The Exchange Day

10. CALEB

"Um, no." Sam shook his head. "Do you want it?"

"Oh, yes. I do!" Caleb spoke faster than he took a breath and Sam was not ready for the verbal rollercoaster.

"I am actually on a diet and I left in a rush this morning and forgot my lunchbox because Zayn was calling me non-stop and annoying the hell out of me. Now I don't have anything to eat and I feel like I will faint any moment. I so badly wanted to run to the cooking club's booth. You know they have a cafe theme this year. I can still smell the doughnuts till here. Oh, where were we? Yeah, the cooking club. I wanted to go there and have their special chocolate glazed doughnut but Coach Garr had warned us to keep our weights in check for the upcoming competition. So I can't mess up my diet and moreover, I am afraid I will faint if I so much as try to run to the cafeteria and I am really hungry now, so I need the pack of diet chips that you have," Caleb said in one breath.

Sam gaped, trying to wrap his brain around what he had heard. His eyes blinked and eyebrows creased in utter confusion, head drawing back.

Sam may be the class topper but talking with people and understanding them was not his strong suit. Moreover, when the said people spoke more words at a time than he did in an entire day. But before the boy could decipher anything, Caleb rambled on.

"Sorry, I talk a lot when I get hungry but I can't help it. It's just like an involuntary reaction that my body gives to cope up with the strain that the lack of nutrition is putting on my body and so I just-"

"Please take it!" Sam begged.

"Thank you!" Caleb exclaimed. He took the pack and opened it. Quickly taking out a chip, he tossed it in his mouth and closed his eyes.

"Mnnnn~"

To Sam's surprise, the boy moaned loudly. Caleb's booth members looked at him, shook their heads and went back to work like this was nothing out of the ordinary. Sam, on the other hand, wanted to bury himself to escape the second-hand embarrassment as Caleb moaned again.

"This is heaven!" He cooed, stuffing his mouth with more chips. "Thank you, Sam," he managed to spill some while talking.

"Actually," Sam wrinkled his nose. How was he supposed to say this? But he had to. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't for free, Caleb."

"Really?" Caleb choked as he gulped. "Oh god, what should I do? I should have asked before. But I didn't. I would have returned it but shit, I am already eating it. I could have paid you, but I even forgot my wallet this morning and whatever money I have, it's all for my Recreation Club's booth. Oh, fucking Christ, what do I do now? It's all because of Zayn. I swear to God, that bastard-"

"I don't need the money!" Sam stopped him before his emerging headache could transform into a full-blown migraine. Why did this guy talk so much?