People Who Deserve The Sun

Part 3

Turns out Lily was pretty cool. We seemed to have the same viewpoint. Well on everything except for meat.

"You're eating some poor cow's mother!" Lily exclaimed out of nowhere at lunch today while I was eating a hamburger.

"How do you know it's not the father?" I asked somewhat amused by her outburst.

"I just know these things okay!?"

"But there's a possibility ---"

"No! It's the mom! How would you feel if someone ate your mother?!"

I know Lily just said that because of the meat I was currently consuming, but I still felt a pang in my chest as she said it. She didn't realize how close to the truth she was. She didn't know that there was something eating my mother. And because Lily was completely oblivious to my internal conflict, I gave her a weak smile and said, "You're right. I'm sorry." I threw away the rest of the hamburger. I had lost the little appetite that I had.

Lily and I walked to class which was Gym. After changing into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, we all gathered around the Gym floor for roll call. Attendance only took about a minute. After roll was called, the coach went into his office and shut the door. Immediately everybody split up into their respective groups. Lily and I found a spot in the bleachers and just talked for a couple of minutes. After we ran out of things to talk about, I plugged in my headphones and Lily brought out a notebook and a pen. I was halfway through Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I unplugged one ear and looked up to see a group of girls there.

"Move." One girl, the ringleader apparently, said with authority and jerked her thumb to the side.

"No thanks. I'm good." I reply and put the earbud back in my ear.

Tap on the shoulder.

"I pull out the earbud again and smile sweetly at her, "Yes, how may I help you?"

"You can help by moving out of our spot." The ringleader spat out.

By now Lily was waching our exchange with a fear filled face. We also had about half the gym looking our way now.

"Oh I'm sorry," I started to say and a smug look spread across her face, "I didn't realize the school allowed dogs in the class." The look vanished.

"You did NOT just call me a bit--- " she started, furious.

"Oh honey, no." I cut her off. "Did you ever hear me utter a 'b'? I'm just saying it looks like I'm going to have to stock up on dog treats before I come back to school."

The entire Gym was silent until an unknown someone let out a loud, "WOOF!" Then every occupant of the gym burst into laughter. The ringleader and her followers flipped their hair, then stomped off.

I turned back to my music, but when I looked up, Lily was still looking at me. "What?" I asked, once again removing the earbud.

"What is it with you?" she demanded. "First you come in and mess with Camille which, honestly was kind of funny, and then you go and mess with Christina too? Her dad owns half the city! Tell me right now Stephanie, are you trying to make your life a living hell?!" She finished, breathing hard.

"Lily, calm down. This has nothing to do with having a death wish. I just don't like people telling me what to do." I shrugged. "It's really not a big deal."

Lily snorted. "Not a big deal. Obviously you don't have to work for a living."

Her comment hurt but I just shrugged it off. I don't owe her an explanation. Gym was almost over so I turned off my mp3 and wrapped my headphones around the device. I gathered my stuff and began to walk off to my next class when Lily ran up and looped her arm through mine. "So where you headed to next?"