Ah, the sounds and smells of a high school cafeteria. The gossip, the drama, the gourmet food. Could life get any better?
The answer is yes. Life would get much better if I were practically anywhere but here.
I groan and slam my head on the table while impatiently tapping my foot against the ground.
The cafeteria has to be one of my least favorite rooms in the entire school. The only good parts about lunch are, of course, the food, and talking to my best friend Violet.
However, here I am, at the very end of our usual table, and neither Violet nor my food is present. Needless to say, I'm not having a very good time.
It had seemed like such a good idea when Vi had offered to wait in line and get my lunch for me. Now, not so much.
I'm currently trying to drone out a conversation about some guy that some girl is dating's ex-girlfriend's profile picture on Instagram.
Ya, I don't really know. But let me tell you, it's getting heated.
"I mean come on. Who uses the amaro filter? It practically screams whore," one of the girls to my right screeches.
I usually make it a rule of thumb to judge people as little as possible. I let them live their life and I live mine, but come on. Is this honestly an important topic? I don't really care if she texted your boyfriend "hey" with a winky face last night. If the girl wants to use a crop top, candid, laughing picture with the amaro filter as her profile picture then let her. It's certainly not worth spending this much time and energy talking about. Is it?
Maybe I'm missing something since I've never actually had a boyfriend, or any social media for that matter. But I don't think so.
Suddenly I see the glorious sight of my best friend and her boyfriend making their way over to our table with the food, causing my head to shoot up. I send her to look that says, about damn time, and she just rolls her eyes and gives me an exasperated smile.
They reach the table and her boyfriend, Ben, plops my plate of nachos down in front of me.
"Why thank you kind sir," I say while grabbing my fork and pushing off the lettuce. There is absolutely no need for lettuce on nachos.
"The pleasure was all mine malady," he replies playfully.
"Hey. Don't you flirt with me. You're dating my best friend,"I gasp, pretending to act angry.
Violet rolls her eyes, something she does at me a lot, and Ben just laughs, both knowing that I'm only joking.
"You're so funny Henley," says Violet sarcastically.
"I try," I shrug.
They then give each other a quick side hug and he tells her he'll see her later before walking off towards his table.
Ben and Violet have been dating four years now, ever since freshman year. They are sickeningly adorable and annoyingly perfect in every conceivable way. He's a big shot football player and she's captain of the volleyball team. They pretty much have the ultimate high school relationship.
I, however, know them as the giant comic book geeks and kindhearted dorks that they are.
"Sorry it took so long. You know how it is on nacho day," says Violet.
Nachos are one of the few decent foods that our school serves, so it's a huge deal when the lovely school lunch lady, Gloria, decides to whip them up. Every time the line runs all the way down the hall and into the art room.
"Its fine," I say. "You missed some tantalizing conversation though," I add in a quieter voice.
As if on cue Davin Waters suddenly bursts into a loud rant about the importance of a good profile pic. Yes, they are still on that topic.
YOU ARE READING
Comfort Zone
Teen Fiction"I'd always liked my life. It was quiet, under control, and routine. Then he came along and showed me how much more there was, how much more I was." *********** Snarky, sarcastic, seventeen-year-old Henley Baker was living life entirely within her c...
