006

When I returned to the room after a long and invigorating shower, Loretta was gone. It was lunchtime and most of us had arranged to meet in the cafeteria, while others wandered around the cafeterias and snack bars around campus. There was also a cafeteria that I soon learned was quite famous among the students, a cozy place that also served as a kind of refuge in the most stressful hours of study.

I decided for the first option, the cafeteria. It would be a chance to save money and also to get to know a little more of the environment that would be my home for the next few years. And of course, the people. 

The presentation of the first class and the prank were completely atypical phenomena, I couldn't really get to know anyone. 

What happened right after the prank...well...maybe I got to know someone deeply, yes. 

I smile lasciviously as I recall the scenes we had in the storeroom. Did he also have the habit of eating lunch in the cafeteria with the students? 

I can't imagine what my reaction would be.

Maybe he would just stay in the teachers' lounge. Something responsibly professional and expected. 

But that a part of me would regret, no doubt. My skin still vibrated remembering his touches. 

I didn't want to admit it, but I wanted to see him again, yes, and soon.

 I put on my clothes, enjoying every second that the fabric gently touched my body that, minutes ago, had been completely taken over by him. I chose an equally basic look. A pair of beige jogging pants and a short black T-shirt, with no prints. 

I tried to wear my hair a little loose, to give it a more relaxed look, a little different from my usual bangs, but I was not successful. Suddenly, it would only be possible with a cut in the future.

Satisfied with what I saw in the mirror, I grabbed my shoulder bag and left, closing the door behind me. My stomach rumbled in the aftermath.

***

Surely the stomachs of most of the students were also crying out for help. The cafeteria was packed and the students were divided into little groups, just like in the movies. I huffed, holding myself back from rolling my eyes. Another cliché scene.

In high school I always walked between different groups. I always thought this idea of compartmentalizing people was really stupid. Maybe that's why I never really built a deep friendship with anyone. 

The disappointments I had also count for a lot. But after my mother's death, it became very clear to me that I couldn't trust anyone.

I took a panoramic look around the whole room and couldn't find that blessed pair of intense green eyes. 

Disappointed or relieved?

I got in line for meals, it was small. Suddenly, I am tapped on the shoulder.

"You are gone".

That expression sounded more familiar than I would have liked.

"Hi, Peter”. 

"You managed to escape the hazing”. 

"I managed to survive”. I affirmed, smiling, as the memories hit me.

"Next semester, it will be us”.

"Are you thinking about revenge?”

" Who knows…”

The dialogue with Peter always surprised me. 

" Macaroni and meatballs?" The cook forced me to come back to earth.

" Oh, okay, I'll have some". I answer, confused, and take the plate back.

"Next”.

At the table, I continue to chat with Peter. I conclude that he, unlike Loretta, never saw or even suspected what I did when I was "rescued" from the prank. 

I am almost finished with my meal when I feel my cell phone vibrate in my side pocket. On the display, the name appears as a giant scream: Ethan.

"Excuse me". I say, before removing myself from the table.

Even over the phone, conversations with Ethan needed to be in private. 

Curious?

You'll soon find out why, and it's not at all what you're thinking. 

Or maybe that's exactly what it is.