Dinner with the Slow Wits:

Suddenly, all of her talking stopped. I didn’t notice until I heard shuffling inside the classroom. I looked up at Lyle, confused.

“What’s going on?” I whispered. My brother tried not to laugh at me.

“Classes are over!” he said.

“Huh?”I asked, blinking. Then, it all came to me.

“Oh!” I said with a laugh. “That’s right!” The classroom door opened up and the students all began to leave. I stepped out of the way to keep from getting trampled on. Well, it was more like Lyle pulling me out of the way, but who cares? We watched as the flood left the room. They never really do notice us. We are just invisible little people in their world.

Once the last student was out of the room, Lyle and I walked inside. Kat was at her desk doing some paperwork. She glanced up when she heard footsteps.

“Hello kids,” she said. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Lyle said. I only nodded.

“They keep talking about the war,” I said. Kat closed her attendance book.

“We can’t be sure about all of that, can we?” she asked. I thought about that for a moment.

“True…” I mumbled. Lyle and I took a moment to look around the classroom. We have been in many classrooms in this building alone. But this classroom in particular is different. Kat occupied this room. It had a scent of her here. I closed my eyes and took it all in. Kat never wore perfume, but she always had this lavender scent to her. I couldn’t explain where it came from. It was just there. Not that I’m complaining. The scent is actually relaxing to me. While I was at it, I began to draw the classroom in my mind. The desks are split into four sections. Twenty-four desks, to be exact. Six desks per section. Kat’s desk is in front of the chalkboard. A white board and a bulletin board are behind twelve of the desks. The windows are behind the other twelve. It always looks so clean in here.

“You guys hungry?” I heard Kat ask.

I opened my eyes and looked dead-on at her. “Huh?” I asked. Kat giggled at us. Well, mainly at me. I glanced down at my feet.

“I said are you guys hungry,” Kat repeated. Then as if on cue, my stomach began to growl. I laughed nervously as it did.

“I guess I am…” I mumbled. Lyle laughed at me. I cut him a sharp glare. Kat reached in her purse and pulled out her wallet. She handed us 11.43 Euros each.

“This will be enough for dinner,” she told us. “Don’t waste it on junk.”

“Yes ma’am,” we said.

“You know where the café is, right?” Kat asked.

“Yes!” Lyle said.

“Okay,” Kat replied. “I’m trusting you to get there just fine.”

“We will,” I said. Then, Lyle and headed out to the café for dinner. I took in the summer evening air as we walked to the café. It doesn’t smell as good as Kat, but it’s damn near close. I began plotting, however. I playfully squeezed on Lyle’s arm. Naturally, he tried to shake me off. I refused to let up. Lyle is beginning to look agitated.

“What do you want?” he asked. I looked up at him with a huge smile on my face.

“Nothing,” I lied. He rolled his eyes at me.

“Don’t give me that,” he said. “You only hang on me when you want something.” I sigh, pretending to be hurt.

“Can’t I just hang onto my favorite brother without any motives?” I asked in a sugary-sweet voice.

“No,” he replied. “And I’m your only brother. So come on then, out with it. What do you want now?” I gave him another little pout.

“Fine, fine,” I said in fake disappointment. “Buy me dessert!”

“No,” Lyle said.

“Aw, why not?”

“Kat told us not to be wasteful!”

“One little treat isn’t wasteful!”

“With you it is!”

“It is not!”

“Claudia, I’ve known you for many years now! You go through sweeties like it was your last meal.”

“I won’t stuff my face with them! Please, I promise!”

That seems to be working like usual. He might crack now. Just keep working it.

“Pleaseeee?”

Lyle tried to fight me off with his brain, but gave up in the end. He sighed aloud at me. “Fine, but only one item!”

I hugged him tightly. “Cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers!” I shouted over and over again.

“Whatever,” Lyle mumbled as he rolled his eyes. I smiled and hung onto his arm as we walked to the café.

“You can let go of me arm now,” Lyle told me.

“Not until I get my sweets!” I cheered. My brother sighed aloud.

“Blimey!” he complained. I just pretended not to hear him. I love it when I win.

The café reminds me of a food court in the mall. There are so many things to choose from. Not just German and fast food, they have food from other European countries and even American and Asian food. Lyle and I looked around at the bright colors in the room.

“So, what do you want to eat, then?” he asked. I shrugged at him as I shook my head. What to have for dinner? That’s the eternal question.

“I don’t know, what do you want to eat?” I asked.

“I’m asking you,” he said. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Are we going to do it again?” I asked.

“Doing what?” Lyle asked.

“Arguing over dinner, what else?”

“It’s not me who fights over dinner, that’s all you.”

“Who cares? What do you want to eat? I’m starving, here!”

“Okay, okay.” Lyle takes another look around.

“How about that one?” he asked as he point in front of us. I looked at what he was pointing at. A McDonalds. How typical. After all of this time, that creepy clown still rules the world. How that is possible, I fail to understand. But still, food is food. I swallowed my pride and nodded.

“Okay…” I said at last. Lyle looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“You sure about that?” he asked. “I thought you hated McDonalds.”

“Yes, but I’m hungry now! Let’s just get it and eat!” I almost yelled.

“Shhh! Okay, okay, I hear ya,” Lyle said. We finally walked over to the evil food hut and bought dinner. I only bought chicken strips and curly fries. I turned to my oh-so-charming brother once he got his food.

“Don’t forget!” I said, sharply.

“I know, I know,” Lyle said as to shut me up. “You won’t let me hear the end of it if I don’t.” I smiled and nodded at him.

“You got that one right!” I said.

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled. He bought me more marzipan. This time, they mint chocolate grasshoppers on a double fudge log. I smiled at Lyle as the lady drew out the plate and put it on my tray.

“Thank you!” I cheered to them both.

“Whatever,” Lyle mumbled. We sat in the Western part of the café at a table near the window.

“I want the glass!” I said. My brother groaned.

“You always get the glass!” he complained.

“You got that right!” I said. He frowned as we took our seats. As we ate dinner, I took a look around the café. There are always so many people here. Yet, they never notice us…

I guess I thought that too soon because then I saw some guy sitting at our table, staring at us intently.