one missed call

twelve

He tapped on her shoulder from behind. "Hey, you're back."

She smiled half-heartedly. "Here I am."

"You should've notified me earlier. I could've thrown you a welcome back parade." His phone's screen lit up and he cast a quick look at it.

"Yeah and Mellany would be at the front on a purple and fabulous float."

He was typing a reply into his phone now but he muttered out, "Uhuh, she probably would. She'd petition it."

"What happened to her by the way?"

"Suspended for a week so she's coming back on Monday."

"Oh."

"What do you mean oh? Three days without her freakish face up in our business! We should be rejoicing and throwing that parade!" He laughed and she didn't have the heart not to join in.

He calmed down eventually. "Hey, wanna get a pretzel with Anna and I after school?"

"Nah, I had a heavy lunch."

"Where were you during lunch by the way?"

She smiled lightly. "Just in the library. Studying for those school days I missed."

"How did you have a heavy lunch if food's not allowed in the library?"

"Ms. Nolan gave me an exception."