Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7
SERA'S POV
The second the bell for recess sounded, I was out of my seat in seconds.
I didn't notice the crowd this time, not when it felt like there was a war in my stomach.
“Damn girl, you haven't eaten since the Great Recession?” Someone joked as my tummy released a new instrumental fit for an album.
“Sorry,” I whispered nervously, a strained smile on my face as I rushed forward, pushing through the throng.
The second I got to the Cafeteria, I didn't wait for my cousins, I took a tray and went to join the queue.
But then it got to my turn and the lady stretched her hand towards me.
Confused, I gave her the tray.
“Your slip!” She snapped at me and I frowned.
“Slip?”
“Yes, your slip! If you lost it during the one minute journey it takes for you to go from there to here, then piss off the line and let me serve someone else!”
I turned around to actually look well and I saw people were at another window I'd not noticed earlier and they were handing over money in exchange for the slip.
My feet quickly exited the queue.
Edgar had been the one to get me food yesterday so I didn't know about this and back at my other school, the food was free.
Probably why it tasted like vomit but hey, at least they didn't leave me stranded in the middle of the Cafeteria, no money and no idea what to do.
My stomach grumbled again and shame wrapped a vice grip around my throat.
“Oh look at you,” a voice called next to me and I turned, “Sera right?”
“Ye-es?” I answered, my brain struggling to figure out why she looked familiar.
Maybe because she was carrying a tray of steaming food in front of me and I was… famished.
“Thanks for having my back in class. That teacher is drop dead gorgeous but fuck him and his ‘interactive classes.’”
“Don't let Cara hear you, she lives and breathes for it,” I joked, now remembering her face better.
“Right? It's like she wants to crawl into his lap like a kitten and have him feed her math theories.”
I laughed, genuinely, despite everything.
“I'm Naomi,” she said after we both calmed down, “where's your food?”
“I um..” I stared at her plate and then the food station, “I'm not really hungry.”
My stomach contested that, loudly.
“Wait, hold this one, I'm going to get another one,” she said, immediately pushing her tray in my hands.
“No, Naomi–” I began but she was gone.
Leaving me with her tray of food.
My pride wanted to insist on not being a freeloader to a total stranger but my stomach screamed at me to not try it.
Soon she was back and had gotten the same as the one she gave me.
“Let's go sit down over there,” she pointed to an empty boot by the large window overlooking the lawn.
“What about your friends?”
“I've not had one of those in a while. Everyone thinks it's uncool to be bipolar and can't deal with my bullshit.”
“It's always hypocritical that people who have self made inadequacies and shortcomings hate people who are a victim of things beyond their control,” I grunted as I sat down.
“Oh you're smart smart,” she said, digging into her steak.
It made sense that we paid for our food directly because I know for sure that if lunch was part of the school fees, it wouldn't look that good.
“I’m hoping to get a scholarship into an ivy League school so I stop depending on my aunt. Tori already hates me and I just got here,” I replied sadly.
Two seconds before realizing I was dumping this on someone I just met.
“Sorry, you must think I'm a weirdo with all the baggage in the world,” I quickly said, but that wasn't enough to pack my slip up back into a bag so I can lock it away.
“No girl, we all have one of those. So let's do it this way, hm?”
I nodded, eating greedily.
“I'll tell you my sob story and you'll tell me yours, deal?”
“You'll do that?”
People only wanted to hear my story only so they could use it as a weapon against me. I felt stupid opening up to her so quickly after everything I've experienced but she was kind to me. She didn't even comment on my inability to afford food, immediately handing me hers.
“Yes,” she stopped my spiraling thoughts, “my dad used to beat my mom. A lot. I reported it to the police, he got arrested and jailed and she hates me for it.”
“Wait, what?” I gasped.
“Yep, she prefers to die in his hands than work for her sustenance. Your turn.”
“I umm…” I cleared my throat before continuing. “My dad is dead and he took with him every good thing I was born with. My mum died recently as well but before she did, she kind of made my life miserable unintentionally. She loved my dad so much that his death took away her will to live or be coherent.”
Silence.
“So you feel you weren't good enough for her to try?”
“Jeez, you sound like a therapist,” I chuckled, getting back to my food.
“Funny you say that, I've been thinking about studying it.”
“You'll be great at it. Just don't give your clients free food, they might fall in love with you.”
She laughed, heartily and I was shocked because I didn't even know it was that funny.
“You're staying at your aunt's place now?” She asked afterwards.
“Yea, she's really nice. Although I feel like I'm disturbing her family. Taking too much space. I wish I could get a job but I know she won't let me.”
“Oh you don't know how to accept kindness,” she smiled, pointing at me, “now I know why your face was like that when I gave you that tray.”
“You barely knew me and you are already feeding me, what did you expect?”
“Thank you so much Naomi, I'll build a spaceship for you in the nearest future?”
“I'll think about it,” I joked back, relaxing a bit.
“But you know, you don't have to get a normal job. You can find other ways to make money since you don't want to ask your Aunt for money.”
“Really? Like what?” I asked, sitting up.
“You're exceptionally good at maths, we all saw it.”
“It's my comfort place.”
“You nerd,” she laughed, “but jokes aside, you can make lots of money doing assignments for these spoiled rich kids all over the school. You can do them during lunch time and sometimes you take detention or even take some home. Just don't let your Aunt find out. I don't think she'll like it.”
“I might be smart, but you're a wise girl. I think we'll make great friends.”
“So far you're not boy obsessed like Cara, absolutely.”
We laughed together and got the first time, I felt like I was making some sort of progress in this place.
With a friend, I won't be so confused all the time. I also have a business idea now, time to implement it so I don't chase away my new friend with dependency.