Lily's Martial Way

Lily's Leap: The Battle Beyond the Bell - Part 2

Before Lily knew it, the morning had slipped by, and it was time for lunch. There was a special kind of chaos in a school cafeteria, with bodies bustling and trays clattering and conversations buzzing. To Lily, it felt like watching a group of ants discovering a dropped ice cream cone, only less organized.

The food on offer looked suspicious - soggy vegetables, mystery meat, and something that may or may not have been mac and cheese. But when hunger calls, one must answer. With a brave heart and a growling stomach, Lily joined the queue. Just as she was grabbing a tray, Zoey appeared at her side.

"Welcome to the jungle, new girl," she said, smirking. "In this place, the law of the land is simple: eat or be eaten."

"What does that even mean?" Lily asked.

"It means," Zoey said, "you have to know how to navigate the territory if you want to survive around here. Pick your battles wisely, grab the food you need, and stay out of Jessica's way."

"I'm not afraid of her."

"Good for you," Zoey said. "But take it from me: Jessica isn't someone you want to mess with."

"Like you did?"

"Hey, it was an accident, okay?" Zoey said. "By the way, do you think you could lend me some cash? I kind of owe someone."

"No way," Lily said. "And even if I had money, I wouldn't give it to you just so you can pay off a bully. You should go talk to a teacher about this."

"Are you serious?" Zoey said. "What world do you live in? You can't just snitch on people like that. And I'm pretty sure the teachers won't be too happy if they find out why I owe the money in the first place."

"Maybe you should've thought about that before."

"Whatever. Let's just get some food."

They sat together. And though Lily was glad not to be alone, Zoey's company was like receiving a backhanded compliment—it was hard to know if it was really a good thing. Still, they engaged in some chit-chat, which was mostly Zoey schooling Lily on the who's who and what's what of the school's social scene.

It was in the middle of this enlightening conversation that Lily witnessed something quite shocking.

A few tables away, Jessica's foot casually found its way into the path of a poor girl, sending her and her tray of food tumbling to the ground. Jessica's laughter spread contagiously, first through her minions and then, like ripples, to a few bystanders. But Lily was not amused.

"Looks like someone should've been more careful," Zoey said nonchalantly.

"What are you talking about?!" Lily exclaimed. "Jessica tripped her! It was on purpose."

"Eh, it happens," Zoey shrugged. "You better get used to it."

Help came in the form of the lunch lady, though her frown suggested more 'what now?' than 'how can I help?'

"What's going on here?" She asked.

"Nothing," the girl said, picking up her tray. "I just slipped."

The injustice of it all was too much for Lily. With her sense of fairness triggered, she felt it was high time to raise her voice. She stood up and pointed a finger at Jessica.

"Excuse me, but I saw what happened," she said. "That girl didn't slip. Jessica here purposely put her foot out to trip her. It's not fair, and it's not right!"

Lily's words hung in the air, and suddenly all eyes were on her, wearing a look that was half admiration, half 'did she really just say that?' Meanwhile, Jessica's face turned a shade of red and her lips were twisted into a grimace.