The next day, Katarina sat at lunch, alone, as usual. It wasn't that she didn't have any friends--just not many. Actually, there was really only one: her childhood friend, Aria Mycals. Aria was pretty much the complete opposite of Katarina, being perky, outgoing, and popular. She was captain of the cheerleading team this year, and loving every minute of it. If anyone was honestly enjoying being a senior, it was Aria.

Unfortunately, she was in a different lunch period. Katarina munched on a sandwich, idly watching an argument taking place in the back of the cafeteria. The opposing parties didn’t surprise her--it was a bunch of football players, and a ragtag group of punk rock delinquents under the command of a junior called Mitchell Kang. Mitchell himself was currently going head-to-head with the quarterback, senior Daniel Wilson.

“Listen here you little punk, you and your friends better back off and get outta our cafeteria before we show ya what for!” Wilson was shouting.

“Oh yeah?” Mitchell replied mockingly. “Don’t you think that would be bad for your reputation? I mean, you and your football buddies losin’ a fight and all.”

Wilson stood up, towering over the diminutive Mitchell. “And what makes you think we’ll lose?” he growled.

Mitchell smiled smugly up at him. “How about I show you first hand?” Wilson looked ready to strangle him, but one of his friends tapped him on the shoulder, shaking his head when Wilson turned to him.

“Not worth it, man. Coach’ll kill us for getting in a fight. It’s bad sportsmanship.”

Wilson glowered at Mitchell for a few seconds longer, trembling with rage. Finally, he let out a breath and backed away. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks dude.” He took his seat back at his lunch table.

“Pff, coward,” Mitchell muttered with a victorious smirk, his gang cheering. He turned and strode back to his own corner of the lunchroom, followers jogging behind him.

Katarina rolled her eyes. Mitchell Kang had a knack for pushing people’s buttons, and had been making a nuisance of himself since he’d first stepped through the doors of the school. Anymore, the teachers and principal ignored it until the first punch was thrown--usually by whatever party Mitchell’s gang was antagonizing. He seemed to make a point of never actually starting the fight, just poking every bear he could find until they snapped.

Shrugging, Katarina resumed eating her sandwich. She stopped mid-bite, however, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Shifting her gaze over a bit, she almost dropped her food when she spotted the new kid sitting at the other end of the table.

She blinked. She hadn’t even seen him sit down. She thought about telling him to bug off and find somewhere else to sit, but a quick glance around told her that hers was, indeed, by far the emptiest table in the cafeteria. And he was being quiet, at least. She made an executive decision to just leave him be. He didn’t look like the type that made friends easily anyway.

Kind of like me, she couldn't help but think, but quickly shooed the idea away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katarina made an effort to get to the bus early that afternoon. There was absolutely no way she was having her seat stolen again. However, when she boarded the bus and walked to her seat, she found the new kid there, waiting for her. She snapped her fallen jaw shut when he spotted her and gave her an amused grin.

"Why hello there, bus buddy," he said cheerily.

"I thought you said there were no other empty seats when you got here," Katarina growled.

"There weren't, yesterday," he replied with a shrug. "I actually know where the bus is now, so it doesn't take as long to get here."

"Then find another seat."

The boy shook his head. "Nah. This one's comfortable. You, on the other hand, are welcome to move."

Katarina gritted her teeth, bit back the urge to smash the boy's head in with a textbook, and slumped into the seat next to him, folding her arms irritably. He raised his eyebrows, then laughed. "What's so funny?" Katarina snapped.

"You," he chuckled. "Honestly, who gets this upset over a bus seat?"

She snorted. "You haven't seen the rest of the bus. You're new, so you wouldn't get it, but we've had literal fist fights over seats on this bus in the past. Once you've got your spot, you stay there. Or else."

His smile was replaced by a mildly disturbed expression. "Isn't that kind of...childish?"

Katarina sighed. "Welcome to Raresyde High. Home of the bizarre, the juvenile, and the Raresyde Rams. Who haven't won a game in two years, by the way."

The boy grimaced. "Yeesh. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to," he said. "Anyway, you know what I just realized? I don't think I ever caught your name."

"That's because I didn't give it to you."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's impolite to ask someone's name without giving your own first," Katarina chided in a slightly bored tone.

He gave her a questioning look, then shrugged. "Alright then, fair enough. I'm Kody," he said, extending a hand. "With a 'K'."

She hesitated, suspiciously eyeing the hand, then reached over and shook it. "Katarina. Also with a 'K'," she added with a hint of a mocking smile.

"Ah, so you do have a sense of humor," Kody observed, his grin returning.

"Occasionally," she shrugged. "Typically not with people that take my seat though."

"Well, I guess that makes me special, then," he decided, still smiling. “Nice to meet you, Katarina. Oh, hey, can I call you Kat?”

Her brow furrowed. "Um, why?"

Kody frowned, looking confused by the question. "Well, you have a long name. 'Kat' rolls off the tongue a little easier than 'Katarina."

She snorted. "Are you insinuating that there's something wrong with my name?"

"No, I'm insinuating that I'm lazy," he replied, completely serious.

She frowned. "Uh-huh...well, I don't care, I guess. Call me what you want."

Kody perked up, smiling smugly. "Really now? So if I wanted to call you, say, 'Little Miss Sunshine-Shoes', I could?" Katarina shot him a nasty glare. He laughed, putting his hands up in mock defense. "Fine, fine. I will stick to Kat."

"Good," she spat. "Keep up the good work and you might survive the year." She ignored his confused expression, putting in her headphones and drowning out the remainder of her school day.