on the map//spencer 'spider' white

26

"Who's your friend, Spencer?"

I turn and see Spider's mum standing there.

"Hi. I'm Rhiannon," I tell her.

Spider's mum smiles. "Hi, Rhiannon. I'm Cait."

"Yep. Okay, good. Uh..." Spider steps up and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Ri's probably gotta go now, Mum. So..."

"Don't be so rude, Spencer. We're about to have some lunch," Cait tells him. "You wanna join us? Come on. Come this way. I've made plenty."

"Don't," Spider whispers to me. "You have to go."

"She's asked me to eat..." I start.

"Just leave!" Spider tells me.

"That's rude," I state. "Just chill. It's about time I met your mum anyways."

Cait stops on the way to the table in the kitchen. She points to some black and orange painting on the wall. "This is one of my favorite pieces."

"It's nice," I offer.

Cait gestures to the shirt I'm wearing. "You know, I always hoped that this election might be a sign that Spenny was growing up a bit. And then I find out that his party is called the CUMLORDS."

"You don't even know my policies," Spider tells his mum.

"My friend's party is the SLT party so," I offer. "Though we do plan on destroying him in the end-of-term debate."

"That is a waste," Cait tells me. "I can already tell that you're way too smart to be in someone else's shadow."

I shake my head. "I'm not in anyone's shadow. Especially my best friends. I think she's perfect for the position anyways."

"Hmm. Well, you just make sure that he treats the two of you with more respect than he does me," Cait tells me.

I nod my head. " Oh, I've got some yarns."

"Really?" Cait asks. "Well, you stay right there and I'll be back with the lunch."

Spider sighs.

"I never would have thought someone like that would be your mum," I confess.

"Yeah. I don't even know who she is," Spider tells me. "My real parents are buried in the backyard."

"Yeah, well, that makes more sense," Cait remarks.

I don't know why but I decide the least damaging story I can tell Cait is about the feelings pit. She thinks it's hilarious.

"They wrote it all down on little pieces of paper and then buried them in the dirt," I explain. I turn to Spider. "Oi, we're just playing."

Cait shakes her head. "No, don't you dare apologize for calling these boys out on their nonsense."

"Oh. They're all right. They're just idiots," I tell her.

"No. No. No. That's part of the problem," Cait tells me. "It's all pretty harmless until it's not."

"Mum! Can you not?" Spider says.

Cait puts her wine glass down. "Am I not allowed to have an opinion on the subjects that concern me? Honestly, Spenny, how can you run for school captain when you can't listen to another point of view?"

"No, I can. I just don't wanna listen to yours," Spider tells her.

Cait sighs. "You just make sure that my son treats you right, okay? Don't you fall for any of his BS."

"Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Spider asks.

Cait chuckles. "Oh, Spenny, we're just gasbagging. Don't be so defensive."