Just do it √

Six

      

  The girls' refectory was noisy as usual as I walked in accompanied by Abike and Henrietta. One would think that as girls we'd know more about etiquettes but these people used the refectory as their gossip centre.

I looked around for a spare table as Abike left to get our food. I found one but Vivian was already sitting there. We had gotten a lot friendlier after the football exercise at P.E class.

She was partially introverted mostly because she couldn't deal with people and their shit all the time, her words not mine. Hen and I quickly moved to sit with her.

'Hey V!' Henrietta chirped. Vivian looked up from her plate and smiled at us.
'Hey. Sit with me please? I scared the other girls away'.
We laughed.
'Of course you did, you deserve to be in mean girls' high. You scare me too sometimes but I love you as much as I hate you'. Hen rambled.

'I'll take that as a compliment'. Vivian said with an evil smile as we settled in.
'Ehm. A little help here?' Abike said from a few feet away, struggling to balance three trays of food on her hand. I got up and helped her bring them to the table.

'No. Not this potato shit again'. Hen whined.
'It's called ekpang nkwukwo and it's made from water yam'. Vivian corrected.
'Doesn't make it prettier'. Hen countered.
'It's not always about a pretty face'. Vivian returned.
'I feel like you are talking to me'. Hen said.
'I am'. Vivian said quirking a brow in confusion.

'What do you mean?' Hen asked getting slightly pissed, this was getting interesting.
'I mean, I'm telling you that the appearance doesn't determine the taste of food. What is pleasing to the eye might not be pleasing to the mouth'. Vivian explained and Hen heaved a sigh of relief.
'Are you two done? Can we eat in peace?' Abike asked.

We fell silent, eating our food except Hen who was playing with hers. Slowly the entire dinning hall fell silent and only the sound of clicking heels could be heard. I looked up to see principal Flora making her way to the center of the refectory. She had a tiny frame but for some reason, emitted fear from students.

'Good afternoon ladies'. She said in her usual nosy tone.
'Good afternoon Miss Flora'. Everyone responded in the way she'd asked us to.
'Sorry to interrupt your meal but this is important. The management have decided to renovate the boy's refectory and on that note, they'll be dinning with you from tomorrow till when the renovations are over.

I know you share your classrooms with them but this is a little different and you kids can be funny. I'm just saying, behave yourselves, don't get too hormonal and turn this place into something else. Thank you'. The hall was quiet until she walked out and the noise exploded like a bomb.

'This can't be happening. How can I share the same eating space with Chris? What if he hates the way I eat? What if he thinks I eat like a pig?' Henrietta began rambling.

'E do abeg. You do share the same cafeteria with him, remember?' Vivian scolded and Abike laughed.
'No vernacular in school madam'. I reminded her.
'This is serious business girls'. Henrietta said frowning at the rest of us.

'No, it's business as usual. If you're that uncomfortable sharing the same 'eating space' as your Prince Charming you can always skip meal times'. Abike said and Hen shrugged.
'No, no. That was just a joke Hen, you are not allowed to skip meals over a guy. Is that understood?' She nodded just as the bell went indicating siesta period.

We wolfed down the last bits of our food and exited the refectory. Vivian left for her room while we went to ours.

'I can't wait for this weekend!' Henrietta said excitedly and dumped herself on her bed.
'For someone who claim not to miss her sister, you seem too excited to see her'. I said.
'I'm not excited because of her, I'm just happy because she'll give me update on BBN'.
'What's BBN?'