The Soot Princess [Hiatus]

43- Day 2/2

Eevon

The next thing I knew, I was walking out of the gym to lunch. The cafeteria wasn't full yet. I went to the line that was starting to form. When it was my turn, I didn't know what to do. Most of the items were overly extravagant. I saw steak on the menu!

"Um... S-salad please?"

"Coming up, sweetheart. Here's your ticket. Take it to the cashier."

"Okay," I replied. The line swept around the ordering area to the cashier. I saw so many people swiping credit cards and such. Is this normal? When it was my turn, I advanced onto the cashier.

"Cash or Credit?" the lunch lady asked.

"Um, I normally get free lunch," I replied.

"Free lunch? This ain't no damn public school girl. If you want an elite lunch, you pay the elite price. Free, ha! Don't waste my time. Next!" she went on.

"Okay..." My stomach growled. Well, it's not the first time I've gone without food, but if I'm going to eat, I'll need money. I will have to start looking for a job, but who would use a fourteen year old girl?

I passed the time cataloging the cafeteria clusters into the stereotypical groups. I could clearly see the populars and the followers. Not many nerds or studious students, I noted. The cafeteria was spacious and high class. The seats were soft unlike the plastic benches I had known all my life. The floor was hardwood, unlike the normal laminate tile. Large windows took up one of the walls, with a patio outside, overlooking the sports fields.

"Hey!" someone yelled. "I thought I told you to sit with me!" It was the same girl from before. She pulled on the neck of my uniform jacket. "Come on. Get up!"

"Why?"

"Do you want to sit alone?"

"I don't care."

"You'll be a social outcast. Come on!"

And I'm not already?

"Hurry up!" she insisted.

I grudgingly got up to appease her and made my bag follow me. They were sitting a few tables away from where I had been, four to be exact. There were only a few empty seats. One, apparently reserved for me.

"Everyone," she called their attention. "This is Eve. Eve, everyone."

"It's actually-"

"From right to left, Ashley, Kammy, Janice, Mathew, Kevin, Anna, and then me, Kate!" she finished and plopped down.

"My name is Eevon, not Eve. Hi." My bag slipped off my shoulder and landed on the floor with a thunk. No one said a word to me. The only thing I could see that they all had in common was they were rich, just like everyone else in this god-damned school.

I'm starting to regret coming, not that I had a choice. I could always skip...

"Why aren't you eating? The food is great," Mathew asked through food filled mouthfuls.

"I'm on a diet," I claimed.

"You don't need a diet," Kammy replied. "You're so skinny."

"Thanks, but-"

An apple was slammed down in front of me. "Eat." It was Kevin.

"Really, no thanks."

"Eat it," he glowered, but it wasn't anything malicious, just insistent.

"Fine." I sensed that I had lost and tried not to look too hungry as I bit into the apple. I ate it all except the core and stem. "I'll pack my lunch tomorrow." I thought out loud.