The Dating Game

Chapter Eleven

Juliet

Dad had condemned me to eat the school's repulsive lunch food today.

But at least both Michelle and Beth were eating it, too. Dad didn't have time to make my lunch this morning – he liked to do it for me deeming that it made us closer because he knew what I'd like for lunch and what I wouldn't. I couldn't argue with that. I love my dad; I do, so for him, I'll let him do it – even if I get labelled "lazy" for it.

So today, the gruel on today's menu was chicken casserole with a little salad and a few small potatoes, or the soup. I opted for the chicken casserole meal, having a bread roll and butter to accompany it. Presumably, the bread and butter are the only real edible foods on the menu daily.

I had my bag on the seat next to me considering Beth and Michelle were sat opposite. I even had the book The Kissing Booth in my bag because I wanted to read it at some point today. Also, I thought Justin would probably amble up to me and ask how far I was into it. In the book, I was about twenty chapters in so I was making good progress. However, I had yet to expose more notes hidden away between the pages.

"You're exceptionally quiet today," Beth notified, looking up from cutting the chicken casserole. Her one eyebrow was raised and from that position, you could see the diversity from one eyebrow to another – one was prominently thinner from her own tweezing "skills".

I shook my head, placing half a small potato in my mouth. "I was just thinking about the Math homework," I lied. Well, I did have Math homework, but it was at home, and I was adamantly certain that when I'd get home, I'd find Muriel gardening again. She's been dubiously absent for the past week so it was only expected of her to come tonight. Our garden has been looking a little badly maintained in the absenteeism.

"Hey, I'll meet you guys over there, alright?" a male's voice called out.

And so far, I've learnt that this happens in both books and movies because that voice was perceptibly familiar. And it wasn't an enigma to whom the voice belonged to: Justin. And by his response to whatever someone else hollered to him, my next prophecy was correct. A tray had been placed in front of the seat occupied by my bag of someone else's chicken casserole. Looks like Justin wasn't fortunate enough for a respectable banquet either.

"Hey, Juliet," said Justin. "So, have you started reading the books? The Kissing Booth was first on the list. I made a copy so I'd know where you were up to."

I nodded coyly, keeping my eyes down on my food as I tore a piece off from my butter-stained bread roll. "Yeah, I'm reading that. Over half way," I mumbled.

Justin theatrically breathed a sigh of relief from behind me. "Ah, that's excellent then. I was worried for a moment that you might have decided reading against them all but my worries are nothing but a misshapen ball of neglected feelings."

"It's a good book so far," I informed, commencing to munch on another broken piece of a bread roll.

"Well, I have to run. I need to eat rather quickly because I need to get back to Woodwork. Mr. Renaldo thinks I may be onto something with my lecture I gave him about wood and how to treat it properly."

Justin must have done something from behind me because Beth and Michelle erupted into hysterical giggles. I turned around to see him smiling down at me now. His hair was spiked up and he wore a top with a phrase printed on it, the words disfigured by his random, navy jacket. He did wear light sky blue jeans, though with male worker boots. But I'd noticed that recently a lot of male students were all wearing similar, designer worker boots – Justin must be some kind of fashion king as well as being at the top of the popular hierarchical system this school had mindlessly generated.