"You..." Connie lifted a finger to point but stopped without saying anything else. For a moment, everything stood still. Then the anger drained from Connie's green eyes. "You have to be careful next time," she advised softly.
"Sorry," Sandy repeated as she looked down. She brushed the liquid from her hand and sleeve.
Connie reached for the red handbag that she had dropped when she had fallen. She got to her feet and pulled out a pack of tissues from her handbag. She offered a piece to Sandy. "Here, use this."
"Thanks," Sandy said as she accepted the tissue. "Sorry about the spill."
"It's okay," Connie forgave her magnanimously with a gracious smile, "Don't worry about it."
Sandy received a sweet fluffy tissue and kind forgiveness from the glamor queen of 9-C! That was a great relief. She was not in trouble.
The brown-haired teenager stooped to grab the crushed cup. Maybe there was still a drop or two left in it. Then she retreated before she could burst into wide-eyed idol-adoring mode.
As Sandy made her way to Ariel's table, she berated herself for being so clumsy. Not only had she spilled hot chocolate onto Connie, it was her precious drink that she had lost. She would have to watch carefully where she walked next time.
"What happened to your drink?" Ariel asked as Sandy sat down. She pointed at her classmate's damaged paper cup.
"I got careless," Sandy said, "I tripped and the cup got crushed."
"You got some on your sleeve too," Ariel observed.
"Yeah, I spilled some on my sleeve," Sandy confirmed.
"You should be more careful," Ariel advised.
"Yeah, I should be more careful." Sandy agreed as she opened her lunch box.
"You should stop parroting everything I say," Ariel suggested in the same tone.
"I should stop parroting everything you say."
Ariel giggled with amusement.
"What's so funny?" Sandy asked.
"Nothing," Ariel said as she packed her amusement away. She continued eating.
"Hey, girls," Esper greeted as she sat down at the table with her tray of food. "Sandy, what happened to your drink?" She indicated what was left of Sandy's cup.
Sandy gave a short reply citing her clumsiness. Then she had her sleeve pointed out. And she was advised again to be careful.
Ariel giggled at the end of it.
The whole conversation was repeated once more when Selina appeared with the same question, observation and advice.
Ariel laughed out loud that time.
***
The next day, Sandy bought herself another cup of hot chocolate. She was careful to watch her step that time as she hurried through the cafeteria. As she was about to past Annie, she noticed that Connie had moved back, well out of her way.
Nothing exciting happened after that. The day after that, Friday, passed without any incident too.
On the following week, Sandy continued the same lunchtime routine, except that she bought a milkshake instead, since the weather was warmer. The money that Annie had given her ran out before the end of the week.
At the end of it, Sandy was puzzled. The 'it' that Annie mentioned had never happened.
However, since Annie had not sought her out, Sandy did not worry about it. She had been paid and she had done as she had been told.
She hoped to get another job soon. That last one had not paid much.
***
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