“Do you know anything about the Bat Lady?”

Ema frowned. When she did, the mascara on her eyes folded up and then spread out like a fan. “Now I get it.”

“What?”

“Why you sat here,” Ema said. “You figured-what?-the crazy fat girl would know all about the crazy old Bat Lady.”

“What? No.”

Ema rose with her tray. “Just leave me alone, okay?”

“No, wait, you don’t understand-”

“I understand fine. You did your good deed.”

“Will you stop that? Ema?”

She hurried away. I took a step to follow her and stopped. Two big muscle-heads wearing varsity football jackets snickered. One came up on my right, the other on my left. The one on my right-the name stenciled in cursive on his chest was BUCK-slapped me too hard on the shoulder and said, “Looks like you struck out, huh?”

The other muscle-head-stenciled name: TROY-laughed at that. “Yeah,” Troy said. “Struck out. With the fat chick.”

Back to Buck: “Fat and ugly.”

Troy: “And you still struck out.”

“Dude.”

Buck and Troy high-fived each other. Then they turned and put their hands up for me to high-five. Buck said, “Up top, bro.”

I frowned. “Don’t you guys have a steroid needle that needs an ass cheek?”

Their mouths both formed surprise Os. I pushed past them. Buck called out, “We ain’t done with this, dead man.”

“Yeah,” Troy added, “dead man.”

“Totally dead.”

“Dead man.”

Man, I hoped that nickname didn’t stick.

As I chased after Ema, I saw Ms. Owens, who was working as cafeteria monitor, move quickly to cut me off. There was a gleam in her eyes. Ms. Owens hadn’t forgiven me for the team-building fiasco. Still with the painted smile, she got right up in my face and blew her whistle.

“We don’t run in the cafeteria,” she said, “or we get a week’s detention. Do I make myself clear?”

I looked around me. Buck made a gun with his finger and dropped the hammer. Ema dumped her tray and headed through the doors. Ms. Owens smiled and dared me to run after her. I didn’t.