you have the means in your possession

[edgeofyourseat]

Lunch has just started and there are not very many people in the cafeteria, but apparently there isn't enough room for these two students to stand in line next to one another without... friction.

It begins with a scowl. Well, a scowl from the taller of the two. Delaney honestly doesn't seem to care. Unfortunately, this is not the correct response.

Comments

[self_composed]

Bella brought her lunch today and is already sitting down, waiting for Jessica or Angela or Eric or someone to appear and sit with her. Oh look. A distraction. This is probably going to be the most visually arresting thing in the room presently anyway; she directs her attention away from the door and towards Delaney and the person who does not like him for probably perfectly good reasons.

[edgeofyourseat]

The other boy, who apparently dislikes being ignored, grabs Delaney's arm as he picks up his tray.

"Not today, honeybunch," Delaney says mildly.

"Faggot," his pursuer sneers, letting go with a shove that sends Delaney stumbling forward.

He just laughs, unperturbed. "Why, you want some? Fifty bucks," he offers. "A hundred and I'll do it right here."

That was not in the script. The other boy frowns as he processes the meaning of the words, and then his head jerks back in outraged surprise. "Freak!" he spits.

And all of a sudden there is a shower of food, plates, and cutlery and Delaney's tray is smacking him across the face.

[self_composed]

Bella takes out her notebook and draws a plus sign next to a certain line.

[edgeofyourseat]

Predictably, there is a fight.

This time, though, Delaney is really in it instead of just laughing as he gets pounded into the floor.

It makes a considerable difference.

[self_composed]

Why aren't the cafeteria ladies doing anything? They're right there. They are right there.

Bella gets out her phone. She dials Charlie's number, but doesn't hit send yet. "Delaney!" she hollers.

[edgeofyourseat]

He doesn't react even slightly. Like he doesn't hear her, or like he doesn't care, it's hard to tell.

[self_composed]

Bella doesn't call her dad, yet, but she does march around the altercation to address the cafeteria ladies. "If you are not equipped to intervene," she says, "you need to get someone who is. Try Ms. Finch if you don't have a better idea."

[edgeofyourseat]

The cafeteria ladies look at each other, then at the brawling boys. By some unspoken consensus, one of them turns and disappears through the door behind the counter.

[self_composed]

In the meantime, there is still a fight. "DELANEY!" shouts Bella. Is she the only person in the room who doesn't see the status quo of "Delaney periodically gets into injurious physical altercations with classmates" as an okay thing?

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yeah, what?" he yells back, ducking under a punch.

[self_composed]

"The cafeteria lady is getting Ms. Finch or someone. You might want to consider disengaging before she gets back. Other Guy, you too. Perhaps Delaney should go stand in that corner and you in the opposite one and you can glare at each other, does that sound good? Other Guy can rest assured that Delaney will get the crap beaten out of him one way or another within the next twenty-four hours. Delaney can meditate on overreactions and write a monograph on them later. Okay?" She has to pause here and there to be heard over the sound of fighting.

[edgeofyourseat]

...Delaney starts laughing.

The other guy shoots Bella an incredulous glance, of which Delaney does not take immediate advantage with violence.

This leaves them not fighting anymore, and it is not a state they seem inclined to resume.



From the door comes the sound of slow, measured applause.

[self_composed]

Bella regains her calm slowly, and mostly by the mechanism of adjusting her hair, before looking to the source of the clapping. "Hello, Ms. Finch," she says, relieved.

[edgeofyourseat]

"So I don't have to put anybody in a detention he's not gonna show up for anyway," says Ms. Finch, giving Bella a nod.

"Nope," says Delaney, very cheerfully.

"Congratulations," she deadpans.

Delaney tips his head Bellaward. "Blame her."

The other kid, what with the inhibiting presence of a teacher, shuffles slowly away.

[self_composed]

Bella inhales deeply, exhales, and smiles politely at Ms. Finch. "Thanks for appearing so quickly. It was not guaranteed that I'd be able to say anything useful."

[edgeofyourseat]

"No problem," says Ms. Finch.

Delaney picks up the single intact item out of the remains of his lunch - a bottle of juice - opens it, and heads for the door. People get out of his way with remarkable speed, except for Ms. Finch, who stays put.

"Any chance you'll help clean that up?" she asks him.

...He pauses to consider this question.

[self_composed]

Bella is reasonably sure that she is not responsible for cleanup. She sits back down in her seat and eats her little package of popcorn.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Nah," says Delaney. Ms. Finch doesn't argue, just steps aside to let him leave the room. The lunch lady who went after her reappears, and the normal course of lunch resumes, plus an expected buzz of gossip and the minor kerfuffle of Ms. Finch cornering the other boy and getting a promise of cleanup out of him, which she remains for a few minutes to supervise.

[self_composed]

Bella has eaten three kernels of popcorn before Jessica finishes her own lunch transaction, plops into the seat at Bella's left, and demands a word-for-word recap.

Bella sighs very quietly and provides.