—

“I’m. So. Bored!!” Alice exclaimed, flopping over in the grassy sun-splashed field we were all currently splayed out on. It was somewhere between morning and noon, the temperature crawling up with every passing minute, and there was absolutely nothing to do. Breakfast had gone by without a hitch, and I’d even managed to make it to the table without holding everyone else up. I was getting the hang of the Solomon food system. Now all of us just sat outside in a little group, together thanks to time mostly. Cheerleading and Tennis practice apparently didn’t start till after lunch, and neither did Basketball practice for Tasha. Bette had run out of charcoal pencils and couldn’t visit the art professor to get more until later on, and it was too early for Alice to start much trouble without getting caught. I didn’t really mind the quiet, laying down with my arms folded under my head and basking in the sunshine. There was exactly seven days left until class started and I wanted as much time away from textbooks and essays as possible. My eyelids fluttered closed against the brightness of the blue sky and I was just about to kick my Chucks off when,

“Leche’s at three o’clock.” Bette whispered suddenly and Alice shot up, looking around wildly. Her eyes narrowed and I followed her gaze over to the very edge of the field, where a small army of girls was walking towards us, holding onto three milk crates. Stifling a groan I sat up Indian style and watched their progress. They were at just the right angle to be more in shadow than sun, the darkness hollowing out the dips and curves of their faces. Their pace was slow, deliberate, and as their skirts swished around in the light breeze I half-expected a few tumbleweeds to roll out in front of them to the tune of a twanging guitar.

Alice was the first of us to stand, Tasha following suit a few moments later, and one by one we got up until we formed a sunlit defensive front. The Leche’s stopped just short of us, dropping the crates heavily in between before a buff chick with dark curly hair started toward Alice, who met her head on.