Bleak Winter -

Chapter 5: Home Away From Home

Wednesday, December 19th, 2001 - 12:05 PM

Once lunchtime rolled around, Xochitl waited by the cafeteria entrance for Khaleda to show up so they could talk while standing in line for their food, all while Monica and Luis went ahead of them to secure a spot just for the four of them. By the time Xo and Khaleda were approaching the table, they had evidently already been talking about quite a lot.

"So yeah, my life really has been an unending mess this year." Xochitl griped about, "Not just with everything else, but also with my Quinceanera coming in April, that's even more work and stress we're all put under!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Khaleda replied quietly as the two of them sat down. "What is a Quinceanera?"

Monica interjected enthusiastically, "Well, it's a huge tradition in Mexican culture when a girl turns 15 and she officially becomes a woman. Normally that involves a huge party with family, friends, and dancing!"

"Oh... but if you're turning 15, why are you still in..." Khaleda began to ask, but then suddenly stopped herself. She looked over at Xo, who just seemed to shrug the question off.

"So, Khaleda!" Luis interjected, "We're all going to be hanging out at my family's bodega after school! It's basically a big shed where they store a bunch of food and other items, but it's got a lounge we like to chill at! You're welcome to join us if you'd like!"

"Oh well... okay!" She gave a small smile.

"Great! You'll especially love it tonight since I have a surprise for all of you that's-"

"FOOD FIGHT!"

The four of them all turn their heads towards the belching declaration of war that cried out from the otherside of the lunch room. Not even a second after the acclamation, the cafeteria turned into a battlefield. From every which way kids started chucking expired cartons of milk at each other, smacking one another across the face with stale cheesy breadsticks, and splattering the tops of their tables with foody debris. The adults from the kitchen came out to try and intervene, only to slip on some conveniently placed apple juice puddles and rotten banana peels that sent them barreling down straight to the ground. A loud chorus of riled-up kids gathered around where the majority of the violence was taking place.

While seemingly everyone else in the cafeteria was wrapped up in the chaos, Xochitl, Monica, Luis, and Khaleda ducked under their table in a measly attempt to shelter themselves from the aerial entrees splattering up top.

"Oh god!" Monica groaned, "Knowing my luck, I'm going to get hit by something I'm allergic to!"

"Screw that!" Luis angrily followed up, "Those two asshats who probably started this are going to blame us! Cops will believe them too!"

"Oh no, what do we do!?" Khaleda pleaded, looking over at Xo.

Hunched over the seat and gripping the grainy texture of the edge, Xochitl peered around the cafeteria. Most of the noise appeared to be traveling from one place, so perhaps... perhaps they could- That sting began to convulse inside of her head again, causing her to scrunch her eyes as she began to hear a barrage of voices from every direction overtop the screaming and howling emanating from the crowd.

"YO! JULIE JUST FUCKING SPLATTERED PIPER WITH THAT CUPCAKE!"

"I knew that girl was trouble all along! This is what we get for letting the Sherrif Psycho's daughter sit with us!"

"How could she!? I spent all week trying to make that cupcake! I had to rummage through my parent's closet and all their weird work stuff just to find cooking supplies, and she doesn't even care!"