April fools

Lunch

Friday, April 1st 2016

{Year 12}

- 1:40pm -

The lunch line is frightfully long, and as I join the end of the line my stomach grumbles embarrassingly loud. I didn't have any recess because I met Harvey in the library and worked on our combined Ancient History assignment on Cleisthenes. The line slowly crawls forward so I swipe through my phone while I wait, looking at my messages from Jungkook.

Why weren't you at recess.

I was working on my ancient history assignment.

Are you coming to lunch?

Yeah

Cool.

See you soon!

Once I am at the counter I order a pizza single, a chocolate milk  grab, and an apple from the complementary bowl. The hall is filled with loud teenagers loitering around graffitied picnic tables, all shouting to be heard over one another. The sound is deafening. My eyes scan the room, looking for my friends before walking over to sit down beside Emma.

"Audrey! We missed you at recess!" Emma pulls me into a hug, her bushy red hair tickling my nostrils.

"I was working on my ancient history assignment." I take a bite from my pizza.

"With Harvey?" Emma asks, her eyebrows disappearing behind her fringe.

"Yeah, with Harvey."

Jungkook and James exchange a look before Jungkook looks away. His tongue pokes into his cheek and his jaw clenches slightly. James shakes his head minutely, chuckling under his breath but I ignore them.

"How'd it go?" Emma asks, oblivious to the boy's behaviour, and shoves a forkful of salad into her mouth.

"Great! We finished it, and will hand it in next period." I grin and take another bite of my pizza.

"Awesome! That must be a relief!" Emma smiles, reaching over and squeezing my hand.

She knows how stressed I have been this past week about my assignments. Since it is our last year in school this year I have really been feeling the pressure to do well, and with the added pressure of needing to get into an university. It has been tough. I give her a grateful smile, which she returns.

"I don't like that guy." James murmurs, staring over my shoulder.

I follow his gaze to the table in the middle of the dining room, where Harvey and his friends sit. Harvey's hair is a little mussed, but his charming smile makes his eyes crinkle and my heart flutter. When he looks our way I give him a small wave, which he mustn't see because he just turns away. I drop my hand to my lap, and try not to let my embarrassment show.

"Me neither." Jungkook is staring at his plate, pulling apart his slice of pizza. A small pile of pineapple sits on the rim of his plate.