Fire and Ice

amanda

All through the first three blocks I run through the different things I want to say to Jane. Lunch would be the perfect time to talk to her since we would be in the same place— hopefully. I take a deep breath before I enter the cafeteria. I scan the room to find a mess of familiar chocolate hair, but there was no use. Teenagers filled up every inch of the cafe screaming and running around like wild animals: what a mad house.

I go into the lunch line even though I'm not hungry; I figure Jane might be there too. When I don't see her in line I look at the different rows of tables lining the cafeteria horizontally; still no Jane.

"What's it gonna be sweat pea?" The lunch lady asks lightly laughing at her own stretch of a rhyme. I smile at her to be polite.

"Uh. . ." I look at my choices and the only thing that looks somewhat appetizing is a salad. I point to it.

"Okay hun, here ya go."

I take the tray and slide it down the line grabbing an apple on the way when the lady eyes me carefully. When I turn around I scan one more time to make sure I didn't miss Jane. When I don't see her a wave of sadness washes over me. Instead of sitting at my normal table I pick one that's not taken by anyone. For once, I actually want to be alone. Maybe Jane had to make up a test or go to the library. Even if she didn't, this is a pretty large space and a lot of people so finding Jane in this mess was near to impossible.

Instead of eating the dry salad and half rotten apple, I gulp down my bottle of water and then head over to the water fountain. I turn on my heel once it reaches the top and it's as if I saw a huge sign sent from the universe hanging above one of the tables. In big bold letters it read 'HERE SHE IS!'

Jane looks the same as she had always been: hair tamed behind a pony tail, face makeup-free (I don't know why I always urged her to wear it, she looks just fine without it), jeans, a graphic t-shirt (this one was of the Avengers), signature black converse, and her camo bracelet— which I gave her for her 12th birthday. I smiled to myself knowing she still wore it, it gave me hope.

She stands up to walk toward the soda machine which just so happens to be close to the water fountain I'm at. I could already predict what soda she would get: strawberry spite, her favorite drink since elementary school.

I take another deep breath preparing myself to walk towards her: now is a good time. I was close enough that if I leaned forward a bit and extend my arm out I could touch her, but a pair of blonde and brunette braids step in my path. Sarah and Rebecca beam at me and I couldn't hide the scowl on my face, why do they keep popping up at the worst times?

"Hi!" They say loudly in unison it was almost scary. If I hung around them for much longer, would I become in sync with them too?

Jane notices us and the way she looks at me makes me want to run back to my table and wish I never saw her in the first place.