I Don't Really Know...

Chapter 6: Lunch Special and...a Clown?

You call this a lunch room?!

Food covered the floor, green, smelly slop that might as well have flies swarming them.  The walls were coated with a paint that could have been called, “Puke yellow” and the room was lit with huge, silver lights that were actually dripping with water.  Actually, one whole corner of the lunchroom was damp and seeping with liquid.  I figured it was water.  But I really hope it’s not anything else…..I took out my money and stepped into the lunch line.  The only drinks I recognised were chocolate milk and water.  Only two left of each...I quickly tried to grab one, but a boy with the most tomato-y looking face beat me, handing one to his friend who was behind me, a short, chubby boy.  I glared at him, and he laughed at me.  I reached for a water, but two girls took them before I could even TRY to get them.  I now had no drink.  The lunch lady was even worse, desperately needing a hearing aid.  

“What do you want, Sweetie?” She droned in her scratchy voice.  I gulped nervously.

“Um, pizza please.”

“Want chicken soup with that as well?” She rolled her eyes at me.  

“NO, thank you.”

She handed me a pizza on a plastic white plate and gave me a huge bowl of chicken soup dripping down the sides of the bowl.  I looked at the soup, confused.  I looked at her, but quickly changed my mind about giving it back to her.  She wouldn’t hear me right, probably.  I paid and walked into the main area of the lunch room.  Panic struck me.  

Where was I going to sit?  I looked around for Alicia, and even for the bullied girl that helped me with my locker.  No one I knew.  Not a single freakin’ person.  I was getting agitated by my bad luck.  

Some lunch tables had a couple seats open, with girls where you couldn’t even see their faces because of all the makeup, but what the heck?  I walked over, and they saw me approach.  Someone quickly put their jacket on the seat that was available.  

“Sorry, this seat's taken.  For my invisible friend.  He’s VERY important to me.” She snapped at me.  I backed up, apologizing.  Why couldn’t I just sit there?  

All of the other tables did the same thing.  Putting sweatshirts, notebooks, lunch bags - even trash - to prevent me from sitting next to anyone.  I almost started to break down.   Anger, sadness.  I hated this school so much.  

I wasted 10 minutes trying to find a seat amongst the girls.  Now I became desperate.  I had to find my brother.  I found him sitting by himself in the corner of the table.  I hurried over to him, and he looked up at me with a confused expression.  

“Hey, can I sit here, Jaison? Please?  Nobody’s letting me sit at their table.” I pleaded with him.  He smiled and patted the seat next from him.  I smiled gratefully and slid into the seat.  

“So, have you made any friends?” He asked me nicely.  I shrugged.

“Not really.  What about you?” He shook his head.

“They’re all making fun of me because I don’t like sports.  One girl even came up to me and said, ‘So do you do any sports?’ I replied NO, and she said, ‘Oh.’  She walked away and whispered to her friends and they all laughed and eyed me.”  He looked down at the ground in shame.  I smiled, feeling bad for him.  I offered him my piece of pizza.  

“You want it?”  I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist - he’s getting taller and taller and eating more and more.  It’s scary how much boys consume in one day.  

“You sure?” I nodded, and he took it and gobbled it to mush in practically 5 minutes.  I laughed.

“Hungry much?” He smiled big, still chewing and swallowing.  He gave me his fries since I didn’t get anything and took my tray when I was done.

“Hey, let’s make a deal.  Let’s both find friends by the end of the week, or...we’ll find friends for each other.” I smiled mischievously and he agreed, shaking hands to seal the deal.  

We parted and I looked at my schedule.  Spanish next, which was with….hmm...what?  I squinted.  There was no name.  Must of been a mistake...I also realized that its on the OTHER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL.  I groaned.  I started running to my locker.  I was already late!  I banged on my locker after my combo, and, my wish was granted.  It swung open, and I got my binders and started running.  Scratch that.  I started sprinting.  

“IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO BE LATE ON THE FIRST DAY?!” I said to myself, quite loudly.  I was still running at full speed, my breath getting heavier and heavier every step I took.  I almost ran into a bunch of freshmans around a sharp corner,  but I spun around them and kept running.

“SORRY!!!!” I yelled behind my back.  They looked at each other and started saying, “THAT’S OK!” and “YOU CAN MAKE IT!” Followed by giggling.  I turned a bit red and came to the doorway of the Spanish classroom.

Everyone was there already.  Luckily, the teacher’s back was turned.  I slipped in and took a seat in the middle of all the students.  She turned around just as I settled in and she smiled to everyone.  

“Buenas tardes, alumnos!”  We all replied, “Buenas tardes!”  She smiled big, and then abruptly said, “You, chica, ¿Por qué fuiste a clase tarde?  AND, please tell me what I just said.”

“You asked me why I was late to class, and lo siento-sorry.”

“Just don’t do it again, ok?” My teacher replied.  She took out a piece of powdery white chalk and made it squeak against the board, that made everyone cringe.  

“Can anyone tell me what this means?” She pointed to the board, and, written in neat handwriting, it said:

Cuando estoy hablando, no se habla! Cuando se habla, no voy a hablar! Es tan simple como eso!  

Everyone in the class started blankly staring at the 3 sentences.  I quickly realized that I would actually be learning in this class, instead of just playing or having little side conversations.  I looked up at the teacher who has a discouraged look on her face.  

“WELBY!  What did we say about using GOOGLE TRANSLATE on your phone for these activities?!”  Laughter erupted like a sudden volcano burst.  

“Sorry, Senora Marcia!” I heard a kid yelp from the back of the classroom, and I saw him stuffing his iPhone in his pocket.  Senora Marcia rolled her eyes and erased the little passage.  

“A Dios Mio!”  OK, what does this say?”

El payaso se estrelló contra la ventana de la escuela hoy!

I laughed out loud.  Everyone turned to me, staring at me in silence.  I turned as red as crimson.  

“Chica, do you know what that means?” Senora Marcia asked.  

“Yeah-I mean si, it means, ‘The clown crashed into the window of the school today.”  Everyone laughed.  

“Si, that is what it means.  Now, to freshen our memories, let’s go practice our Spanish with the person behind you.  Vaminos!”

I arched my back to turn around and saw the kid Senora Marcia called Welby.  He was looking at me weirdly.  I shifted uncomfortably.

“So...what’s your name?  I’m Zoie.” I asked.

“Welby.” He leaned forward.  “There’s something about you that looks familiar…”  

It was just weird after that.