The Soot Princess [Hiatus]

44- Rough Day?

Dean Eingall

Before I knew it, my stomach growled for lunch. I wondered what would be on the menu, on my way to the dining hall, walking beside Derrick. He had invited me to sit with him and a few of his friends at lunch. I was leery, but he practically dragged me down the halls when class ended. I didn't stand a chance. I also don't have anything prearranged, so... I took him up on his offer. Why not?

"Have you tried the seafood here? I've heard it's pretty good," Derrick said behind me in line.

"No. I haven't. I'll have the lobster," I ordered.

"So your going to try it out?"

"Someone has to and I like seafood a lot, that and eggs benedict."

"I'll have steak then, medium-well."

The lady at the cashier gave us a card to put at our table so they could bring out our orders, but what about drinks?

"The drinks are on the other side of the cafeteria. What do you want and I'll grab it while you wait for the food?" Derrick asked.

"Sparkling apple cider?"

"K, got it! Some of the other guys should be getting here soon. Keep an eye out." Derrick left me behind with our school bags at the table to wait.

Is this how school always is? I sighed. I pulled my phone out of my pant's pocket and checked my texts. It was over flowing. My mom had spammed me and it looks like Alex did too. I typed a quick reply to my mother the read through the rest of the messages. It seems like Alex is having a good day. One of the texts made me smile.

"Food here yet?" Derrick set down the two glasses.

"Eh, No." He surprised me.

"What are you smiling about? If it's a nude of a girl, I want to see."

"What! It's nothing. Just a text I got."

"Who's the new guy, Derrick?" a new voice says.

"Oh, Paul, Prince Charles. Prince Charles, Paul," Derrick introduced us.

"Call me Dean, both of you, please."

The food interrupted our introductions, when it finally arrived, smelling wonderful.

"I told you to wait for me, Derrick."

"Yeah, yeah, Paul. I was hungry! Can't blame a growing boy, jus' go get your own already."

"Fine." Paul walked away to the line.

I bit into a section of lobster. It had a unique seasoning spread over it and coated in a layer of creamy butter. God... This is as good as at the palace. After all the tales Eevon had been spinning for the past month had had me worried. It was all for nothing.

Derricks friend got back with his own dish of food. "A salad? Of all things on that menu, you picked a salad?" Derrick exclaimed.

"Soccer tryouts are this week, I can't afford to eat junk."

"At least eat something that will sustain you through the day man. Don't eat bunny food!" The two bickered back and forth for the rest of the period. What I could glean from their arguments was that, Paul plays soccer and is a sophomore, Derricks a freshman, likes tennis and hates to run (I don't argue with him there), and both of them like science, a bit weird after seeing them more along the lines of jocks. You can learn a lot from listening I found out.

The bell rang before I was done eating my food Paul and Derrick got up quickly and gathered their bags. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Bell rung, time to go to class, unless you're skipping," Paul told me.