𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 》TMR, Minho

052

A week after the... incident, Mary dragged me out of bed again, and put me down somewhere in the cafeteria.

I winced and looked around, my eyes immediately searching for an empty table. But something was different. Instead of pretty, laughing girls, there were dozens of boys, running around and talking loudly.

My head snapped to Mary fast. She grinned slightly, eyes proud. "This is the boys' cafeteria." I told her.

"You saw that right." She bent down so we were face to face. "Your way of working helped. They got so desperate with you that they send you back here. You're lucky. Now go do something. It's a bit shameful to see you talking to an old woman here, isn't it?"

I nodded quick, my face lighting up completely. Happily I ran off to find my friends.

It didn't take long for me to find them, sitting at our usual table in the corner of the cafeteria. It was a year ago I had been in the cafeteria, so they aged too. Newt had grown much taller, Frypan was still cute, but his cheeks less chubby, and Alby only looked sterner. Minho... I had no idea. He didn't sit with them and he was nowhere else to be seen, although I didn't waste time looking for him and just jumped to Newt and the others.

"Hey guys." I peeped, forgetting how they had been acting the past year. Newt was the first to look up, his eyebrows furrowing. Alby followed with a blank face and Fry was full with pity.

"You're back." Fry realized, his mouth falling half open. I nodded, very cheerful. Newt gave the soon smiling Frypan a smack on the shoulder and shook his head.

Confused I watched that happen. "You okay, Newt?"

"Don't talk to me." He snapped, looking away from me.

My heart sunk in my chest. "Uh... is Minho here?"

Alby looked up, eyes full of fire. "He's somewhere over there." He motioned at another corner in the cafeteria. "But why do you care?"

"Because... because he's my friend. You're my friend. Right?" I started stammering, afraid I really lost them.

"I don't know what friend means in your context, but in mine, we're not friends. Not anymore." Alby responded. "Bye, Lenora."

My face broke into sadness. The happiness of a minute ago ebbed away. I froze in my place.

"Bye." Newt added in, hinting it was time for me to leave.

Frypan just looked down, not saying a word. His face averted from mine so I couldn't see what he was thinking or feeling.

"Oh." Was all that came out of my mouth. "Bye then.."

I wandered away slowly, with my head pointed at the floor. I got some food and decided to not bother Alby, Newt, and Fry anymore. Minho was my last chance, so I looked at the corner Alby had motioned at. 

Minho indeed sat there. On his own, strangely enough. If any of the boys knew everyone in the cafeteria and had friends everywhere, it was Minho.

I stopped in front of his table, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "You look like a homeless kid with a teddy bear."

Minho never looked up. "Thanks for finding me cute." He grumbled. 

I decided not to ask permission to sit. If he refused all my chances were completely gone.
I sat across from him, not making eye contact since he clearly didn't want that either.

"Are you angry?" We asked in unison, leaving both of us surprised and speechless. Then we talked at the same time again, "Are you? At who?"

"I'm angry at the doctors and Janson."