybe it was a needed part.
Kato was driving the youngest ones to school. Leo and Emory were the only ones still in high school, a fact they lamented about every day. Leo liked to bring up that he was "safer walking the streets of Gotham at night than going to high school every day".
"I'm just saying- I'm tempting fate by going to school every day. All it takes is one day and one gun, then I'm out." He explained this with humorous fever, his hands mimicked the words, body tilted forwards to lean into the driver's seat, and his dark green eyes sparkled with mischief as he explained his likely demise. "School's a joke and I hope I'm in your thoughts and prayers if high school becomes my graveyard".
Emory rolled her eyes as she continued to stare out the rain-soaked window. Only a straight-A student could complain so much about school. "Leo, for a guy who hates school so much, you put in a lot of time and effort into it. You're interning at a hospital and you're in a pre-med program despite being in high school". She took a pause and turned her body toward him. Her smile crept into a wide, toothy grin as she whispered, "Leo, you're smart. Not only are you smart: you're a genius".
He stared at her, gobsmacked, as she turned back towards the window, dismissing him entirely. He knew he was smart, ok! Having someone say it to his face though would, forever, be embarrassing.The blush that covered his light brown skin heated up his cheeks. He slapped both of his hands on his face and slightly curled into himself, grimacing through his hands.
"Out! Out! Get out of the car and get to class!" Kato was giving them one of his signature smiles so in actuality what he meant was 'Get the fuck out. If you make me have to drive out alongside suburban parents who have questionable licenses, you will walk to school from now on'.
They both got out and sent him a wave goodbye. He smiled and started driving away. However, for some unexplainable reason, dread seemed to seep into his bones the farther got away from the munchkins. Shit! First, he'd seen a black butterfly fluttering about at night. Then the rain miraculously came in and changed everyone's schedule. Now dread was stepping from his bones and invading his mind.
3 bad omens could only mean trouble; this was going to give him a permanent headache.