"Don't you want to be as happy as she is? Don't you deserve it just as much?"
That one I had to think about a minute.
"Yeah. I do."
"Yes! You do! That smell in the air? That's not just sloppy joes; that's your future! The Ladder awaits you, Cara Leonard! Once more onto the rungs, deer friends, once more!"
I laughed and promised her I'd do my best, then hung up feeling much lighter. I walked into the "awash in potential targets" cafeteria. It was filled with eight-person tables, and most of them were full. Somewhere among them sat my perfect target ... I just had to find him.
A voice boomed across the room. "'From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, / Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore. / 'Kill him! Kill the umpire!' shouted some one on the stand; / And it's likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.'"
Okay, that was weird. Some guy at the back of the cafeteria was standing on his chair and shouting poetry to everyone in fifth period lunch.
Wait ... it wasn't just some guy. It was Archer. I recognized the Gatsby hat. I walked closer and I realized he was performing the poem, but it's not like he was trying to get people's attention. It seemed more like he was doing it for his friends, the other Theater Geeks. He was just so into it and so good that most of the cafeteria was watching. Happy Hopeless, Cubby Crews, DangerZones ... even Trista and her Populazzi had stopped eating to check out the show.
I watched, too. It was weird. I'd spent a big chunk of the morning with Archer, but I'd been so busy making sure I didn't come off like a complete idiot, I'd never really looked at him. Now I did. His clothes were pretty traditional—so much so that they actually seemed unique. Khaki pants, blue-and-white striped oxford with the tails hanging out, abused sneakers he'd probably worn for years. I could even see the outline of undershirt sleeves on his biceps. He topped it all with the gray tweed Gatsby hat with the brim snapped down. He wore his black hair short, cut bluntly at the nape of his neck. His skin was a rich coffee color, and his brown eyes seemed impossibly huge.
How had I not noticed it before? Archer was cute. Really cute. And he was smart—I had noticed that. And he made me laugh. And I seemed to make him laugh...
Archer's shoulders slumped, the picture of resignation. "'Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; / The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, / And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; / But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.'"
Silence ... then Trista stood and applauded. Everyone at her table and most of the cafeteria followed her lead. For the first time Archer seemed to realize the size of his audience. It didn't faze him. He took off his Gatsby hat and gave a deep, exaggerated bow, then plopped back down into his seat.
Wow. Even the Populazzi thought Archer was amazing. Claudia would definitely approve.
I started walking toward his table, getting more and more nervous with every step. I reminded myself he'd said he'd see me at lunch—it was totally normal for me to walk up and say hi. Besides, it's not like I was really risking anything. I was just playing my part in a grand social experiment.
I told myself that ... but it didn't stop my palms from sweating.
I had found my first target.
Chapter Four
"Hey, Archer ... that was great," I said.
"Oh!" Archer wheeled around and his cheeks flushed red. "Cara..." He turned back toward his friends at the table with ... Was that a pleading look?
Of course it was. I was just some random new girl. He'd only hung out with me this morning to be nice, and now I was bothering him in front of all his friends. I felt my cheeks start to match his.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I shouldn't have ... It's just ... the poem was really good. Bye."
"Wait!" Archer said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Excellent. Compliment paid and accepted. That had to be a good first step, right? Only problem was I hadn't planned anything else, so Archer and I