Ties to Lies

WHY WOMAN

One Year Ago

It was finally Friday. 

As I walked to the cafeteria, I thought of my plans for the weekend. I was probably just going to be hanging out with Lily and Lucas while cursing my teachers for giving me a ridiculous amount of homework.

I'll go on strike. I'll start showing my bra straps (gasp) and wear BANDANAS to school to express my immense dissatisfaction with their sudden dishing out of evil assignments and essays. 

As I opened the doors to the cafeteria, I was met with a disgusting mix of smells and the sound of complete and utter chaos. 

Ah, public school. 

On my way to my favourite table an arm wrapped around my shoulder. Jason turned his head down to look at me, "howdy, sista. Hey, did you pack a lunch? I'm a growing boy and my tummy is making terrifying whale noises."

As we sat down at the table together I pulled out all of the vegetables from the plastic bag I used as a lunch box and shoved them towards him. "You can have these."

He responded by sporting his favourite pouty face then staring at the carrots before him with pure rage. 

Finally Lily arrived and sat down across from me. "Jason," she said, "I packed you some pepperoni sticks, yoghurt and crackers with cheese." She quickly chucked the brown bag of food towards him before he could rip it from her arms.

She had made him lunches since grade 9. I had never bothered asking why-I had just assumed she'd lost a bet or something.

I was about to slink my hand over Jason's arm barricade to steal some crackers when an arm wrapped around my waist and a thunk sounded beside me as Lucas sat. 

"Bonjour!" He said with a flourish, kissing me on the cheek. He looked over to Lily, his grin widening. "I want food too!" He looked at Jason, " I don't understand why you feed this hunk of meat when such a handsome devil stands before you begging for sustenance."

In response, Lily turned a bright shade of red as she sputtered on about not being his personal chef.  To save Lily from her heightening embarrassment (because that's just how awesome of a friend I am), I flicked Lucas' ear. 

"OWWWWW, WHY WOMAN?!" He screeched, unhooking his arm from around my waist to clutch at his left ear. 

"The only woman who will ever cook for you is your mother," I said sticking out my tongue. In response, he flipped me the finger as Jason burst out into a fit of laughter. The rest of our lunch continued on in the same way- just us laughing at the little things Jason or Lucas did while more of our friends came to sit at the table. 

Yet as I laughed, ate, smiled and joked, I couldn't help but notice Lily's eyes remained focused on the person sitting beside me. She stayed silent for the entire period- her face red with what at the time I had mistaken for a natural flush. 

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