"Whatever is the matter, Jesiah?" The young man rolled his eyes, surreptitiously turning his head to follow the other's gaze. "You look like you just saw your mother's ghost."

Jessie lowered his eyes a little guiltily, taking a long swig from his can to hide the embarrassment. "Nah, nah, I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "Today's mystery meat is a little off, that's all."

The other student raised a dark eyebrow, steepling his fingers. "Oh, I see," he said, consideringly. Jessie hadn't touched his lunch-- his plastic utensils were yet undisturbed in their cellophane wrapper-- and as hard as he tried, he couldn't keep from looking up across the cafeteria. "Of course."

His lunch companion thus unconvinced, Jessie made a face. "None of your business. What do you care, anyway?"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the table of post-grads over there, would it?"

Jessie made a valiant effort not to choke on his drink. "Oh, lay off, Zac," he coughed, scowling at the other student's obvious snide amusement. "Always tryin' to kill me off," he grumbled, viciously stabbing his spork through its plasticwrap. "Resorting to the soda-through-the-nose trick only 'cause you know I could kick your as--"

Zac laughed unpleasantly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Believe that, Jesiah, if you want to. But it won't get the attention of any of those post-grads, much less the one with the dark hair--"

"I said lay off," Jessie growled, poking at his Solarian Steak and glancing balefully at the other's empty plate. "How can you eat this stuff?"

Not responding to the topic change, Zac leaned lazily on his bench and looked back at the graduate table. A young woman, maybe two years their senior, eating with her friends. Hair the color of chocolate, pulled back in a twist; trim figure; barely the hint of a smile as her lunch companions talked. "Miss Benetnasch is rather lovely."

Momentary hesitation, as Jessie glanced up and looked at her again, the way her pale hands wrapped around her drink, making him jealous of a dumb old Jugend soda can. He couldn't watch as she lifted it to her lips, his face coloring. Aw, hell. He had forgotten to rise to the bait, Zac still eyeing him keenly. Jessie's lips twisted in a sudden smirk, and his cool blue eyes met Zac's dark ones, challenging. "Yeah, a real doll. Go ask her out, why don't you? Nice pre-grad like you, all academic-like, snazzy dresser. Tell her you're aiming to join the seminary, God and glory."

Zac's expression changed from sarcastic to surprised, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully behind the sheen of those glasses, watching her.

Not noticing, Jessie continued, "And then maybe she would kick your ass. Top of her class, that Miss Benetnasch wouldn't break a sweat smearing you--" the smirk became a full-fledged grin-- "into the plexisteel sidewalk." He chuckled. "Yeah, go ask her. I'd like to see that."

The other student pursed his lips, absently folding his immaculate napkin into a precise triangle. "You're jealous."

Jessie's smile turned dangerous, and he flipped the other student a salute. "Believe that, Zacky, if you want to," he drawled. "But don't think you'd stand a chance with her any more than I would. Anyway," he jabbed a finger at his chest. "I saw her first."

"Oh, are you my competition?" Zac feigned surprise, waving a hand nonchalantly, not even looking at him--

And Jessie realized just who he was watching, and just what he was going to do. Out of spite. "Oh, you wouldn't."

Zac only smiled, inclining his head in a mocking half-bow. "I believe I was challenged, Classman Blanche."

Jessie spluttered, angry disbelieving words dying on his tongue.

"I'll run you out of town," Zac said, casually, and stood, and walked towards her table.

Jessie's tray clattered as he erupted to his feet, half-empty can spilling over their lunchtable. All eyes turned their way, heads swinging to see the newest commotion. Five minutes, he wagered, five minutes until the Hall Patrol figured out there was trouble and had their asses hauled out. Already there were whispers, stares turning curious, their classmates murmuring around them.

But he'd be damned if he was going to let the creep make the moves on her, not without a proper fight. Ignoring all the looks he was getting, he rushed after.

"Don't you dare," Jessie said, stepping in front of him, intercepting him. They were nearly the same height, but though Zac looked down his long nose at him, Jessie had the advantage of speed-- and temper. They both knew it; this was far from their first confrontation.

"She doesn't even know who you are," Zac pointed out coolly, clasping his hands before him. "Don't you feel ridiculous fighting me for her?"

"Shut up," Jessie snarled. "And leave her alone."

He shook his head, still half-smiling. "At the very least," he said, brushing a bit of long hair behind his ear, "you should allow me to introduce myself to her, before I throttle you to the ground."

"What is going on?" The new voice startled them both, Zac's glasses slipping down a bit, Jessie lowering the fists that he had unconsciously raised.

"Officer Benetnasch," Zac said, dipping his head respectfully, composure regained instantaneously.

Jessie's jaw went slack, but only for an instant, and his military reflexes squared his shoulders, brought his heels closer together. Who'd have thought she was the Hall Patrol? So much for his five minutes. Selfconsciously he ran a hand over his hair, succeeding only in making it look uniformly messy. From a distance, he'd not been able to see the color of her eyes. Now, though-- they were purple, heavy and warm, like summer twilight. Watching her face, his training slipped his mind and he forgot to nod his head. "Officer Benetnasch," he managed to repeat his classmate, albeit unevenly.

She looked bemused.

The cafeteria was stifling on the best of days, so many hungry bodies packed together; but Jessie felt himself sweating beneath his collar. "Were we--?" he began.

"Gentlemen," she bobbed her head perfunctorily at their acknowledgement, as if Jessie had not begun to speak. Hands held professionally behind her back, she looked at each of them in turn. "Disturbing the peace, so near to graduation?"

Zac had the grace to look apologetic, though his eyes were less contrite than fascinated, looking as if he were memorizing her face. "Perhaps we should settle our differences elsewhere, Officer?"

Jessie seethed.

"Hm," she said, noncommittally. "I would think that the both of you would wish to maintain your reputations at least long enough to walk. Ranking's in less than three weeks, you know."

Reputations? "You've heard of us?" Jessie blurted, knowing he'd kick himself for it later, but his mouth never had quite listened to his mind.

Her summer-evening eyes flicked from one to the other, and Jessie thought he saw her almost smile. "Oh yes, I've heard of you. Senior Classman Jesiah Blanche, Senior Classman Isaac Stein?" She sighed a little. "Who hasn't?"

The students closest by snickered, and a ripple of laughter spread across the Jugend cafeteria.

Zac Stein nearly smirked, his shoulders straightening in his jacket, looking self-satisfied. Jessie Blanche, on the other hand, blushed, wondering if he could conceivably crawl under the nearest table and make a subtle exit.

Officer Benetnasch met his eyes, and again he thought she might be smiling, though it came nowhere near her lips. "Yes, the two of you have caused more trouble than the rest of your classmates put together. As you were, gentlemen, and do try to behave."

And she turned her back on them, leaving them standing conspicuously there in the middle of the giggling student body.

Mutely, the two of them watched her returning to her table, head bent gracefully in profile, laughing at something one of her companions said. She did not look back at them, and it wasn't long before they each left-- Zac, with a curiously unphased air of self-content, and Jessie, shoulders hunched to his ears and his boots too loud against the floor-- out of opposite doors.