It's Just High School

Chapter 6

Sam and I continued hanging out with each other every lunch break. If sharing the same place is hanging out means nowadays. We don’t talk to each other and just silently do what we do. Sometimes I notice that she gets frustrated at something, but she doesn’t say anything. I also notice that even though its lunch break, she’s not eating most of the time. I’d like to offer her help, but after two weeks of spending time with each other, our situation just kept getting awkward. Offering help might just be a bad idea. The last time I tried to offer help, I almost combusted out of frustration.

When I heard her shut her book, and inhale like there’s no tomorrow, I find that it’s a good opening for me to intrude on her privacy.

“You know, asking for help doesn’t make you much less of a person.” I said to her while I’m eating my sub.

She looked at me with sharp eyes. “Who says I need help?” She asks irritated.

“No one. I’m just saying.” I replied back. That maybe was not the best way of starting a conversation with her. From how she sounds like every time I bring out the topic of help, she has some issues taking one. Was there anything I did that make me sound like I needed something, I don’t know.

She eyed me again and went back to work. I was about to just let it go but what’s she’s doing is not helping at all. She kept massaging her temples and looking after books. She may have denied it, but the way she’s digging through her notes, I’ll be surprised if she didn’t find the answer to life in there. But after opening and closing a few notebooks and her irritation escalating, I finally asked her again.

“So what do you need help from?” I said softly to her.

She looks hesitant at first when she looked at me but when she finally opened her book and her face turning up a defeat expression, I knew she’ll cave in.

“History.” She said ashamed.

“Can I look?” I asked.

She gave me her book and as I looked at it, it wasn’t that hard. It wasn’t an easy question, but it wouldn’t take her that long to know what the answer is I believe. I scribbled down the answer to the question and gave it to her.

“It would be much easier if you eat once in a while.” I told her while she’ reaching for the book.

She was skipping lunch more times than she was taking it. It isn’t going to help her through the day if she had nothing to get the energy from. I for one know that whenever I get hungry, nothing comes to mind.

“I just don’t have the time.” She said back without looking at me.

“There’s a reason why they call it lunch break. It’s time given for us to eat.” Emphasizing to her the words time and eat.

“Its vacant time I can squeeze for these things.” Looking over her scattered things and her voice defensive. Without looking at me, I can sense that she wants this topic to end.

For God knows why, I just can let it go. I asked her “Why don’t you just do this at home then?” It’s obvious to me that she can’t for some reason, and I wouldn’t like to invade too much about her life, but for some reason I don’t know, I like to find out.

“I have to make a living every day.” She answered shyly.

That’s one reason I don’t hear from many people. Commonly, party was the first excuse. In more than occasion, I also heard that they had too much to drink and in more times than I want to remember, some have even told me sex. I was somehow expecting to hear those pathetic reasons because it was the obvious but for how responsible she acts like, it was dumb of me to expect it.