The Lamp and the Lightbulb

Chapter 3

Here I am sitting in third period algebra class getting ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch. I always dread going to the cafeteria, it is definitely the worst place in this entire hell hole of a school. The food sucks, the place smells like a garbage dump, and all the students are rowdy and obnoxious. I wish there was the option to eat outside, but they banned that last year because of some freak accident that went down between two students I don't recall the names of. They got in a fight and started throwing food and the next thing you know the entire student body is throwing food. It took the janitor and those two students forever to clean up that mess. There was food everywhere, not to mention on the principles car.

"Alright students head to lunch and once you get back we'll begin our assignment for the day." Mr. Gallop spoke firmly.

Everyone flew out the door and as usual I was the last one to walk out the door. I began walking down the hallway heading to the cafeteria all by my lonesome until my one and only friend Annabelle rushed up next to me and asked me how my day was going.

"Hey there girly! How's your day going love?" She said smiling.

"Fine, I guess."

"You don't sound happy?"

"Not really in a happy mood I suppose."

"Sorry to hear that. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Really."

She smirked at me. "Alrighty, don't tell me then!"

We got to the cafeteria door and I stood there for a moment looking through the glass. Annabelle hurried inside and ran over to the table where Tiffany and Raven were seated at. She opened her lunch bag and began eating the apple she pulled out of it. She giggled and chatted back and forth to everyone at the table. I hate having a two faced friend, but I guess a two faced friend is better than no friend at all. I took a deep breath and opened the cafeteria door and walked inside. I went to the line and stood there waiting for it to move up. When I finally got my food and paid for it I headed towards my usual table. The table next to the trashcan that no-one ever sat at. But me. I began eating my lunch with half of my face covered with my long black hair. My face is always half covered with my hair I suppose, it makes me feel safe and like no-one is staring at me and judging me. I looked over to the table Annabelle was at and she was sitting there smiling at some guy. It took me a minute to realize exactly who she was talking to, and wouldn't you believe it? It was Kyle Love. The guy I've had a crush on since pre-school. Next thing I know he's wrapping his right arm around her shoulders and kissing her tanned blush covered cheek. Oh how I wish that was my cheek. I sat there like a fool just staring over there. Annabelle saw me and just did a half smile towards me and then turned her head away. I stood up from the table and dumped the rest of the disgusting food into the trashcan next to me and then walked out of the cafeteria. I headed towards the girls restroom and went inside. I hurried in and sat inside of one of the cubicles upon the toilet lid. A few tears escaped my eyes and I held in my cries and wiped them away. I was trying to get a hold of myself. I opened up the cubicle door and walked through it. I made my way over to the sink and leaned over it looking at myself in the large mirror in front of me. I was staring at myself, wondering why no-one ever thought of me as beautiful or pretty. My blue/silver eyes were gazing back at me. I kept on staring into them until I heard the restroom door open and I turned my head to the left. It was Allison. Allison is a gothic chick that mostly keeps to herself. I've tried talking to her a few times before, but she usually always keeps earphones in her ears and her mp3 player in her front pocket of her black leather jacket. I was getting ready to grab my stuff off the sink and leave when shockingly she spoke to me.

"Hey" She said.

"Uh, Hi Allison." I replied.

"You ok?"

My face turned to confusion as I thought to myself why she was asking me if I was ok.

"Yeah, um, I-I'm alright."

"I saw you come in here. You looked pretty upset to me."

"I-I-I'm fine. Really. Totally fine." I said lying.

"Alright then. Want a smoke?"

"Sure."

She handed me a cigarette and I took it from her. She gave me a half smile. I was so confused. Why was she talking to me? Why did she care if I was upset or not? What is going on? I guess you can never really judge a book by its cover.

"Need a light? Allison asked me.

"No thanks, I already have a lighter in my purse." I responded.

"Okay, cool. Well I'm going to head to class before I'm late and get another slip."

"Oh, ok. See you later" I replied.

"Bye." She said as she turned around and walked out of the door.

I walked back into the cubicle I was recently in and shut the door and sat back down. I got the cigarette she gave me and held it out away from me. I lit up my eyes and smoke began rising from the tip of it. I continued to sit there and I smoked it. I didn't really mind skipping my last two classes. It's not like I haven't done it before. No-one would really notice if I showed up anyways. So I just sat there for two hours. I smoked the cigarette, and then read the book I had in my purse, and then took a nap while leaning up against the wall. I opened my eyes after a while and heard the bell ringing its last ring of the day. I left the restroom quickly, went to my recent class to get my notebook and folder, and then went to my locker. I opened up my locker and put my stuff on the top shelf of it. I grabbed my backpack from the hook. Then I slammed my locker shut.