“Not X-ray vision?” Finn teased, I guess referring to my faux-pas of staring at his exposed abdomen.
“What’s the point? You’re already walking around flaunting yourself,” I shot back. It was easy to engage in conversation with Finn. There weren’t any emotional stakes. “Anyway, what about you?”
“Flying,” both of them said in unison and then high fived.
“Really? Flying?” I asked. “Invisibility is so much cooler.”
“It’s not bad,” Noah conceded. “But the ability to fly is the best superpower ever. Why do you think Iron Man’s suit has rockets?”
“Iron Man’s suit has everything.”
“Spiderman wishes he could fly. It’s what puts the Super in Superman,” Finn declared.
We then debated the value of various super powers. Apparently my chosen superpower passed Finn’s internal test because I wasn’t told to go home.
When we arrived at the QC Café, I realized I was pretty hungry. Instead of pretending that I loved lettuce, I followed Noah to the grill. I ordered a burger, assuming he would too, except Noah didn’t order a burger. He ordered a plain grilled chicken breast and even asked for extra vegetables. Finn detoured to another part of the café altogether, but we met at the check-out line.
“What is that plate of food?” Noah asked Finn as we paid. It was clear from Noah’s expression he was offended by Finn’s selection.
“I think it’s cheesy tamales,” Finn replied. “Not all of us have to maintain our girlish figures.”
“Get your food, you clown,” Noah replied, shaking his head a little, and giving Finn’s tray a little push. Noah led us to a table on the far side against windows overlooking the North lawn and residence halls. The Café wasn’t very full, as it was still fairly early. We sat down and spread out our trays and set to eating.
I decided that eating a burger in front of Noah was right up there with trying to manage spaghetti. Only dogs in cartoons looked good eating spaghetti. Ditto with hamburgers. Eating a hamburger wasn’t sexy, but I also feared that using a fork and knife would be ridiculous. I sighed internally. Who cared about sexy? Friends didn’t worry about being sexy, I lectured myself. I ate my hamburger and made liberal use of my napkin.
“How are your cheesy tamales?” I asked Finn.
“Terrible,” he admitted with a chagrined smile. “But probably more flavorful than the cardboard Jackson’s eating right now.”
“Jackson’s insides are shriveling at the thought of eating your mystery plate,” Noah replied.
“Then stay away, because you really can’t handle more shriveling, or someone might mistake you for a girl.”
“Your sister had no complaints last night.”
“That would actually be an insult if I had a sister, but I’m not surprised your little brain couldn’t form a better insult. Small brain, small—” Finn wiggled his eyebrows.
The two continued to exchange insults, each more vile than the last.
Noah seemed in no hurry to leave after he’d eaten his food. He got another drink and returned, moving his chair so it was farther away from the table. The rearrangement of his chair put him closer to me, and he slung his arm across the back of my chair and stretched out his legs.
“I’m running on campus in the morning, want to have breakfast afterward?” he asked me.
Before I could answer, Finn interjected, “Did you know that Noah and Bo can run for 12 miles with packs weighing 150 pounds, while simultaneously doing jumping jacks and shooting guns, all before the sun rises?”
Finn must not know that Noah and I corresponded for four years while Noah was a deployed Marine.
“She knows,” Noah replied before I could respond. “Grace and I were, ah, friends, while I was deployed.”
“Oh, you from Texas too?” Finn asked.
“No. From Chicago. I wrote to Noah as part of a class project.”
Finn looked from Noah to me and back again. “What year are you?”
“Sophomore. And no, before you ask, I don’t have a major.”
“That makes you nineteen?” Finn hooted. “I think you are too old for her, old man.”
“Is that true?” Noah asked, looking at me. “Am I too old for you?”
“What?” I tried to laugh but it sound like a nervous giggle. “Of course you aren’t too old to be my friend.”
Noah made a noise like a hum at the back of his throat. I wished for Lana’s perception skills that were almost like a super power in my estimation. I would’ve given anything to know what that noise meant. Finn thankfully made no comment.