Count Down discussion

It is optional to eat inside the cafeteria; buy lunches here!

Jen yawned. Would the line eventually move? Her stomach was growling and the smell of pizza did not help. While she waited, she scanned the tables, looking for an available one. This year her best friend had transfered to a boarding school since she got a scholarship there. So, she was left to fend for herself in her last year of highschool. Not something she was looking forward to, honestly. She frowned. She had been doing something... What was it? Ah yes, searching for somewhere to sit at.

Travis walked into the cafeteria ready for another day of enduring the babble of everyone's happy lives. The only people who really understood was Kegan and Crew but he hadn't seen them since practice yesterday. He scanned the tables looking for a place to sit and saw one empty table way in the back. He started making his way over. Who cares if people wonder why Travis, LAHS's most popular, was sitting alone? They were already going to freak when he showed up with Bridget at the dance.

Finally, it was her turn to get her food and she grabbed two pieces of pizza. She thanked the lunch lady and then took her tray to the table she'd spotted. Nobody around paid her much attention. That was okay, she just wanted to eat; and drink her juice. She reached for one of the chairs at the empty table at the same time a guy did for the one next to hers. It startled her and the tray wobbled in her hands. "Geez, I almost dropped this on you." She looked at the table. "Were you going to sit here?"

Travis had just been about to reach for the chair when a slim hand did the same. He glanced up and noticed a girl standing there, tray in hand. "Yeah I was." He said slightly irritated. He didn't want to have to deal with anyone. "You can have it though. I'll just...go somewhere else." He said looking for another empty table. He didn't see one. Looks like he'll be sitting outside. He sighed and started walking towards the double doors.

Jen felt a little guilty from having 'stolen' the table. "No, wait." She left her tray on the table to rest a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "It's okay. If you aren't bringing any friends, then we could share." She shrugged. "It'd be awkward if you did so that's why... Anyways, I don't mind." She gave him a friendly smile.

Travis turned when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He looked at the table then outside. He really didn't want to sit out there. Shrugging he pulled out the chair and sat, setting his lunch bag on the table. "Thanks." He said. He opened his bag and saw that the staff had followed his orders finally. He hated when they gave him gourmet food. It made him feel awkward. Pulling out his sandwich he looked back at the girl. "I'm Travis by the way."

She sat down too and watched his lunch bag for a moment before taking a bite of her pizza. Her mom used to send her lunch but now she didn't anymore. "Jen. I'd shake your hand but they have sauce so better not." She omitted that she'd been attending that school for a couple of years and she already knew his name. What was the point? "What's that sandwich made of?"

Travis glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. "It's a chicken sandwich." He said. "Jen? That's a cool name." He said taking a bite of the sandwich. He hadn't seen her around before but that didn't mean anything. He didn't know a lot of people.

"Oh, chicken. Nice." She finished eating her pizza and looked around. Obviously, she hadn't thought through about her offer to share the table. She wasn't going to lie. It was getting awkward. The silence stretched for what seemed like ages, but she knew it had to be just one or two minutes. Jen suddenly giggled. "I'm sorry, I'm not good at meeting people."

Travis felt himself smile. "As you can see neither am I." He said. It was weird. In the last day he had come in contact with two different people that he had no idea existed even though he had gone to school with them for years. "You've gone here awhile I'm guessing." He said. It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Jen smiled back, easing into a more confortable atmosphere. "Yep, quite a while." She pulled a textbook from her backpack and flipped it open. "I don't know if I should feel depressed or ecstatic that this year will be the last."

Travis shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. "I just want to get this year over with. Graduation means that I can finally get out of here away from my parents." He wanted to leave home but then he didn't want to leave his sister. Sabrina was the only one who felt the same way in his family.

"Are you going to college?" She asked carefully. It was a hard thing to thread between interest and nosiness. She turned the page of the textbook with a thoughtful expression. "I think this year will be fun. I just feel it."

Travis nodded. "Yeah but I don't want to go anywhere around here. The farther away I go the better." He said. He knew Sabrina would be okay as long as she didn't make dad pay attention to her. Jeremy was already a lost cause, following their father around like a puppy dog. "Are you going to college?"

"Uh huh." Jen sighed. "I wish I could study somewhere else, but it isn't possible." His story intrigued her. She wondered what was the conflict with his parents, but no way she'd ask. A group of giggling girls walked by, talking about dresses and dates. "Crazy thing homecoming." She smiled.

Travis watched the girls pass by glad that he didn't have a date who acted like that. "Why do you say that? Are you going?" He asked. He felt the same way but he didn't say that. Most people would be shocked by how he felt about most things that went on around the school.

"Yes, I'm going." Her smile widened. Yes, she thought all the fuss was crazy, but hey, it'd be boring if it wasn't. "It's just that sometimes we worry about all this stuff that really means nothing." She shook her head. "Happens to everyone, even me. That's why I think it's crazy." She leaned back. "Are you going?"

Travis nodded. "It's kinda expected that I go." He said grimacing. "I found a good person to go with so hopefully it's not all bad." He thought back to his conversation with Bridget. She was better than most of the giggling girls who obsess over every detail.

Jen clasped her hands together. "Aw, that's amazing! Who are you going with?" She didn't mind asking that because it was something that was public anyway. "Who knows? Maybe I'll vote for you two." She was quite excited about homecoming, considering she didn't have a date. Just a tiny detail that wouldn't spoil her night.

"I just asked her last night actually. I'm going with Bridget Young." Travis said. He crumpled the plastic wrap that was around his sandwich into a tiny ball. "Are you going with anyone?" He asked.

"Nope. Just me and my wonderful self." Jen knew who Bridget was, though they hadn't ever spoken. "Don't forget to give her some flowers. The more, the better. My brother once gave his girl a chewing gum and she sent him packing."

Travis chuckled. "Well what did he expect? Chewing gum? That's not very classy." He shook his head. He may not want to go to homecoming but he knew how a girl wanted to be treated. He wouldn't be like his dad who practically cheated on his mom every weekend.

"True." She conceded. Her brother had learned now to always show up with flowers. In that moment, her gaze shifted to her clock. "Hmmm... do you think she is the one? Aren't you curious about knowing?" She sometimes wondered about it, but always chickened up when she was about to peek.

Travis didn't know what to say to that. He had only met Bridget that one time and it was a last minute decision to ask her to the dance. "I don't know. Truthfully I don't really care about all that clock crap. If its meant to happen it'll happen." Travis shrugged. "I'm not going to force something just because my clock says so."

Jen thought about that. Her parents were always asking her how long was left, but she refused to unwrap the piece of fabric around her clock. "That's an interesting point of view." She narrowed her eyes as if she was concentrating on something. "Hmmm You don't mind if we're friends, right?" People normally didn't ask that but she didn't want to come up to talk to him one day for him to act as if he didn't know her.

Travis thought about her question. He didn't normally have friends who were from different social groups but he guess he had been breaking all sorts of rules these past days. He shrugged. "Sure I don't see why not." People were going to have to start changing. Maybe by the time he left at the end of the year there would be less bullying and people would all get along. Yeah right.

"Yay!" Her face lit up. "Awesome, thanks... uh..." Jen finished her pizza and wiped her lips with a napkin. "Hmmm, What did you say your name was?" Her eyebrows were pulled together in confusion. What had they been talking about anyways? Oh she hated when this happened.

Travis's mouth flopped open. "Umm Travis?" How could she forget that easily. "Are you okay?" He asked uncertainly. Something must be wrong with him. He was losing his credibility.

She snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, right. Sorry." She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm perfect." She smiled but anyone could tell something was off. "Nice weather, isn't it? It's sunny but not as sunny as yesterday. Yesterday was better than the last week, though."

Travis furrowed his brow. "Are you sure?" He asked carefully. Something was off but he didn't want to seem like he was being nosy. "Maybe you should go to the nurse if you aren't feeling well." This was the problem with meeting new people. You didn't know their past or if there was anything you should know.

"Absolutely." She fidgeted with her hands. Why did she had to be such a bad liar when it mattered? "I get distracted easily, and tend to forget stuff, but I'm alright. Promise." She pointed at her textbook. "Hey, are you any good at math?"

Travis watched Jen carefully for a moment. There was definitely something wrong and he was going to have to ask around to figure it out if she didn't tell him. He glanced down at the textbook and nodded slowly. "Yeah I'm decent at it." He said. He didn't think changing the subject was a good idea but he went along with it anyways.

"Woot woot!" Jen pushed the texbook towards him and got a pencil from her backpack. "Here, this one. Any idea of how to solve this?" She asked pointing at the problem with her pencil. She really needed help with that homework, but it was also a convenient replacement of their last topic. Which was...? Now she couldn't remember.

Juliet sighed heavily as she entered the cafeteria. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone and if she did she knew she would probably snap at them. It was bound to happen though, as the crowds here were just so damn chatty! Passing through the line, she purchased a bottle of sweet tea and plate of chicken tenders. It was a favorite of hers whenever she was rubbed the wrong way and put into a mood. Perhaps lunch wouldn't be so bad after all. Her eyes scanned the tables, for her friends or an empty seat, but to her dismay none were open.

Trav turned away from where he had been talking to Jen and scanned the cafeteria again. He was bored and didn't want to be here anymore. He felt guilty for ignoring Jen but thought she would think that it was just him being his usual jerk self. He spotted a girl standing there looking for a place to sit and he averted his gaze before she saw him staring. He didn't want anyone else sitting over here. If she came over he would have to leave, curtacy be damned.

((Okay it's edited!))

She shook her head in indignation, tossing her tray on the rack by the trashcans. She should have expected her friends to ditch her today, but it hit her harder than she thought it would. Rolling her eyes at her ignorance, she bit into her meal as she walked to the outside patio. It would be alright with her to sit on the grassy field instead of with all the crowds inside. She had been far too embarrassed of herself in the beginning of the year so she had sat out here anyways.

Travis stood up from the table, annoyed with all of the constant noise. He said his goodbyes to Jen before pushing his way out the doors. The cool air hit his face and he blew out a slow breath. He hated it here lately. He hated pretending. He hadnt seen the girl walk out here so he was surprised to see here sitting there. He tried to walk by without being noticed but there were others outside that tried calling his name even when he ducked his head.

She lazily stared at her phone as no messages appeared on the home screen. She sighed, relaxing in the grass with her meal. She mentally whacked herself for believing any different of her friends and shook her head to keep the bad thoughts away. She didn't need any of that. Her eyes opened again as she lifted her drink to her lips. She was glad that she could be by herself and no one was interrupting her. Her eyes scanned the hill, no faces seeming familiar. They stopped on one guy but quickly passed over.

"Hey Travis." A group of girls came up to him giggling and twirling their hair. Did they really think that was attractive. Trav mentally shook his head and plastered a fake smile on his face and tried to extract himself from the conversation but they wouldn't relent. The ring leader out her hand on his arm and he tried not to wiggle away. She fluttered her eyelashes, trying to get him to notice her more. He looked around the quad for help but didn't see anyone.

Her peace and quiet was interrupted by loud giggling nearby. She noticed the guy she had seen earlier surrounded by a group of girls. She could be described as a pariah so things like that never happened to her. No one was begging for her attention. She smirked, a small chuckle escaping her lips as they continued flirting with him. She took another bite from her meal as their incessant noise continued to annoy her but amuse her at the same time.

Travis heard a chuckled from behind him. He turned and saw that it had came from the girl he had seen from inside the cafeteria. He narrowed his eyes. What the hell was she laughing at? He took a step back away from the girls. "Sorry ladies but I have to leave you know." He said in his usual swagger. There was a round a "aww's" but they let him leave them without incident. He made his way over to the girl who laughed.

She leaned back, getting comfortable in the grass as she took another sip from her sweet tea. It felt nice going down her throat on the warm afternoon. These days wouldn't last though where she could lounge outside. It would be getting cold soon and sweater weather will be here. She sported a smile as she crossed her feet at the ends of her boots. She heard more commotion from the same group of girls but chose to ignore it instead. That would have been a good idea earlier though. She blinked as her head tilted back when a shadow overlapped the sun beating down on her.

Her eyes were closed when Travis walked over to her. "Do you find me amusing?" He asked before she could even open her eyes. He hated being laughed at even more than he hated being the "most popular" person as school. But being the most popular had its advantages sometimes. Especially at times like this.

She bit her lip hard, trying to hide the smile threatening to erupt on her lips. Shaking her head slightly, she leaned back and then forward into a sitting position. "Depends." She started a slow smirk arriving on her lips. "Are you going to dance for me or just stand there?" Juliet questioned. It was her first instinct to be sarcastic as so. He was just the stereotypical popular guy at school and she absolutely hated those type of guys.

Trav narrowed his eyes. "You're not funny." He informed her. Who did she think she was? She either must not realize or not care about his social standing. Even though he hated using that on people it got the job done. He had come out here to get away, not get laughed at. "Do you not care that you're laughing in the face of one of the most popular people here?" He asked snidely. This was his father talking through him. He had promised himself he wouldn't act this way but here he was, being an asshole to someone he had never met.

She raised her eyebrows, a laugh falling from her lips. "Oh, really?" He looked ridiculous trying to act like he had some type of leverage over her being popular. She shook her head, her cheeks flushing a soft shade of red as she laughed. "You're pathetic, you know that? This is ridiculous!" Juliet held her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughs trying to burst out. She didn't know why she found it so funny, but she had deemed him her lunch entertainment.

Travis raised an eyebrow surprised. "Why are you laughing?" He asked bewildered. No one had laughed at him like that. No one had ever had the guts to. "I'm pathetic? You know you're the first person to have the nerve to say that?" He couldn't help but hate himself because he knew it was true but it was what everyone expected him to act like. "I don't think you understand the effect that could have on you're high school life."

She nodded her head, her hand pressed flat against her lips. It didn't surprise her that no one would stand up for themselves, more really the nerds in this school. Her shoulders shook as she giggled over him. Her lunch lay forgotten by her legs, her bottle of sweet tea clutched tightly in her hand. "Hmm...so you are one of those guys." She mused with her eyebrows raised high in amusement. Another fact about him that she had assumed and was proven correct.