Page 58 of Saints & Sailors

Instead, I grabbed a helping of macaroni and cheese before carrying my tray over to the condiment and utensil stand.

I was just grabbing a couple packets of hot sauce when Dreux came over.

“Hey,” he said to me, trying to be friendly.

“ ’Sup,” I responded as I grabbed a napkin.

“What’s the hot sauce for?” Dreux questioned as he observed my tray.

“My mac and cheese.”

He frowned in disgust. “Gross.”

“Don’t judge.” Cameron swooped by to grab a plastic fork. “You eat ketchup on your fish.”

Dreux’s mouth hung open. “I told you that in confidence.”

Cameron shrugged, smirking as he walked off.

“Freckled freak,” I joked as I gathered my tray.

Cameron chuckled. “We all have our quirks, Saylor.”

Usually I sat with Cameron at lunch, despite my wanting to be alone, but today I marched over to Bonham’s table of misfits and made myself comfortable.

He was lounging back in his seat, eating a french fry and carrying a conversation with Bug and their friend Sloan.

Bonham tipped his head toward me in a greeting. “Afternoon.”

“What’s the topic of conversation?” I asked as I opened my hot sauce and squirted it over my mac and cheese.

Bonham kinked up his nose at my meal. “Who’s the most notorious serial killer?”

“Ah, Bundy all the way,” I answered.

Sloan made a show to roll his eyes. “So cliché.”

I gave him the finger and nodded toward Bonham. “You?”

“Elizabeth Báthory,” he said with ease. “All those virgins, talk about femme fatale.”

“That’s rumored to be bullshit,” I noted.

Bonham smirked. “I say it’s not.”

Bug went next, citing, “Charles Manson.”

Bonham scowled. “He didn’t even physically do anything.”

“Doesn’t matter, man. He influenced those murders. The guy was a god.”

As dark as the conversation was, it was nice to know I wasn’t the only one intrigued by serial killer documentaries.

Half a beat later, Dreux came by, stopping at my side. “Meet me at my car after school, okay? We’ll head straight to my mom’s shop.”

I was going to dread this, I was sure. “Looking forward to it.”

Dreux offered a small smile. “It won’t be so bad.”