It wasn't often the popular guys took notice of Stephanie, and she didn't necessarily welcome the prospect, especially when it came to Gino. But despite her trepidation at the prospect of sitting with this boy Sephina had come to despise, she didn't stop him from taking his seat.
They sat in silence for a while, Sephina silently picking at her sandwich that seemed even less appetizing, now that who she at this point considered her sworn nemesis was sitting across. She simply glared at that stupid, clueless child. Gino seemed unaware of this, eagerly sipping his noodle soup that actually looked quite appetizing when compared to the plate of what may as well have been steaming garbage on her plate. And she was positively starving; there was no way Sephina would make it through the rest of the day. Eventually, she broke to her stomach.
"Hey, uh-"
"Yes?" Gino looked up from his food, as though he hadn't realized Sephina was sitting right by him.
"So ummmm I was wondering if like, I could maybe try some of that soup?"
"Sure! This is a dish from my home, Japan. It's called ramen."
Gino handed Sephina a pair of chopsticks, their hands touching for a brief moment. But that one second, that blessed, wonderful- no. That accursed second, changed Sephinas world forever.
Her breath hitched, her heart leapt out of her stomach for just a moment, before Sephina quickly recoiled back into her seat, chopsticks in hand.
"Th-thanks" she muttered.
"Uhhh, yeah, of course." Gino pushed forward his bowl towards her, his sweater tightening as he extended his arms, revealing how enormous his biceps were. Sephina was transfixed by his muscles, before remembering her goal. Stop it. You are just trying to exploit him for food. YOU DO NOT FIND HIS BICEPS ATTRACTIVE. Just eat the Ramen.
Pulling her eyes from Gino's impressive gains, Sephina tentatively picked a golden, fat noodle from the ramen, blew on it, and placed it in her mouth.
It was the best thing she had ever tasted. And Gino was, well, looking at him, that goofy smile he always had, that made him look like he had just been slapped in the face by a fish but was actually into that and would like another...
"No- I can't" Sephina grabbed her backpack and rushed out of the cafeteria confused and dazed by that experience. There was no way. It was impossible. She could not believe that one small moment, a spark. A spark she wanted to contain, else it would start a wildfire that she didn't know she could contain.
