I'm Writing This For You

Chapter 5 || Meet The Gang

The next day, it rained for the first time in weeks. As I began to walk to school, the rain gently hit the black hood of my umbrella, creating a flurry of incessant tapping sounds. Small puddles of water were already forming on the sidewalk, and I could see the water splash all over the sidewalk as I stepped on them.

After the mark I received on that short story, I quickly came to one conclusion. My teacher was insane. There was really no other way to explain it, I just couldn't fathom the idea that she was even allowed to fail the majority of the class. At the time, I thought she hated students in general, possibly due to some kind of tragic backstory. 

I typically used easy subjects like English and Gym, which didn't really require any studying, to offset my worse marks in Science and Math related subjects. However, this new teacher essentially ruined that entire system. Since it was far too late to switch out of the class, I had to do the next most rational thing. Not tell my mother about any of this. If I told her that I failed an English assignment, I honestly don't think I would be prepared to handle the fallback from that.

But, it's not like she could continue to fail everyone. If she did, I would imagine an uproar from overbearing parents, outraged that their kid no longer has a shot at an Ivy League school.

That morning was more of the same old routine. Go to classes I hate and become bored enough to the point where I have to look down and count the number of floor tiles, just to avoid falling asleep. Like usual, I would begin to eventually wish harm to all of the people that were involved in making children go to this fancy prison in the first place.

Just then, the bell interrupted my thoughts. I looked at the time, and I couldn't help but smile. It was time for lunch. Suddenly, the squeaks of about 30 chairs blended together to create an atmosphere of excitement within the room. I doubt many people were truly interested in listening to another second of Mr. Rothman droning on about the Industrial Revolution.

"Class is dismissed," he said, adjusting his thinly-framed glasses. By that time, people were already leaving the room, and I was heading to the front door of the classroom myself.

I've always disliked the fact that every single fictional book and TV show that's set in high school has terrible cafeteria food. What are the chances that every single high school has terrible food? I mean sure, my old school also had terrible food, and its mashed potatoes and "gravy" was not something I would wish on my worst enemy. However, I figured that there must be schools out there which have acceptable cafeteria food.

But, once I tasted this school's cafeteria food, I started to realize that these shows had a point. High school cafeteria food really was terrible, and it was clear that the lunch staff needed to step their game up. Sadly, I forgot to make my lunch that day, so I scrounged up the remaining change in my wallet, and prepared for the worst.

The beef lasagna looked the least disgusting, although the lasagna – if you could even call it that, looked odd. A red liquid oozed out of it, and surrounded the bottom layer of the lasagna. The beef itself looked dry and burnt.

"Here you go. Enjoy," the lunch lady said.

Oh believe me, I'll try. I started to walk towards my little corner in the back of the cafeteria, blocking out the various conversations taking place around me. I was halfway there, when I looked over to my right, and I saw Mike waving at me. I proceeded to wave back.

Then, he pointed directly at me, and pointed at the seat across from him. I quickly caught on to what he was trying to say, but part of me was worried. He was sitting around a bunch of other people, and the entire group looked so tight-knit. But, he gestured again. Some people from the group started looking at me as well, so at that point, I figured I might as well join them.