Sneaking out of the cafeteria during lunch period wasn’t new to them, but Boogie had a feeling something out of the norm was about to happen. He got that feeling sometimes, and he was almost always right.
He gripped Sweetie’s hand and pulled her toward their spot.
“Careful, Boog. They just put down new concrete,” Sweetie warned as she pointed toward the fresh concrete on the side of the apple tree they sat under during every lunch period.
Boogie hopped back just in time to avoid the concrete. He looked back at her with amusement dancing on his face. “And how the heck did you know that?”
Sweetie rolled her dark brown eyes and pointed at the sign that stuck out of the grass. “That’s your problem. You always move too fast and be missing things.”
“Oh, hush, girl. That’s what I have you for.” Boogie dropped his backpack to the ground and took off his school uniformjacket. He placed the blue and white garment on the ground next to him and gestured for Sweetie to sit.
Once she was next to him, they both dug into their backpacks and pulled out their lunches.
“What you got today?” Sweetie asked as she peeked into her brown paper bag.
“Looks like leftover meatloaf, mash, and green beans. Cherry pie for dessert.” The food sat neatly in a portable warmer, and it smelled so good.
Sweetie pouted. “You always have the better lunches.”
“Because my mama packs mine. If your mama would pack yours?—”
Sweetie snorted. “Yeah right. She would never.”
“What about your nanny?”
Sweetie wrinkled her nose. “Last time I let that white lady do that, she made me a pickle and cream cheese wrap.”
Boogie chuckled. “I remember that. What about your granny?”
“You know she packs them when she’s over, but that isn’t as often anymore. I think my mama and daddy drive her a bit crazy.”
Boogie shrugged. “Guess you’re stuck packing your own lunches then. It’s okay. You make a mean ham and cheese sandwich.”
He winked at her just to see her pretty smile that he loved.
“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s PB&J today. We were out of lunch meat.”
“Even better.” He grinned, and she blushed.
Sweetie and Boogie had been best friends since kindergarten. Their school, Cadence Prep, had kindergarten through high school. All the kids pretty much grew up together. It was a hard school to get into and one most people didn’t even know about. The school was founded by the four families who prettymuch ran the underground world across the country. There were plenty of these academies through the country. Desmore Bay was a solid place to have one of them because one family lived right there in The Bay.
Sweetie was in the seventh grade, and Boogie was in the eighth. Over the past year, their friendship had shifted. Boogie saw Sweetie as more than a friend. He didn’t really know how to go about telling her that. Instead, he found himself staring at her more than usual and getting lost in how pretty she was. From her jet-black silky curls to the cute dimples in her cheeks, Boogie was enamored.
They each split their lunch in half and swapped. It was what they had done every day since kindergarten. Boogie never minded sharing with her. She got some good home cooking, and he got the cool snacks all the other kids enjoyed that his mama refused to buy.
“You think there will ever be a day where we can see each other outside of school?” Sweetie asked when they finished with their lunch.
Boogie frowned. “I doubt it. Maybe when we’re eighteen.” He dreamed about that day often, truth be told. When he was eighteen, nobody would be able to tell him anything.
He shrugged as his mood soured at the thought of not being able to see her outside of lunch. They figured out a long time ago that their fathers were enemies. His family ran the west of Desmore Bay and hers ran the east. Apparently, Sweetie’s dad made it law that none of the Bishop family should ever have anything to do with the DeLuca family.
Boogie’s dad, on the other hand, had never mentioned anything to him and his siblings outright, but when he was eight, he did overhear his father talking to his right-hand man about Vernon Bishop. It was clear they did not intertwine, which made Boogie and Sweetie’s friendship a secret. Not even her oldersister or his older brother knew about them, and they went to the same school. Outside of their alone time at lunch, they had to pretend like they didn’t even know each other.
“Yeah.”
When he noticed her saddened expression, he hopped up and held his hand out to her. “You been practicing?”
Her frown turned into a slight grin. “You know I have.”
