Poopularity

After French, Veronica overheard Darcy Brown, three lockers down, telling Becky Shickler how shocking it was that Veronica hadn’t gone to the party.

“I would never not go,” Becky said. “Even if I didn’t want to. She must have a death wish.”

Seriously? How could it be such a big deal if she was or wasn’t at a party? Half the kids probably didn’t even know her name yet, and if Sarah-Lisa was the kind of person who liked to embarrass people, Veronica was glad she didn’t go anyway. No, Melody’s prediction of popularity was not in her future.

She put her books in her locker and got her lunch. She dreaded the cafeteria. She obviously wasn’t going to sit with the A Team and Melody had left early for opera practice today. Everyone was already in groups or pairs. There was no spot for her unless she sat with Sylvie, who was at a table alone pulling the spine out of a whole fish.

A voice called her. “Athena wants you to sit with us. She wants to hear about your dog.” Athena waved from across the cafeteria.

Against all better judgment, Veronica followed Sarah-Lisa to the A Team table. She didn’t want to, but she had nowhere else to go.

“Well?” Athena said.

“I got a dog,” Veronica said, but the words came out flat, no cartwheels this time.

“So we heard in social studies. You are such a good citizen for cleaning up after your dog,” Sarah-Lisa said.

“I love dogs,” Becky said. She moved her tray over to make room for Veronica.

“Me too,” Darcy said.

“Is your dog a him or a her?” Athena asked.

“A him,” Veronica said. She caught herself looking at Sarah-Lisa for permission to continue. “His name is Cadbury,” Veronica said finally. “He’s a lemon beagle and he weighs twenty-four pounds and he is white with caramel spots, except he has a dark brown triangle under his front right arm-leg and he has the cutest, softest, most velvety ears in the entire hemisphere.”

Just thinking about Cadbury made the day so much better. She missed him!

“More,” Darcy said.

“Do you have a picture?” Athena asked.

Veronica wanted to throw her arms around her.

She produced a photo from inside her pencil box. It was just on regular paper, not the shiny kind, but still. It was Cadbury.

“He’s darling!” Becky said.

“Ohhh!” Athena said. “Look, Sarah-Lisa!”

“The polite thing to do, Veronica, is at least RSVP,” Sarah-Lisa said, giving the picture right back. She’d barely even looked. “Didn’t your parents teach you anything?”

Blood rushed to Veronica’s ears. She was so mad she believed she had the strength to lift the table, which was bolted to the floor, and actually throw it at Sarah-Lisa.

Darcy and Becky looked a little bit embarrassed, but no one said anything.

Sarah-Lisa, meanwhile, was unpacking the most exotic-looking sushi Veronica had ever seen. She even had red chopsticks that were tapered at the ends and a ceramic dish for soy sauce. Athena, on the other hand, was eating school lunch. Why was Athena friends with her?

Coco Weitzner plunked her tray down. “What did I miss?”

“Not much,” Sarah-Lisa said. She lifted a scallop with her chopsticks and scowled. “Veronica was talking about her dog.”

Veronica’s temperature went up ten more degrees. Maybe Sarah-Lisa would get food poisoning and die.

“Oh. Victoria, did you really get a dog on Friday?”

“Yes,” Veronica said. “But my name is Veronica.”

“Oh sorry. Ooh, I love spicy tuna roll. Can I have one?” Coco said. “What kind of dog?”

Sarah-Lisa held up a piece of spicy tuna roll. “Athena, do you want one?”

“No, I’m good,” Athena said, flashing a smile. “Coco can have it.”

Sarah-Lisa dropped one piece of spicy tuna roll on Coco’s tray. Veronica unscrewed her wide-mouth thermos. Nothing fancy—noodles with butter and tomato sauce—but made just how she liked. She dug in her lunch bag for a fork. Her mother had forgotten to pack one.

“Wow. Is that pasta?” Sarah-Lisa said. Was this another dig? Veronica wondered. “You are so lucky.”

“Veronica, do you need a fork?” Athena said. “Sarah-Lisa’s cook always packs one. Like you need a fork for sushi.”

“Yeah, duh. Here, take mine.” Sarah-Lisa handed over her fork.

“Yeah, duh,” Veronica said. “Mine always forgets one too.” She didn’t mention that her cook was her mother.

“Back to your dog,” Coco said.

“Yes!” said Becky. “Your dog!”

“A puppy?” Darcy asked.

“Yes,” Veronica said. “He’s so cute and I wanted him for months and I love him so much.”

“Athena, do I have something in my teeth?” Athena inspected her friend’s canines before declaring them perfect. Then Athena asked Sarah-Lisa if she had anything between her teeth even though she hadn’t eaten anything.

“Yes. Upper left,” Sarah-Lisa said. Athena rummaged around in her shoulder bag, which contained more beauty products than Veronica could even identify. She pulled out a compact mirror and a toothpick.

Sylvie meandered by the table, a book propped open on her tray next to a pile of fish bones. “Oh, man,” she said, “is that quinoa?”

“According to the lunch menu it is,” Athena said, “but it looks like poop on top of throw up. You want it?”

Sylvie said yes and dug in. Apparently her whole fish hadn’t satisfied her.

“Oh, by the way,” Sylvie said between mouthfuls, “how was your party?”

“My party was amazing,” Sarah-Lisa said.

“Yeah. I bet,” Sylvie said with what Veronica thought might be sarcasm. She thanked Athena for the quinoa, curtsied, and walked away.

“That girl is so weird,” Sarah-Lisa said. “What is her problem?”