Cricket was standing outside the school, waiting for her ride home. Katydid had texted her, saying that she could pick her up from school, and Cricket reread that text now.

I'm out shopping, do you want me to pick you up after school?

Cricket had appreciated this, any time spent with Katydid was well spent.

However this meant she was standing around quite a bit longer than she usually did. She glanced around at the departing students. A ways away, she saw Blue walking with another girl. They made eye contact and Cricket waved. He waved back, then went back to talking with the other girl.

Cricket still had a smile on her face when the all too familiar voice of Bombardier sounded in her ear.

"Hey, Cricket."

She spun around and came face to face with the very last person she wanted to deal with.

Bombardier was taller than Cricket by about three inches. He had a square jaw and piercing dark eyes. His hair was jet black and slicked back. He wore a red and black sports jacket. He was the most frustrating person that Cricket had to deal with because he had the stupidest crush on her and had the idiocy to think she liked him back. He was always trying to get her to go out with him.

She would rather kiss a slug.

"Need some company?" He drawled. Cricket grimaced at the look on his face.

"No, I'm fine." She spoke through her teeth. She glanced over her shoulder to see if there was anyone who could help her. Unfortunately, most of the students were gone, and she didn't know who she would want to help her in this situation. Anyone, really.

She made eye contact with Blue again. He and the other girl were waiting in a similar fashion as she was. Probably waiting to be picked up.

Blue saw her expression and gave her a look of concern.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Bombardier asked, leaning an elbow on her shoulder.

Cricket shook him off and took a step back. "Homework! Lots of homework, and don't we have a field trip tomorrow? My schedule is packed."

"Field trip to a boring rock museum. I was planning on skipping it, care to join me?" He jumped his eyebrows in a way that made Cricket want to hit him with a baseball bat.

The thought of skipping school horrified her. She would never miss school. She was about to make some defensive remark when someone did it for her.

Blue was at her side giving Bombardier a disapproving look. Although he was only as tall as Cricket was. "Who are you?"

"Why, I'm Cricket's boyfriend, who are you, I should ask?" His voice became thick with something, anger? Jealousy?

She stiffened when he said the word boyfriend. "I am not! I would rather date a bag of maggots!"

Blue gave Bombardier a level look and put an arm around Cricket's shoulders. "I'm Blue, Cricket's friend."

Cricket couldn't tell if Blue saw how happy that made her inside. A friend! Blue's arm felt strong and protective, nothing like Bombardier's flirtatious hold.

Bombardier sniffed. "Cricket didn't have any friends, last time I checked. I thought I said to check with me before hanging out with someone?" He glared at Cricket.

She glared back. "And I thought I said to go take a long walk of a short cliff."

Blue stepped between them. "Hey! We don't need to fight! Can't we just work something out?"

Bombardier pushed him away. "Shove off, Lover Boy, you're not a part of this."

A spasm of worry hit her when she saw Blue fall on the ground. "Stop!" She cried.

Seeing this, Bombardier kicked him as he was trying to stand up. Cricket was about to start kicking, as well, but before she could lay a hit, that other girl that Blue was talking to stormed toward them.

She stood right in front of Bombardier and looked down on him.

"If you kick him one more time, they will never find your body."

Bombardier paled, but just for moment. He quickly recovered, glared at Blue and the girl, then winked at Cricket. He walked away for about twenty feet, then ran as fast as he could.

Cricket helped Blue up as the other girl glared in Bombardier's direction. "Oh my gosh, I hate him so much, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be fine." He winced and gave Cricket a pained smile. Cricket smiled back.

He turned to the other girl, who was know watching them with amused curiosity. "Thanks, Luna. You really have a knack for threatening." He laughed. "I don't think I could ever do that."

"Who are you?" Luna asked.

"Oh! I'm Cricket, I just met Blue today." She smiled at her.

"Well, I'm Luna, and I met Blue fifteen years ago."

"She's my sister," Blue put in, helpfully. "well, half sister."

Cricket nodded to show she understood, smiling at Blue again. Then a horn honked and the turned to the sound. A red car was waving at the three of them.

"Come on, we've got to go." Luna ran towards the car. Before Blue could follow, Cricket hugged him. Blue gave a small gasp, then hugged her back. When they pulled apart, Cricket said, "Thanks for helping me deal with Bombardier, for that, I am forever in your service." She gave a mock bow and to her delight, Blue laughed.

He returned with his own courteous gesture. "And I am happy to except it."

The both laughed until the red car honked again and Blue ran to it, waving behind him. The car pulled away and Cricket watched it go. Until her own mother came and picked her up, she sat, staring off into space. When Katydid pulled up, and apologized for the late arrival, Cricket laughed and told her not to worry about it.

"Did you meet anyone new?" Katydid asked as they drove away.

"Yes, actually. His name is Blue, and he has a sister named Luna."

"Are they nice?"

"Well, Blue is, I'm not sure about Luna yet." She laughed to herself. "But she really cares about Blue, so that's good." In her head, Cricket went over everything he had said to her, about how he liked how she talked, about how he thought what she said was fascinating, an about him saying that he was her friend.

Meeting Blue just might even make up for having to put up with Bombardier.