Then she reached for my drink.
I moved it out of her way.
That small movement changed everything.
Kelsey pulled her hand back and looked at Tessa.
"Did you see that?"
Tessa shrugged, but her phone was still pointed toward us.
"She touched your stuff," Tessa said.
"She was going to touch mine first."
Kelsey's eyes returned to me.
"You have an attitude."
"I have lunch."
"You think you're better than me?"
"No."
"Then why are you acting like it?"
"Because you're standing over me and demanding my seat."
The words came out before I could soften them.
My stomach tightened. I knew the whole cafeteria was listening now. At the far end, a lunch monitor looked in our direction, but she was helping a student open a milk carton. I wondered how long it would take before she noticed something was wrong.
Kelsey stepped closer.
"You should be careful, Maya."
It was the first time she used my name.
That told me she had known exactly who I was from the beginning.
I pushed my tray a few inches away from the edge of the table. My sandwich wrapper crinkled beneath my hand.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you don't know who you're talking to."
"I know you're blocking my lunch."
Tessa let out another nervous laugh.
Kelsey turned toward her.
"Tell her."
"Telling her what?"
"That this is where we sit."
Tessa looked at the empty tables. For a moment, guilt crossed her face. Then she looked at Kelsey and lowered her eyes.
"This is where they sit," she said.