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The Usual suspects secure the usual table.

That morning before school Mom is out running errands, so Sammy tells her dad that she won't be home for dinner tonight because one of her friends got a self-defense class put together in response to all of the strange things happening at school.

-*-*-

Elrod catches up with Sammy when she is on her way to the cafeteria for lunch.  She happily accepts the invitation to his party, and wonders why he's hiring a band instead of playing at it.
As she's passing him her phone numbers and whatever other contact info he wants, she quips "Is playing at your own party too much work?"

Elrod smiles, "It could very well be too drunk to play.  Besides, costumes and stuff, why give away your secret identity by playing in the band."

Sammy twitches ever so slightly at these words.  Does he know?  I sort of told him at his party.  Maybe he actually heard me?  Huh...  Then she laughs a little bit.  "I guess you're right.  Its the one night a year you get to pretend to be something other than just yourself, so why let yourself take the stage and ruin the make believe?  Guess I'll have to find a good costume then.  Have you picked out your own disguise?  In case I want to find you or something."

He shakes his head.  "Nah, still trying to figure that out.  Maybe I'll dress as a preppie kid."  He grins.

Sammy recoils in mock horror.  "No!  Too scary!  What if you clean up too good and can't come back?  Please, don't go to the dark side!"  She grins back at him. "At that point you might as well pretend to be one of the new supers that's popped up around here."

Kel stands outside the lunch room, thinking about take two, Megan had mentioned that she wasn't serious about any dating so he still had his shot.  Elrod's party would offer that launching point, he rubs his chin hard and lets his eyes wander about trying to catch a glimpse of Megan coming into the cafeteria.

"I'll think of something."  He says.  He waves as he starts to head off, then stops.  "Hey, do you have a date for homecoming?"

Megan was making her way down the hallway towards the cafeteria as normal, carrying Colin’s large binders as she went.  When she got up to the doors, she saw Kel waiting there, his gaze fixing on her as she appeared.  Everything had seemed fine at cheerleading practice yesterday, but Megan was not so sure he was not a little bit upset at the fact she had had to turn down his invitation to Homecoming.  “Hey Kel.  You on hallway guard duty or something?”  She said with a smile as she drew near and slowed down to come to a halt.

Yes he did say that.  Ohmigosh. She tries really hard not to second guess what he's going to say. "Huh?  Uh, no.  I haven't made any definite plans at all for that night."

Kel shakes his head immediately, and starts speaking, "Nah, nothing like that.  I was actually wondering if you had heard about Elrod's party yet?"

“Yeah, Lisa mentioned it last week or so.  Why.”  Megan asked, though she had a pretty good idea where this might be going now.

Kel shrugs, "Well ya know, I was figuring, if we're both going to go, why not go together?"

Megan smiled slightly at how Kel was trying to play things off nonchalantly.  “Sure, that should be fun.”  She replied with a grin.  “Can you do me a favor and get these back to Colin?”  She asked as she dumps the binders into his arms.  “You had any thoughts on a costume?”

Kel gives a slight huff when she drops the folders in his arms, stronger than she looks he thinks, a smile coming to his lips.  He then says, "No thoughts on a costume yet.  I figured if it weren't for all these rumors I'd dress as a ninja, but...yea."

Megan chuckles slightly at Kel’s talking about being a ninja.  “Well, I’ve got a great pirate costume already.  You can be my Orlando Bloom, or Johnny Depp, if you like.”  She says as she heads into the cafeteria, holding the door for Kel so he can follow in with Colin’s binders.

Kel laughs a bit, "Yea, sounds like a good idea."  He waves as he heads for the usual suspect table, "See ya at practice."  He collapses into a chair at the table, on time for once and just murmurs to himself, "Sweet..."  Then for the first time he notices the gigantic binders, "What is this stuff?"  He says to no one in particular, flipping through them.

Megan gives him a wave as she veers off towards the cheerleaders table, waving over at whomever is at the Usual Suspects table already.  Taking a seat, she looks at the other girls.  “Hey I went of to see Lisa last night.  She seems to be adjusting to Fenwick so far.”

Donnie comes into the lunchroom, spots the Usual Suspects and settles at the table, nodding at the assembled guys. "Hey fellas. What's the word?"

"Okay.  Well, if none of the people you're hoping to ask you do, come see me and I'll take you.  Cool?"

Sammy is still smiling.  She can't help it.  "No, I don't want to play that game.  You asked first, so if you want to take me, I'll be happy to go with you. Okay?"  To hell with playing guardian angel!  I'm taking myself off duty.  Its not as if anybody will miss me if I take that night off.

Elrod just shrugs.  "Sure.  I wasn't planning on going is all.  Then I realized freshman boys don't usually have the brains to ask the girl they want to Homecoming.  But if you're okay going with me then that's cool too.  You sure there isn't anyone else you'd rather have ask you?"

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't planning on going either.  I figured I'd maybe work on a hobby or just go sit down somewhere and drink hot chocolate and watch people go by."
Not a lie! 
"If you don't mind hanging out with me, I don't mind hanging out with you.  Maybe we'll even have fun.  And if we don't, we can leave and find something better to do.  "
And if this turns out to be a pity date, mister, I am going to be out of there so fast you won't know what blew by.

"Pity date."  He says chuckling.  "That's funny.  If this were a pity date I'd have one of my crew do it, there's no way I'd do it myself."  He smiles, "But really I'd be glad to go and hang out with you at Homecoming.  And don't even think about skipping the Halloween party."  he adds, pointing his finger at her, "I'll be looking for you."  With that he heads off to continue to alert the student body to the upcoming party.

Colin gets to the table, and greets his friends already there. Today has been a remarkably quiet day, and he enjoys the novelty eating his sandwiches and a banana. Then he gets out a notebook, and begins working on some pencil sketches.

When Kel notices Colin sit down, he slides the mountain of binders to him and just shakes his head then says, "Colin, do you ever, ya know...sleep?"

Colin takes the two workbooks from Kel (Megan has a way of exaggerating ;)).

"Oh, thank you. I have to update them. And... yes I do. About 6 and a half, 7 hours per night. I have to stick strictly to bedtime, otherwise I'd be a zombie in the morning after my paper route. Why?"

Sammy's hand flies up to cover her mouth as she realizes that she said the part about the pity date out loud.  A rosy blush creeps up her face.  She spins quickly on her heels and very quickly walks the rest of the way to the cafeteria, where she takes an empty seat at the table with her band buddies. 

Kel shrugs, "Oh no reason."  He says shaking his head.

Sarah skips lunch again for math but this time lets everyone know via text message in case a doppleganger arrives in her place.  'Zap me news l8r?'

Colin texts Sarah back. 'I miss you, wondergirl. Good luck with math. If you need help with it call. Elrod invited us for halloween. Any idea?'