All Of That - s. hyde

3 - lunch

i'm only halfway through the first day and i'm already done with school, i thought.

it's the end of period 5 and a day full of reading syllabuses and listening to teachers talk about not chewing gum. i actually don't think i could care less if i tried. i'm avidly watching the clock until 12:10 so i can finally leave and eat my lunch.

12:08 ... 12:09 ... 12:10, i counted the minutes in my head.

"brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!" the bell rang.

finally. i thought. i was going to rot right there listening to señor Gonzales speak spanish.

i grabbed my books and got the hell out of there. i quickly stopped at my locker to grab my lunchbox, or as i should say, my brown paper bag. at the top "Marge" was written on it in my mom's loopy writing. there's even a heart next to the M, yuck.

walking down the hallways to the cafeteria, i realize i have to sit with someone.

shit, i thought, who am i going to sit with?

i hung out with people over the summer but i haven't seen many of my friends yet today.

i guess i'll choose when i get there.

i finally approach the lunchroom, with familiar blue and white tiles and at least a thousand smells rising into my nostrils. sounds of screaming, complaining, and laughing all fill my ears at once. i see a couple friends from last year, and a couple new friends from my new classes. they give me a welcoming smile, but i need to clear my head. i decide to slip out the blue side door in the hall and into a courtyard. there's a wooden picnic table there, next to some bushes that look full with leaves and thorns.

an animal rustles in the bush. i can hear it's squeaking as it shows itself from under the brush.

"hey lil guy," i say to the squirrel. i know it's stupid, but the thing is kinda cute.

"hey lil girl," says a familiar voice.

hyde, i think.

i look up and i was right. he was standing there with his hands planted onto his belt like he does so often. typical.

"sorry to interrupt," he says "it sounded like you were having an conversation with your shoe?" he giggles at his own joke.

my cheeks get hot with embarrassment as i cross my legs underneath the table.

"actually, i was talking to a squi- you know what? never mind." i stammered.

hyde started to sit down across from me and i automatically tensed up, which he noticed. i try to seem as hard and unbothered as possible but how can i? there he is, staring at me like he can read my thoughts. i hope he can't because i can't stop thinking about his gorgeous blue eyes.

he should really wear those sunglasses less...

to my surprise he softens his gaze and looks straight into my eyes.

"damn. why are you so afraid of me?" he asks with a scowl. i don't know the answer.

"yeah, i didn't come from a rich family, and my parents weren't always there, but everyone treats me like such an outsider." he puts his head down, and he seems somewhat calm, but i can see the pain hidden behind those sunglasses. i look at the heart next to my name on my lunch bag and i realize,

hyde never got that.

"i haven't hung out with anyone new in a long time, and im not sure why i'm telling you this, but i thought i could get to know you? i don't know... now i just seem dumb for telling you all that."

"hyde," i grab his arm, "you aren't dumb. and don't let any assholes make you think differently."

and then he smiled. it was small, just the corners of his mouth pointed up with amusement, and a slight thankfulness. like it's been trapped for months. but it finally showed, right in the middle of the school courtyard.

i just made my first friend this school year. i decided.