Chapter 7

I'm late for the next council meeting, or as late as once can be when there's no time set. In English class, Carlos and I discussed his latest ideas on potential Agatha-nicknames, and in science class, Matthew even said hi.

After classes ended, I stayed with Mr. Callahan to discuss my latest test results – I'm starting to feel like Kaia, but instead of failing to reach full marks, I'm apparently failing the class altogether.

"Even though this is your senior year, there's no reason to slack off," Mr. Callahan told me with a stern look over his glasses, "I'd suggest you focus extra hard on your upcoming presentation."

"Uh, of course," I winced. Mr. Callahan staring at you isn't exactly the most pleasant thing.

"I recommend you join someone, instead of working by yourself," Mr. Callahan continued and adds unnecessarily, "It'll be better for your grade anyway."

So here I am, slowly pushing the door to our clubroom open while having a mild crisis over the fact that out of the two members in the council that are also part of my science class, I didn't really want to ask either of them. Matthew was already distracting at best and highly unnerving at worst. Meanwhile Vivian was, well, Vivian.

"Hey June," Liling calls out as soon as I enter, with her long black hair tied up in a high ponytail and the brightest smile on her face, "I was hoping you'd come!"

"Uh, hi Liling," I mutter.

I'm not exactly sure why anyone would be hoping I'd come and join a meeting, since I can't remember a single thing I contributed to the council so far. Still, her excitement is somehow flattering, and I feel my cheeks color.

"June" Logan comes over to pat my shoulder, "Great you're here!"

I quickly duck to avoid his hand. It's uncomfortable, the way he touches me so naturally, especially since it still somehow feels good. And it's not supposed to.

Liling steps to my side and shoves Logan away to loop her arm through mine. "Come here! Since we decided on adding pancake brunch to the cleaning schedule, I made some pancakes for you guys to try!"

I now notice the long table in the middle of the clubroom with all of the council members around it, inspecting plates with lots of different pancakes on them. There's a delicious smell in the room and several council members look like Christmas came a little early.

"Are we seriously calling this brunch though," Duncan says while Liling places a whole lot of different pancakes on my plate, "It sounds like we're middle-aged white ladies. Or in a boarding school."

"I don't think I asked for you input," Liling says and sends a beam in my direction. "I hope you'll like my pancakes, June I heard you're a pancakes fan, so your opinion is extra important."

I don't remember announcing I'm a pancakes fan but maybe Kaia spilled the beans about me already – it's not really a secret, just some random fact that I crave pancakes almost every second a day. And every day a week. And every week a year.

"Liling," Carlos announces with a full plate in his hands, raising his fork, "The blueberry pancakes – oh my god. I swear, I'll marry you if you always make me pancakes."

Liling laughs and nudges his side and they're all giggly until Duncan sends a very annoyed glare in their direction. Carlos clears his throat and gets up quickly.

Kaia's waving at me from where she's sitting at the front desk, chatting with Agatha and Johnny.

"Those are really great, aren't they?" she says and points at the black and white chocolate pancakes, "Liling's a genius."

She really is, I realize while stuffing myself with warm and sweet pancakes, chocolate melting in my mouth. It's hard to ban a wide smile off my face. Oh pancakes. I missed you.

"Yo June, move a little," there's Carlos on my side, together with Matthew and Logan.

I obey and try to look very nonchalant, not really paying attention to Matthew sitting down on the table right next to me. A strand escaped his carefully styled hair and now hangs into his forehead. I'm weirdly distracted by it, until I notice I'm staring and quickly look away.

"By the way, why did Mr. Callahan make you stay after class?" Matthew asks, leaning over to grab second servings, "He's really weird lately."

"Midlife crisis if you ask me," Carlos says, "This is what happens when you're fifty and you realize all you ever did was teaching high school kids, aka the most unrewarding thing in history."

I'm glad Matthew's asking, since that spares me all the awkward conversation starters.

"I failed my last test," I say, "So he suggested I'll join another student for the upcoming presentations, so I won't fail again, or something."

There's a pause, in which I focus extra hard on my pancakes while simultaneously feeling like I'm suffocating in the awkwardness.

"Oh, why don't we work together then?" Matthew asks right on cue, "I mean, if you want to?"

I look up at his blinding smile and then quickly back down at my pancakes.

"Why not?" I say nonchalantly and allow Kaia to transfer a blueberry pancake from my plate to hers.

"I never knew you two know each other," Logan interferes because of reasons, "I thought your only friends are Kaia and I. And now you're apparently besties with Carlos and –" there's an unflattering pause as Logan coughs in his fist, "– Matthew?"

Matthew looks dumbfounded, gaze wandering from Logan to me.

"Huh?" I say, "What does my science presentation have to do with who I'm friends with?"

"Yeah, what's wrong Logan?" Matthew asks and reaches out to take one of my pancakes, too, "I'm pretty sure June will be a great help with the presentation."

Logan snorts and turns around, apparently looking for Vivian to distract him. I grimace and look back at Matthew, momentarily stunned because there's chocolate smeared all over his lower lip and I have this sudden urge to wipe it away.

"You're such a messy eater," Agatha calls from his other side, leaning over with a napkin in her hands, "Oh, June. I wanted to show you a draft I made for the flyers."

I'm surprised and lean over to her as she tugs a sheet of paper out of her bag.

"Say, do you think this looks good?" Agatha asks with an uncertain smile as she hands it to me, "I really want to know what you think ..."

So, this is still about me criticizing their last work. I start to feel seriously guilty.

The draft's pretty – pastel colors illuminating an accurate drawing of the green & gold room, with students smiling at the viewer, dressed in cute uniforms and holding broomsticks in their hands.

"This is looks really nice," I say and give Agatha my best smile, "Perfect for freshmen."

"You think so?" Agatha seems pretty relieved and leans back against Matthew's shoulder, "I'm glad – I was worried it'd look weird again."

"I didn't think the last one looked weird," I say quickly.

Matthew grins at me. "Don't worry, no one's offended."

"Yeah, Aggy's just a little self-conscious.", Carlos pipes in.

"Not my nickname," Agatha says.

"Say Aggs," Duncan leans over with a shit-eating grin on his face, "What would you say if someone would hypothetically make a survey on your nickname? Asking for a friend."

Agatha furrows her brows. "That would be super embarrassing."

"Speaking of survey," Liling appears in front of us and starts handing out sheets, "Your job is not only to eat the pancakes, but also rate them. We'll make the top three during the cleaning event."

The paper she hands me has Pancake Expert written on its top left corner. I look to the side and see Carlos writing blueberry pancakes with extra fat letters on top spot, circling it about five times and drawing a small crown and even a heart next to it.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," Kaia meanwhile tells Johnny, "June's mum always makes them and they are great, but Liling' are just so good. I'm sorry, June."

I shake my head with a smile and try to decide which one of the pancakes I liked best. It's hard, since I enjoyed all of them and pancakes aren't easy to rate anyway.

"So, which one are you choosing?" Matthew suddenly asks from my side and blows hair out of his forehead.

"I'm not sure yet," I say and hope my voice doesn't crack, "And you – you seemed to enjoy the milk chocolate ones a lot, right?"

Matthew laughs and rubs his thumb over his lower lip. "Is there still anything left?"

No, definitely not. I would have noticed.

"June, don't you like pancakes with berries?" Logan turns back to us after Vivian rejected making out with him, "The strawberry ones were great, no?"

"Uh, I actually like the chocolate pancakes best," I say and tilt my head, "Since my mum makes them so often – but you know that, right?"

Matthew shoots us a curious look again, and Logan presses his lips together and looks constipated.

I drop my gaze and try to shield my paper with my hands, especially from Logan. Then, I write in my best handwriting (means the one people are actually able to read) 'milk chocolate pancakes'.

It's only when I'm done that I notice Carlos sneaking a glance over my shoulder, and I absolutely do not like the grin he's giving me.