Page 12 of Defending Casey

He moved down to the edge of the group and swung one leg over the bench seat before he set his tray down and brought his other leg through the gap. He hadn’t anticipated how narrow the space was and almost fell against Casey as he sat down.

She didn’t give him a look even though she leaned away from him in what looked like a slight cringe. He was impressed that she managed to keep her gaze on the book she’d opened up beside her tray. His only indication that she knew he was there was the tense line of her shoulders when she lifted her hand to push her reading glasses higher on her nose.

He opened the first of his milk cartons and set it back down at the top of his tray. Picking up his fork, he used it to cut something that was supposed to be Salisbury Steak. “You always bring your own lunch to school?”

Casey didn’t move and he knew that she was trying to ignore him. Just a moment ago she’d started to reach for the Ziploc bag of orange segments in front of her sandwich.

“You’re lucky,” he continued on as if she hadn’t just answered him with silence, “I think I’d like a sandwich like that. This… uh, this stuff that they serve. It’s kind of gross.”

When she didn’t answer him, he pushed a bite of the meat into his mouth and started chewing.

A few moments later, she spoke.

“If you think it’s gross, why do you eat it?”

He almost choked on his food, but managed to swallow it down without turning red.

He’d swear that he saw a hint of a smile on her lips.

“I eat it because it’s food. And I’ve got to eat a lot before I get out on the field later. I burn a lot of calories when I play.” And when she didn’t speak, he added on one more comment just in case. “I play football.”

Claudia Spencer leaned on the table across from him, her eyes snapping with mirth under her fringe of dyed blonde hair. “She knows you play football, baby. She’s not stupid, just unpopular.”

He saw Casey move, reaching down for her bag that was on the floor, but he didn’t want her to go. He’d actually managed to get a few words from her. If he let her run now, there was no telling when his next opportunity would happen.

If ever.

“Thanks, Claudia. I can handle this on my own.”

“Oh, I know, baby.” Smiling and snapping her Wrigley’s gum, Claudia sat on the bench opposite him like she was riding side-saddle. “I’m just here to make sure she doesn’t faceplant in her bologna sandwich.”

Fuck. He knew he’d messed up then.

Claudia was a girl who liked attention. And trying to give that attention to someone else sometimes made them a target.

And as much as he’d wanted to just talk to Casey, he didn’t want to paint a target on her back.

“All right,” he gave Claudia a smile that he hoped would make her retract her fangs, “let’s just get back to lunch.”

Usually that would send her off, Claudia liked her figure more than she liked lunch, but instead of heading to the bathroom to play with her make-up, she turned toward the table and drummed acrylic nails on the chipped surface.

“What’s your interest in our little friend, Hale? Tired of dating the popular girls in town?”

“Stop it, Claudia.” He lowered his voice and gave her a hard look across the table. “It’s not funny.”

“Oh, it is too,” she insisted. “I think it’s really funny.”

He wanted to tell her exactly what he thought but telling off Claudia at that point would put Casey firmly in her cross hairs and even though the girl couldn’t shoot for shit with a gun, she had deadly aim with her words.

“Hey, little Choo choo.” Claudia waved her fancy nails in Casey’s direction. “Yes, I know you can hear me.”

Hale had never seen anyone meet one of Claudia’s pointed looks the way Casey did. Lifting her head like a queen, she turned her head and smiled.

“That’s not my name.”

Leaning back on the bench, her hand clutching at invisible pearls, Claudia gasped in mock-shock. “She speaks!” Laughing while looking at the others who were still silent at the table, Claudia shot back at Casey. “We all know it’s not your name. I’m just glad you can speak without stumbling over yourself. At least it means you’re not deaf, just blind.”

Hale saw the quirk of a smile at the corner of Casey’s mouth, and he mirrored the gesture wondering if she was going to point out the error in Claudia’s words, but Casey didn’t correct the other girl.

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