"Do you remember that one period where that one fucking song by Katy Perry came on like every two songs? It was like, Katy Perry, Bebe Rexha, Calvin Harris, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Halsey, Katy Perry, the Chainsmokers, Katy Perry, Calvin Harris- ooh! Is that a bit of Lady Gaga-? Nope. Katy Perry."
I raise my eyebrows at Jamie while he looks through his Spotify playlist. I do remember that, actually, but I don't think he's looking for an answer. I sit down next to him and sigh. I hate sitting—in all circumstances I would much rather stand, or I get restless and start tapping my fingers against surfaces like I've had three cups of coffee, except I haven't—but standing has gotten boring and I look like I'm waiting to take his order.
"Finally lowered yourself down to the peasants, eh?" Jamie says, looking up from his phone. "My playlist is trash. You find something." He throws his phone at me and I catch it. I'm not interested in putting any songs on in public, so I just scowl at the phone like it bit me.
"Would rather not," I say.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'd rather be in the sports hall training and all that in order to impress the king," Jamie says dryly. "You know, acting like you're the only one who's got to do that."
"I'm the one he pays attention to," I reply, voice sharp. It's what I like to think. I want the attention. I hate attention most of the time, it makes my skin fucking crawl, but from the king I would take all of it. He and Auberon are the only father figures I have in my life. There's actual father, but who can be bothered with that bastard.
"No. He pays attention to all of us, you fucking paperclip," Jamie says, and I laugh unexpectedly, a small shout of a thing. He leans his elbow on the table, face closer to mine now. I glance away from him, running my tongue along my teeth. "But you know something?"
I turn my face to look at him. We're too close. I often speak with my friends standing far too close to them, and it's never bothered me before. I raise my eyebrows expectantly.
"You will be getting attention from him when he finds out about you and Fernando," Jamie says, tapping his temple, and I open my mouth to protest but there's no point. Jamie's too clever. He's such an idiot sometimes, most of the time, almost always, and then beneath that he's clever. Beneath that again he's just a moron, but that doesn't make the clever less deadly. He points in the direction of Fernando, eating lunch on the other side of the room. With Destina. My jaw sets.
"You're not funny, Jamie."
He raises his arms in innocence. "Not trying to be. I'm serious. If I thought it was funny I'd have told somebody by now, eh? And have I done that?"
"Derrick will reserve a special place in hell for you, you know that? You gotta be more careful. We are friends, Dominguez, and I'm not totally insensitive."
He's a dick and he knows it. "You're the only one who's noticed."
"And that absolutely amazes me every day, I promise you that. But watch out, yeah?" He slaps my back in a friendly sort of way and takes his phone from my hand, standing up. "I better be off."
He's gone then, and I tilt my head at the empty space. I don't feel any threat from the king. I can't process his authority. I'm left feeling blank and apathetic.
