SANTIAGO in San Antonio. How ironic. โThat makes sense,โ Mike replies: even though heโs attended this school since the beginning of time, he still needs to adapt to his new schedule whenever a new year starts. Especially now, considering heโs been away from school for over a year.
Instead of receiving a handshake, he receives a high five. Casual. Unusual, but not unpleasantly so. Maybe itโs all the rage in the golden state. โCalifornia is a place indeed.โ His tone is dry. โWhereabouts?โ Not that he knows California that well. Heโs simply trying very hard to make conversation. A chuckle follows.
โAs far as last stops go, this place ainโt all that bad. Iโm a San Antonio native. Born and raised.โ Should he? โYeah, I know a few fun places. I could make you a list,โ he then offers. Yes, he should try to make new friends at school. Heโs got a few places in mind already, including his all-time favourite The Witte Museum and the natural bridge caverns.
Santiโs enthusiasm draws a small smile to Mikeโs lips. Heโs the complete opposite, sitting perfectly still yet relaxed on his chair. That is, until his food lands in his lap. He jumps back and almost knocks his chair over, but itโs too late. Within seconds, his pants are covered with the contents of his tacos. โShit.โ
He tries his best to shrug it all off but itโs of no use. Guacamole is sticky. Fuck balls? he repeats in his mind with a little shake of his head. Florida is supposed to be the odd one out, not California.
โErโฆ We could go to the gym hall. Theyโve got lost and found there. Maybe thereโs something thatโll fit me,โ he suggests, lacking any anger or resentment. He manages to salvage his apple which he bites into as he gestures for Santi to follow him.
โYou get to explain it to the PE teacher if heโs there. I donโt think we have a class right after lunch - lemme check.โ Mike glances at his smart watch and swipes toward his schedule. โNah. Weโre good.โ
SANTI mentally pats himself on the back. He's making sense, his schoolmate says. He's assimilating despite the blunder from that morning when a teacher asked for his name and after providing it, was asked for a surname. Did humans have more than one name? He'd have to double check on that later.
The follow up question catches him off - guard and Santi flounders. He hopes the panic isn't too noticeable. "Um. South." Bottom lip plush between his teeth, he tries to offer a smile while trying not to berate himself for overlooking such a simple detail. Perhaps he should have mapped out his 'history' more but he had been so excited. "Why? You plan on looking up my old place?" Diversionary tactic is abysmal at best but it'll have to do for now.
"A list," he repeats, the disappointment coating his words. He couldn't really do much with a list without proper guidance. Would it even count as anything useful during check in? Probably not. "Isn't the point of 'fun places' to go to them with someone else?"
The noise captures the attention of most of the students within their vicinity. Santi pays them no mind as he acts on reflex, practically jumping over the lunch table with a napkin to try to get most of the mess out. "Shit. Fuck. Mother-loving-fuck balls. That's going to stain. I'm so sorry man. Let me just --."
There's laughter around them, he's sure of it, but it just glides over him. His main objective right now is to get this clean from his mistake. He doesn't even care about decorum at this point as he swats towards Mike's pants.
"Lost and found?" Santi's unsure as to why Mike is so calm about the whole ordeal -- enough so that he picks up an apple as if he doesn't have avocado finding a permanent residence in the crease of his trousers. "You just get to take what's been lost? Because you found them?" Curious. A human tradition perhaps? Something that could aid them?
He picks up his tray and moves to follow. "Okay I guess I'll show him this? To explain?" Santi could also try to barter with it though he's not sure what the PE teacher would want with his lunch. He gestures towards the double doors that lead out to the hallway. "Come on. Age before beauty and all."