for attention.â I sip my drink and relax against the back of the chair. âDonât tell my parents, but itâs been funâexcept when I almost got fired.â I explain what happened when I taught the kids how to do a hammerfist.
Alenaâs mouth drops open. âYou did what? Tori!â
âI know. It was stupid. I endured a half-hour lecture from Peggy before she agreed to keep me on. I tried to explain that I was only teaching the kids to protect themselves. I didnât realize it was a bad idea until Peggy explained that since these kids may have seen violence up close, it can be disturbing for them.â
âWell, duh.â Alena rolls her eyes. âThe stuff we learned in self-defense class wasnât meant for kids.â
I swallow hard and abandon my latte on the table. âWhy not? Kids can be attacked too. What are they supposed to do if someone comes at them?â
âRun away,â Alena says, like sheâs stating the obvious. âYell for help. Hide. I donât think you should teach kids to fight.â
My head aches. âBut what if theyâre trapped or something? What if no one can hear them? What if thereâs no place to hide?â
âI donât know, Tori.â Alena frowns. âWhy are we talking about this anyway?â
âNo reason.â I jiggle my foot and glance away, feeling nauseated.
She takes a long drink. The silence builds between us.
âHowâs your knee?â I ask, trying to find a topic we can agree on.
âNot better yetâluckily.â Alenaâs eyes light up.
âYou want a sore knee?â
âWell, Iâve been going for physio, and thereâs this guy whoâs volunteering there.â She wiggles her eyebrows. âIâve been wanting to tell you about him.â
âYouâre after a physiotherapist?â I manage a half smile. âIsnât he old?â
âHeâs only a year older than me; heâs a high-school co-op student. Weâve been out for coffee once. Well, he was doing a coffee run for his bosses, and I was getting a coffee for myself. But we did chat for, like, fifteen minutes before he had to leave.â She gets a dreamy look. âYou should see his arms!â
âI bet,â I say. Alena likes the kind of muscular, sensitive guys who only exist in romance novels. No wonder sheâs never satisfied with real guys for long.
âAnd he bought my coffee. Jamarlo says we shouldââ An uneasy look crosses her face, and she stops talking.
âJamarlo says you should what?â I assume Iâm not included in whatever heâs planning.
Alena looks away. âDouble-date with him and Carmen Carter.â
âJamarlo and Carmen! Really?â Carmen, who invites sludge like Matt to her parties? If only Iâd known what he was like before I dated him. âWhy didnât I hear about this?â
Alena fidgets with her cup. âI told you that I donât want to get in between you two. If you want to know whatâs going on with Jamarlo, ask him.â
I shake my head. âHe doesnât want anything to do with me.â
Alena frowns. âAt least you could try to talk to him.â
âI guess.â I down the rest of my coffee, not wanting to argue with her. Itâs bad enough that Jamarlo is upset with me. Now Alena and I canât find our groove. How can I get things back to the way they were?
After an awkward silence, I stand up. âIâm going to the washroom. Want to come?â I imagine chatting in front of the mirror while Alena checks her hair.
Alena hoists her sore leg onto my chair. âI donât want to walk that far.â
âSure,â I say, trying not to sound disappointed. Itâs only a washroom run.
I head down the long hallway beside Taco Bell. The harsh fluorescent lights reflect off the glossy white walls and floor. Iâve almost reached the door