As they left the equipment room, the bell sounded to signal lunch time. They were surprised that they had been at it so long. Both girls were caught up on their work and didn’t really need a study hall, so they weren’t too worried about missing it. They changed their trajectory and went towards the cafeteria. On the way, they ran into Jessica. Jen was still surprised by her multiplied head but tried not to mention it as they walked together.
Suzy was the first to speak, “Hey Jess, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Left Jess answered.
“So... Can you work on different assignments at the same time?” Suzy replied.
Jen couldn’t believe how direct the question was and said, “Jeez Suzy, have a little tact won’t you?”
Jess’s right head turned towards her and stated, “No worries Jen, I don’t mind.”
As soon as she finished the statement, her left head turned to Suzy and said, “It depends on how hard the material is, but most of the time I can help myself out.”
“Help yourself out?” Jen asked.
“Yea, I’ll think about the possible answers.” Jess’s left head answered.
“And I’ll work ahead.” Her right head continued.
“It’s that cheating?” Suzy asked.
Jen wondered the same thing.
“I may have two heads, but I’m not two people.” Both heads replied in unison.
The three girls approached the cafeteria, Jess’s left head turned towards the entrance and said, “I’m gonna go find my friends.”
Her right head turned to Jen and Suzy, then continued, “I’ll see you after practice Jen. Bye Suzy”
Jen stared at her for a moment before slowly saying, “OK... See you later...”
Suzy waited until Jess was out of ear shot to say, “you act like you’ve never seen Jess before,” when she noticed Jen’s vacant stare.
Jen ignored the comment and turned to find a place in line. They filled their trays then ate their lunch. Once finished, they spent some time chatting with the other girls about cheer practice. She gradually felt more confident. Not a single one of her friends looked at her differently.
After a while, they finished and Jen stood up to dump her tray. On her way back, she tripped and had a few too many legs to catch herself. After the fall, she knelt there for a moment, a bit embarrassed by all the wondering eyes. She began to pull herself up when one of the football players reached down to offer a hand. Without thinking, she grabbed hold...