I head to the picnic tables outside, making my way to the one furthest from the school and the others. Earlier this year, I selected it for the shade from a tall maple tree that falls over half of the table around noon-time. My logic is that it provides a convenient protection for my easily sunburnt skin. I sit down at the table and pull out my pack-lunch.
My lunchbag was the only part about this meal that would set me apart from anybody, and it was just a simple silver with a few space-ship stickers I had stuck on it nearly a decade ago. I really haven't tried to pull them off yet, and it's unlikely I will anytime soon. Space is a passion of mine, and while the stickers were slightly juvenile, I find them to be a nice identifier (even though my name is clearly printed in black sharpie on the top). I snap open the clasp on the bag and open it.
Inside, just as I'd packed earlier this morning, were two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with strawberry jelly, my personal favorite), a bag of saltine crackers, an apple, and a fruit-punch juice box. Absentmindedly, I set my food to the left of me and pull out my art-history book. It's a waste of my time not to study, and I did have a few more things I should cover before I leave it alone for today. Whilst I read, I ate my food. This sort of studying is always serene and pleasant for me. I begin to pack up the trash from my food once I finish, before I lock eyes with the same ochre ones as before.
"Ethan! Ur, what are you doing here?" I demand, tense about this situation. I really didn't anticipate a meeting, and, well... he just seems to be staring at me. It seems kind of creepy to do that.
"Oh, I just thought I'd join you for lunch." He smiles. "You seemed kinda lonely."
Oh yes, again with this "lonely" business. I really am not lonely. I don't understand where he gets it from... "Oh, well, I'm really quite alright." I reply dismissively. "Did you need anything?" My voice cracks at the end of the question, and I nearly cringe. I hope he doesn't bring attention to that.
"I didn't need anything in particular; I just wanted to hang, ya get me? It was crazy though! You didn't notice me until now! I swear we were there for twenty minutes. You were just reading away- and then I'd scoot closer- and you wouldn't notice- so then I tried saying hey- and you were just so out of it!" His muscular physique trembles with laughter, and his maroon hair swoops down to cover his eyes at the slightest duck of his head.
I don't understand why that's funny. "Well, I was reading."
He laughs harder. "Your face right there too- you looked so bewildered! Man, Ror, you were so out of it! Come back down to Earth, Space-Boy!" He wipes the corner of his eyes, removing the glittery tears that welled up there due to the excessive force he'd closed his eyes with.
I look at my lunchbag. It felt slightly more juvenile now. My cheeks begin to heat up. I close the bag and pick it up off of the table. I quickly hide it in my backpack. "Oh, well, heh..." I don't know what to say, so I just trail off, letting the conversation slip into an uncomfortable silence.
"You okay? Did I hurt your feelings?" He asks me after a little bit.
I don't know how to respond. "No, no, I'm fine." Why wouldn't I be fine?
"You don't seem fine, though. I was being a real turd then, huh? Sorry, I didn't mean to tease you about that. I just- well, it was so bizarre to me. You were really focused. It's kind of admirable, too, to be able to shut the world out like that to get stuff done. It just- yeah, I've never had that happen." His words are scrambled all over the place as he speaks, and he doesn't have the same confident sort of air as before.
I give him a shrug. "It's perfectly fine. I don't mind." I tell him.
"Eeeehhhhhh, well, I liked your stickers anyways. They were pretty cute. I didn't mean to embarrass you about them." His cheeks are now dusted with the hue of cherries.
"It's fine." I repeat again, wanting him to stop talking about this. "Lunch is almost over, right?" I get up.
"Well, there's about ten minutes left. Are you heading to class already?" He asks.
"I may as well. Good bye." I wave and leave before he has a chance to stop me. I go to my next class.
At the end of the school day I'm left sleepy and unable to focus. I was not as prepared as I thought I was for chemistry. The lab we tried didn't go as well as I anticipated. I walk out of the school and jump at the sound of a whistle. My eyes dart to locate the culprit, and I find the football players running around the track. I spot familiar maroon hair and realize Ethan is amongst them. Interesting.
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