Head above the water

3

(Meme of the chapter is my reaction to all the antis out there)

I let my tray drop to the table in disgust as I sat in my usual seat, my friend Marissa looking up from her salad with a confused expression.

"What's wrong, 'Stasia-bug? You seem upset," Marissa asked me.

"Nothing, Rissa, I was just hungry today but none of this food is any good," I complained like an ungrateful child.

It's not that our lunchroom workers were bad cooks. Actually, most of the women were excellent cooks at their own homes, but there were so many regulations and things on what could be served at a public institution that everything was bland and mushy, including the milk. I think whatever was on my plate might have been chicken. Possibly.

I didn't want the food that was on my plate, but I could feel my stomach beginning to talk back to me for not feeding it. Picking up my fork, I dug in. It was not chicken. It actually may have been some form of tofu. I choked down a few bites before giving up and dejectedly pushing the tray away from me.

Marissa just laughed at me and pulled a ziplock bag stuffed with pizza out of her lunchbox. She handed the bag to me, and I stared back at her like she had hung the stars in the sky.

"This is why you're my best friend in the entire world, Rissa," I mumbled before biting into the first slice.

"Who's your best friend?" My friend, Julianna, asked as she sat down.

"Marissa is. She gave me food," I stated plainly and stuck my tongue out at Julianna.

"I'm offended," she gasped, placing her hand over her heart.

"You should be. If you want to make it on the list again you have to give me food that I don't have to play a guessing game with before I eat," I snickered and handed a slice of the pizza over to Julianna.

"Here, then, you little conn artist," She said while tossing a piece of candy at my forehead.

"Thanks, Lia! I love you equally again," I giggled out.

"Why are you so bubbly today?" Julianna asked me.

"Maybe it has something to do with the new guy. I heard they were spotted holding hands in the hall," Marissa said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Oh hush, I was showing him where our class was," I brushed off her statement, but I could feel my cheeks turning a slight shade of red.

"Where is he, by the way?" Julianna asked.

"He was with that exclusive group," I said with a shrug.

"Oh! He should be here soon then! They're always a bit late." Marissa piped up, " I haven't seen him yet, but I heard he's so beautiful."

"You have not lived!" Julianna yelled, waving around her slice of pizza.

"Shhhh, here they come!" Marissa elbowed Julianna lightly in the ribs.

"You guys are so obsessed," I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"You're one to talk, Mrs. already holding hands with a guy she doesn't know," Marissa shot back at me.

In our group it was no secret that Marissa was boy crazy. She loved guys, but she especially loved guys she knew she could never have, and so she loved the group of boys even more than normal. She especially loved the one named Jin, mostly because he seemed to be less outgoing than the rest. He kept to himself.

Julianna was interested in the boys, too, but her interest was more appropriate. She wanted to know more about their culture, but she was mostly interested in the fact that all of them were disproportionately attractive.

The doors to the cafeteria were pushed open, and all the heads at our table, including mine, whipped towards the door. The boys walked in; the tallest, Namjoon, was at the front of the group. Jimin seemed like he was right at home, laughing under Hoesok's arm. They passed by our table, and Jimin didn't even spare a glance.

I shouldn't have been disappointed, but for some reason there was a sinking feeling in my gut. Hoseok glanced at me and then looked away, and my gut twisted. Something had changed in the last few minutes, and I wasn't sure what it was. Gone was the cute boy with the eye smile and back was the reserved man who looked on those who weren't in his group with a cold sort of disconnect.

Jimin was the boy that I had saved, but he was no longer the boy that had saved me.

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Hi super short chapter! I'm feeling kind of bad today, but I really wanted to update. I hope you guys enjoy this, and expect another update soon.
Love Ya Always,
-Haleigh