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“Er, thanks,” Bren said, longing for the guys at the lunch table instead of this fresh hell.

“I wanted to see if you’d stop by the SGA room with me real quick. We’re meeting today and I thought it’d be a good idea for everyone to meet you, so they can make sure you feel super welcome.”

Bren’s hand found the back of his neck in the lull that followed.

“I was actually lookin’ for A.J. Walker.”

“Oh, right! You’d wanna spend time with him, wouldn’t you!” Morgan chirped, leaving no doubt in Bren’s mind that she knew he and Arlo were more than just mates. “It won’t take all lunch. The SGA’s just on the second floor. I can show you where the theater kids eat lunch right after, OK?”

“The SG-what?”

“SGA,” she said. “Student Government Association.”

“Alright,” Bren said, sensing that it was best to get this out of the way.

“Awesome! Follow me.”

The stairs were less crowded than they’d been at the start of lunch, so they were able to walk side by side as they trudged up to the second floor.

“So, how are you liking Peacock so far?” Morgan asked, her Uggs brushing against his trainers as they took a step at the same time.

“Sound enough,” he said, shuffling to the side. “Feckin’ huge compared to Glenbridge, though.”

“Sound? And, oh my gosh, stop, and your accent is so cute!”

Bren forced a smile, refusing to believe that anyone found the Glenbridge accent cute.

“Oh, sorry, was that rude? It’s just, like, everyone sounds the same here so it’s super cool to hear someone who sounds so unique.”

“Go down the street in Glenbridge and the accent changes five times over. Guess it’s pretty mad now that I think on it.”

Morgan stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at him, mouth half-open.

“Um?”

“What?” Bren asked, not seeing what part she might be stuck on.

“I didn’t catch all of that, sorry." She gave him an apologetic look but he still couldn’t tell if she was taking the piss or not. “I think you might be the first person I’ve met who actually talks faster than me. Not that that’s a bad thing!”

“Uh, I said accents change from, like, house to house in Ireland.”

He forced himself to try and mirror the pace Arlo usually talked at and thought she looked less confused.

“Well, I know everyone will try really hard to understand you!”

“Sound.”

The word slipped out on reflex and Morgan’s lips pressed together. As far as welcomes went, he wasn’t sure if this was a good one, but it would make a funny story for later at least.

***

“Uh, so . . . Bren’s gonna be a little late.”

A.J. slid his phone into his pocket and leaned back against his spot on the wall opposite the music room. He’d realized about five minutes too late that when he’d told Bren to meet him for lunch, he would obviously assume he meant the lunch room.

“Did he get lost or something?” Nat asked, not looking up from the pair of formerly white Vans perched on her crossed legs. She’d been touching up some of the hand drawn swirls on them with a collection of Sharpies pulled from her backpack.

“He got dragged to the SGA room by Morgan Clark.”