Oh huh. She looks out the window for a moment.

"Oh. You have a point there."

The wind isn't strong, but the leaves mean it doesn't need to be. The trees sway, leaves fluttering. The grass hasn't been cut in a bit too long, or perhaps in just long enough. It's barely tall enough to for little patterns to be seen in it, driven by the wind like waves.

"Well, probably we can persuade the girls that scenery and conversation beats scenery or conversation, I bet."

And she starts toward her table with a smile. "I'm Sable, by the way."

She has forgotten to exchange names too many times. She's not going to do that again.

"Joshua. It's nice to meet you, Sable." He means it. It's weirdly easy to talk to her.

"Likewise!" She certainly tries to be. Figuring out the right way to start conversations is hard and she's not very good at it, but keeping them going is something she knows how to practice. Of course, she has no idea he's thinking that, but she'd be quite pleased if she knew.

She hadn't planned a next topic after that, but there are a few basics that can be checked off while she watches for interests to ask after. She gives him a quick look up and down as she walks, grinning curiously. "Hmm. Obviously not a freshman. Probably not a sophomore? Junior or senior?"

"Junior. And I'm glad to have finally graduated to obviously not a freshman, I was half expecting that possibility to haunt me until I was thirty."

She laughs and nods. "I'd make you guess mine, but," they're already at the table. 

"Hailey, Maya," she greets, turning to each briefly, "meet Joshua, fellow junior. His table's better and the weather's pretty, wanna switch?"

She waves minutely with her left hand, right still on her arm, cautious smile on her face. "Yo."

"Good to meet you, Joshua." Maya's voice is calm, careful, patient, and utterly free of contractions. "That sounds lovely."

She stands, gathering her lunch — a sandwich and something else in a brown paper bag — and her backpack.

Hailey stands as well. 

"Sweet." Sable grabs her lunch and backpack.

He notices the lack of contractions primarily because he used to do that and had to train himself out of it.

"Hi Hailey, hi Maya."

Oh, okay. Uh- back they go apparently? His table is in fact the one with the better view but he hadn't quite realized what Sable meant when she said conversation and a view was best.

"Ah, I see, this is all a dastardly excuse to commit table theft, isn't it? How nefarious."

That gets a snicker out of Hailey. "Exactly. Evilest girls, here," she snarks.

Sable just giggles and nods.

"My scoundrels," Maya replies with a fond headshake and a chuckle.

And everyone starts back toward the window table.

He is now noticing the thing where these are all pretty girls. He's not actually particularly put off balance by that, he got lucky and his flavour of awkward teenagerhood isn't that flavour of awkward teenagerhood. But he sure is now noticing it and he sure was not noticing it before now.

Also, he thinks he recognizes Sable, actually? He's seen her walking down the halls a few times, that purple hair really is memorable. And Maya was probably the girl whose hand she was holding. Huh.

He doesn't say anything on the rest of the way back to his table because he suddenly finds himself valiantly fighting off a yawn. He defeats this new enemy but it's hard-fought.

She was in fact who Joshua saw holding Sable's hand, yes. At the moment, however, she is walking protectively on Hailey's left.

While Sable's on Hailey's right, holding her hand. There was a brief exchange as they started back across the cafeteria first, and now Sable is helping Hailey keep grounded through the walk.

Judging by the girls' positioning, they seem to be protecting against sudden bumps from other students — somewhat less arranged to block Joshua, interestingly enough.

Also, that's definitely some handholding. Sable would normally be subtler about this for the sake of Hailey's reflex to hide vulnerability, but right now the grounding and reminder of safety matters more.

Joshua is very careful not to bump into Hailey. He's actually far enough away from the three of them that it would be a bit odd if not for the obvious reason for him to be doing that.

He takes the seat closest to the window. Hailey should be able to seat herself kitty-corner from him, leaving her a bit farther away than if she was across from him. He hopes it will make her feel a bit safer.

He wonders what happened to make her react to touch like that. Not his business.

Hailey chooses to sit across from him, surprisingly enough, though she does tuck her knees up under her to reduce the risk of accidentally bumping legs.

Sable settles in beside her, one hand stretched across the table.

Maya sits across from Sable and takes her hand, giving her and Hailey each a gentle smile, and watching Hailey's back carefully.

And then Hailey leans softly to the side, shoulder resting against Sable. She takes a slow breath and smiles slightly, trusting her girlfriends and the solid wall to keep the rest of the cafeteria off her while she's fragile.

Even if she viciously hates admitting she's ever fragile.

Oh, huh, why- oh, the wall.

"Should I trade seats with Maya?"

She looks up, eyes wide in surprise.