"What's that?" I questioned, pointing towards the dark green can that Janine pulled out of her light blue lunchbox. Along the side was an off-white title for the company of the product I assumed, that being Team T.
"Oh, it's a can of green tea," she explained, lifting the small can open followed by a loud popping sound. "Wanna try some?"
"Sure, but uh, we need a cup," I replied, Janine's eyes looking towards the lunch line.
"Just get one from the lunch line, I'll be here when you get back," she explained, looking back towards me with a slight grin.
"Alright," I stated, standing up before making my way to the line. Out of the five lines, the pizza area was the shortest, but even then, the number of students exceeded the length the black Velcro could cover. Stepping into line, I patiently waited for my chance to order a small plastic cup. Seconds went by before turning into minutes, making it to the halfway point of the line as I stood there. I stood there patiently, looking around before something caught my eye.
It was another eye, light blue eyes staring into mine from across the lunchroom. When I could comprehend the face of the person, my heart stopped. Cassey stood by a table, staring at me like a murderer that had just found their next target. My eyes went wide with this strange sense of primal fear, the thought of my past coming back to haunt me and destroy any sense of joy I felt. I swiftly looked away as the line moved forward, my body shifting with it.
My eyes darted between the line and where Cassey's table was, reassuring myself that he wouldn't come over here. My mind raced with worry as my legs began to shake, crumbling from the weight of my anxiety. I wanted to rush over to Janine but what if he saw me walk over to her, therefore learning about my newfound friends. Would he try to talk to her or was it possible that he could plan on jumping me for my insults towards Abigail? Whatever it was, it wouldn't have been good.
I walked by the dark grey counter, leading myself to the pin number spot.
"Hey, can I uh, get a uh, plastic cup," I questioned, trying to hide my anxiety through my posture, but even then, I saw the flaws within it.
"Oh yeah," the older lady on the other side stated, reaching down behind the small computer. Pulling out one of those bright red party cups, she handed it towards me before telling me to have a nice day. "Thanks, you too," I said in my standard, automatic work voice as I stepped out of the line but still within a crowd of people. I swiftly pulled out my phone, walking towards the hallway that leads to an exit and the bathrooms. On the left side of the cream-colored walls were two vending machines, always packed with people.
Directly opposite were two double doors that led to the theater and drama classes, prompting me to head towards that direction.
"Hey, can you meet me in the large theater building," I questioned, looking around to ensure there were no teachers or admin present. When I was sure that no one saw me, I slipped through the wooden door, gently closing it behind me so that no one would notice. Looking down at my phone, I saw a text from her saying on my way. From there, I looked up from my phone and silently walked over to the wooden bench with a dark purple cushion on top of it. It stood along the wall that looked out over the large room, filled with windows and trophy displays of the school's success.
I sat there, silently listening to the pounding of my heartbeat within the desolate silence of the room. The sudden sound of the metal clicking knocked me out of my concentration, my head darting towards the door, expecting to see an admin walk through them. Instead came golden blonde hair and Janine's figure, stepping through the door before closing it quietly behind her. She turned her head to the right, her eyes going wide as she saw the pale, nervous wreck I had become in the span of a few moments.
"Kev, are you alright?" she questioned solemnly, stepping towards me before sitting beside me.
"Nothing, I got the cup though," I stated, shaking the plastic cup between the two of us.
"Kevin, there's really something wrong, I see it across your face," she explained, placing her hand on the cup to stop me. Motioning it down, her light green eyes stared deep into mine. My heart skipped a beat, my eyes going wide as I just stopped. I stopped everything I was doing, every slight movement as I stared at her, anxiety running through my body. With a deep sigh, I grabbed ahold of myself before breaking my gaze from her eyes, lowering it to the stained white tile as I rested my arms against my legs.
"I'm scared," I said slowly, lowering the cup before placing it between her and I's body. I felt the warm embrace of her hand against my shoulder, trying to comfort me within this desolate world of anxiety and depression.
"Talk to me, please," she whispered to me, trying to show sympathy towards me as I sat there. Every second felt like an eternity as I thought about that night, when everything fell apart for me and I truly did lose everything.
"You remember that girl I told you about Friday," I asked slowly, my voice low to where only she could hear me speak.
"Yeah?" she began, moving the cup to her side before scooting closer to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders as I spoke quietly.
"That argument we got into, it was about her and I's relationship. She... never really cared about who I was and only used me to get things that she wanted," I explained, my eyes becoming nailed to the ground as the messages flooded back into my head.
"I'm sorry," Janine replied, pulling me close before embracing me warmly. It comforted me slightly, but my heart and mind still lived within the confinements of this strange cell that had entrapped me within its depressing iron bars.
"It's alright," I replied, before continuing the story. "I called her out on it and we got into an argument over the fact that she used me, ending on her and I blocking each other. But the following day, she and someone else formed fake messages to show everyone, saying that I called her a whore and insulted her when I had never done any of those things. But no one believed me, and so, I was abandoned by my once friends." There was a long pause between the two of us, silence emanating throughout the room as we sat there.
"I'm really sorry that you had to go through that," Janine stated, my eyes looking up towards her. She stared onward towards the outside window, staring at the tree's and such blankly, possibly reminiscing on something.
"It's alright, I'll get over it at some point in time," I explained, looking away from her and onwards towards the outside world.
"I know how you feel though, really. If you need anything then I promise I'll be there for you," she explained, standing up beside me. My eyes looked up towards her, watching as she turned around and grabbed the cup.
"Thank you," I replied, standing up while placing my hands in my pockets. Despite the shift in my body, my eyes stayed to the ground. I could feel her gaze shift towards me before she stepped over a little, wrapping her arms and embracing me warmly. We stood like that for a long while, my eyes stuck to the ground as I was comforted by her words. She finally let go, taking a step back while looking towards me.
Our eyes greeted each other, a slight smile forming across her face as she held the cup.
"Do you still want to try a sip of the tea?" she questioned, moving her hand forward to give me the plastic cup. Her eyes dropped from my gaze as I looked at the cup, softly grabbing it from her.
"Yeah," I stated with a warm smile, looking back up to her reassuringly. The two of us made our way back to our seats, silently packing for the imminent ring of the bell. Pouring a little tea within the plastic cup, the ringing from the speakers flooded the room, everyone packing there things as we fled the lunchroom, exchanging farewells. Walking towards my next class, I went off course and stood by a dark blue trash can, taking a sip of the green tea she had placed within the cup. The smooth, tan drink swam into my mouth, it's slightly sweet taste awaking my taste buds with joy.
As I finished the drink and threw away the cup, I got back on track towards my next class. Pulling out my phone, I entered Janine's and I's messaging box, typing out one simple sentence.
"That tea was really good."
YOU ARE READING
𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝑔𝒶𝓏𝒾𝓃𝑔 (Stargazing)
Romance"There's always a light at the end of a dark tunnel." Kevin is now a husband and father, but as he looks through the attic, a necklace brings him back to his former years. Thinking about the impact the people back then had on him, he explains to hi...
