Harriet Roswell and the School of Witchcraft

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Harriet wasn't sure how it had happened but her heart was light and warm, and she kept her head up. There was some apprehension about tomorrows physical education lesson, as historically they hadn't gone great for her, but that was so far back in her mind that it did not worry her this hour, for this hour, she was excited about dinner. She was making a very difficult choice as she read the items from the menu in a fast moving line. Goat curry, vegan chickpea curry, vegetarian lasagne. In her heart she wanted to try the goat curry, but she remembered a time when she had brought a curry from the cafeteria at her old school, of course when she had brought it, it was because she was indian, and she 'smelt like curry' for the rest of the day, even though plenty of others had it. It would have been a test of character, to take it, the test being on those around her. Were things really looking up? Should she play it safe and get the lasagne? Or should she get the curry that had filled the bottom half of the school with a smell to die for, for a dish she was absolutely drooling to try? Well, if she were to be disappointed, better by her own hand, and best before she grew too friendly with the others. She takes the curry.

Rose lemonade or normal lemonade? She takes the pink one, she doesn't know what it is but it looks fancy. For pudding she picks a red jelly with strawberries inside, and a tiny jug of cream. She joins the others at the table. Romero and Diana both have goat curry, Lemony had chickpea curry, and Alex has the lasagne. Harriet's making quirky things up to say in her head when she sits down. Romero is sweating. She tastes her curry - god - it's good curry. Romero wipes the sweat from off his forehead.

"Curry's a bit spicy isn't it?" Romero asks. Harriet stabs a few extra lumps of goat onto her fork.

"I don't think mine has a single chilli in it" Lemony sighs "thats what happens when you become vegan, people start assuming you can't handle heavy flavours, like bitch no."

"My curries not that warm" Diana slowly"mild maybe."

"It is not" Romero said aghast.

"It's like... 'Wac Wonalds' warm." Harriet says slowly, Romero's sweat suggested she would need to drink a lot of her cold lemonade quickly, as wasn't too fond of heavy spice herself, but there was not a single heavy spice.

"That's hot" Romero says firm in his believes.

"Whats wrong with you?" Diana ask slowly "it is like 'Wac Wonalds' chilli and that has almost no chilli in it."

"Yeah, thats shits not spicy" Alex agrees "I don't eat that because it's like eating a burger with sugar sauce. Just weird."

"Oh, I like those" Diana says.

"You must have a sweet tooth I'm more of a .. meat guy myself." Alex says.

"You're eating vegetables." Diana points out, a grin hovering on her cheek.

"I'm a balanced meal kind of guys" Alex backtracks, with a slow smile. Romero wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Why, why did you choose a curry?" Lemony asks.

"I'm a tough guy who don't care." Romero said.

"You've made yourself suffer to appear tough while eating a pepper. Absolutely the dumbest shit I've seen all day. I am eating the pepper, I am not hurting myself. I am enjoying my own meal, and I'm having a good day."

"You gotta get out of that toxic masculinity" Lemony suggests.

"But I'm non-binary" Romero moans.

"Does eating the chilli make you feel tough, like a man?" Lemony asks. Romero's eyes go wide and he looks to his dinner.

"Make me feel good."

"Have you considered going to the gym and getting physically tough so you do not have to compensate in strange ways?" Diana asks.

"Not my style" Romero shrugged.

"Alright, but you look like I did after a 6K run, and I did not enjoy the process of that." Diana said finishing her meal, and placing her pudding (cake) in the tub she had brought earlier.