arrival of the waitress, who plunked their food down, slapped a check on the table, and headed off to wait on some other customers.
“I can’t hang out today,” Anna said when she was gone. “I’m meeting Benny Riveras.”
Emma was dumping packets of sugar into her coffee, but she glanced up sharply. “Benny? What for?”
Anna explained how Benny had invited her to Moxie for pizza. “You can come, too,” she said quickly. “He said a bunch of kids are going.”
“I can come, too? Gee,
thanks
for the invitation,” Emma sneered sarcastically.
“I thought you’d be happy for me,” Anna said, feeling hurt.
Emma made a face. “Happy that you’re hanging out with that
twerp?”
“Benny’s not a twerp. He’s nice. And funny. And I think he likes me.” What was wrong with Emma? Why was she being so mean?
Emma shrugged. “Fine. Go hang out with him if you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anna asked. But Emma wouldn’t explain.
Anna nibbled at her sandwich, but she didn’t feel hungry. This lunch had turned out horribly. She just wanted it to be over.
But once she was done eating, Emma dawdled. She kept glancing over at the waitress. Anna had the feeling she was waiting for something.
When the waitress disappeared into the kitchen, Emma suddenly stood. “Let’s go!” she hissed.
“You haven’t paid the bill yet,” Anna pointed out.
“Haven’t you ever heard of dining and ditching?”
“But you said you were going to pay!” Anna couldn’t believe what Emma was pulling.
“I said I had it taken care of,” Emma said. “I didn’t say I’d pay. I don’t even have any money. Now come on, we have to go
now.”
Without waiting for Anna, she dashed out the door.
Anna jumped up from the table so quickly she made the coffee cups rattle. A couple in the nextbooth looked up from their food. Halfway to the door, though, Anna stopped, frozen with indecision. She saw the kitchen door swing open and the waitress come out carrying a tray of food.
At the last second, Anna darted back to the table, pulled a few crumpled dollar bills from her pocket, and dropped them on top of the check. It wasn’t enough to cover the bill. But it was all she had.
“Won’t she come after us?” Anna gasped when she’d caught up with Emma.
“No way! Did you see that hairdo? She’d never risk getting it wet.” Emma laughed nastily. “She was a horrible waitress. Did you notice how she only brought us one menu? We really got her back.”
Anna didn’t laugh along with her. All she could think about was how tired the waitress had looked. For the first time ever, hanging out with Emma didn’t seem like that much fun.
Chapter Eight
That day, after her last class, Anna went by Emma’s locker, hoping she might be able to convince her to come to Moxie after all. Emma wasn’t there, so Anna lingered for a few minutes in case she showed up.
Just a few lockers down from Emma’s, the Jackals were clustered around Jessamyn’s locker, gossiping. When Jessamyn noticed Anna watching them, she narrowed her eyes, as if to say,
What are
you
looking at?
The other Jackals turned and looked at Anna.
With their eyes on her, Anna gave up on waiting for Emma and scurried away.
By the time she got to Moxie, the place was packed. Anna made her way past the tables of kids scarfing bread sticks and pizza slices. The air wasfull of the jangle of pinball machines and the smell of burnt pizza crust.
She found Benny in the back by the air hockey table. “Hey!” he exclaimed happily when she walked up. “I was worried you weren’t coming. Anna, do you know Pete and Eamonn?”
His two friends glanced up and nodded, then went back to their air hockey game.
“They’ve been hogging the table,” Benny said. “But I’m up next.” He pointed to a little stack of quarters on the side of the table. “Want to get a slice while we’re waiting?”
“That’s okay … I’m
“I can’t hang out today,” Anna said when she was gone. “I’m meeting Benny Riveras.”
Emma was dumping packets of sugar into her coffee, but she glanced up sharply. “Benny? What for?”
Anna explained how Benny had invited her to Moxie for pizza. “You can come, too,” she said quickly. “He said a bunch of kids are going.”
“I can come, too? Gee,
thanks
for the invitation,” Emma sneered sarcastically.
“I thought you’d be happy for me,” Anna said, feeling hurt.
Emma made a face. “Happy that you’re hanging out with that
twerp?”
“Benny’s not a twerp. He’s nice. And funny. And I think he likes me.” What was wrong with Emma? Why was she being so mean?
Emma shrugged. “Fine. Go hang out with him if you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anna asked. But Emma wouldn’t explain.
Anna nibbled at her sandwich, but she didn’t feel hungry. This lunch had turned out horribly. She just wanted it to be over.
But once she was done eating, Emma dawdled. She kept glancing over at the waitress. Anna had the feeling she was waiting for something.
When the waitress disappeared into the kitchen, Emma suddenly stood. “Let’s go!” she hissed.
“You haven’t paid the bill yet,” Anna pointed out.
“Haven’t you ever heard of dining and ditching?”
“But you said you were going to pay!” Anna couldn’t believe what Emma was pulling.
“I said I had it taken care of,” Emma said. “I didn’t say I’d pay. I don’t even have any money. Now come on, we have to go
now.”
Without waiting for Anna, she dashed out the door.
Anna jumped up from the table so quickly she made the coffee cups rattle. A couple in the nextbooth looked up from their food. Halfway to the door, though, Anna stopped, frozen with indecision. She saw the kitchen door swing open and the waitress come out carrying a tray of food.
At the last second, Anna darted back to the table, pulled a few crumpled dollar bills from her pocket, and dropped them on top of the check. It wasn’t enough to cover the bill. But it was all she had.
“Won’t she come after us?” Anna gasped when she’d caught up with Emma.
“No way! Did you see that hairdo? She’d never risk getting it wet.” Emma laughed nastily. “She was a horrible waitress. Did you notice how she only brought us one menu? We really got her back.”
Anna didn’t laugh along with her. All she could think about was how tired the waitress had looked. For the first time ever, hanging out with Emma didn’t seem like that much fun.
Chapter Eight
That day, after her last class, Anna went by Emma’s locker, hoping she might be able to convince her to come to Moxie after all. Emma wasn’t there, so Anna lingered for a few minutes in case she showed up.
Just a few lockers down from Emma’s, the Jackals were clustered around Jessamyn’s locker, gossiping. When Jessamyn noticed Anna watching them, she narrowed her eyes, as if to say,
What are
you
looking at?
The other Jackals turned and looked at Anna.
With their eyes on her, Anna gave up on waiting for Emma and scurried away.
By the time she got to Moxie, the place was packed. Anna made her way past the tables of kids scarfing bread sticks and pizza slices. The air wasfull of the jangle of pinball machines and the smell of burnt pizza crust.
She found Benny in the back by the air hockey table. “Hey!” he exclaimed happily when she walked up. “I was worried you weren’t coming. Anna, do you know Pete and Eamonn?”
His two friends glanced up and nodded, then went back to their air hockey game.
“They’ve been hogging the table,” Benny said. “But I’m up next.” He pointed to a little stack of quarters on the side of the table. “Want to get a slice while we’re waiting?”
“That’s okay … I’m
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