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]

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.