Not So Lonely Lunch

[Sakurai Kairi]

    Loud chattering echoed around the Cafeteria as the Sakurai Twins sat down to enjoy their lunch.  It had been an extremely tiring Monday filled with reviewing weekend homework and studying for unit tests.  Kairi was especially bummed out: She had been caught chewing gum in class yet again, and was sent to the Principle's Office to apologize for 'dirtying up the school with the foul scent of gum.'  Kairi had tried to persuade Principle Hearts that the gum she'd been chewing was a Wintergreen flavor, but the so-called Evil Queen refused to see it any other way.  Now stuck with two days of detention, the brunette really wasn't looking forward to the end of the day.

    Focusing back on her lunch, Kairi couldn't avoid a smile as she unpacked what her brother had made for her; sweet rice with a side of Octopus-shaped hot dogs.  He always knows when to make my favorite, she thought, looking over at Ryou with a smile on her face.  "Thanks, Ryou, you're the best."  Her brother blushed shyly at Kairi's words.  He waved his hand as if to say 'no problem,' and went back to eating his lunch.  As Kairi went to do the same, she couldn't help but glance around the loud room.  Everybody looks so happy to have a group of people to talk with.  I wish Ryou and I could make more friends.

[Crystal]

     A few moments later Crystal walked into the lunchroom. She sat over at a corner to give her bunny, Flurry, a carrot that she sneaked from the lunch lady. She looked at her little fuzz ball with a big smile across her face. She stood up with her bunny cradled in her arms looking around the lunchroom to find a table, let alone a seat. Crystal then noticed that her bunny leaped from her arms and ran around the room full of food. Crystal chased after him hoping no one noticed a rabbit running wild in the place. Flurry then started hopping underneath the tables of students, luckily no one had noticed that. The girl then followed her bunny under the tables of crowded students, also not being noticed. Finally she had caught the rascally bunny and held him in her arms and sang a sweet lullaby until he fell asleep.

     She looked up to see two identical people, a boy and a girl. She didn't know what to say, it was her first time meeting real twins! The boy then spoke up to her, "Hi, is it nice there on the ground?" she then stood up and tried to calmly say, "Umm, no. My rabbit jumped out of my arms and ran around wild." She took a seat across from the two and stared like there was something to say. There was only a long pause between the three kids. "Is there something I should be saying right now?" Crystal blushed like she was supposed to give a speech to the entire school. Why am I blushing? It's not like I have a crush on him or something. "I kind of don't have anything to say either, actually." She blushed again, but this time no one said anything for about five minutes.

[Sakurai Kairi]

Kairi's attention was drawn away from her food at the sound of a female's singing. Looking up, she spotted a small blonde girl, cradling a rabbit in her arms. Kairi tilted her head to the side, slightly confused. Who brings a rabbit to school? Aren't pets not allowed in the building? Shrugging off her suspicions, the brunette began pecking at her rice, once again, with her chopsticks. She knew that she had wished for someone to talk with, but now that she was given the opportunity, Kairi wasn't so sure she wanted it anymore.

She listened to her brother try to spark a conversation, only to have the table fall silent once again. Ryou was never very talkative, she thought, forcing herself not to speak. He needs to learn how to get along with other people besides me and mom. But after what seemed like hours, Kairi couldn't handle the crushing silence surrounding the three, and spoke up. "So, what's you rabbits name?" She asked, pointing at the ball of fur with her chopsticks.

[Crystal]

Crystal stared at Kairi. That was the first time she spoke in what? Fifteen minutes? Then she remembered the question that Kairi asked her. "Oh! His name is Flurry. He's my favorite thing in the world, besides my mom that is." She said with a soft voice, and looked at her rabbit. "What about your dad? Do you like him, too?" Said Ryou. Crystal then frowned, like she was about to cry. "My dad, died. When I was seven." A couple of tears rolled down her cheek as she said those words. She expected to hear something like, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for your loss. But instead heard, "We know how it feels to be in your position, actually."

She looked up, still with some tears in her eyes. So, I'm not the only one without a father. "I can't believe I actually get to meet twins. And now I know that they also went through the pain." She gave a soft smile and wiped away her tears. Suddenly they all heard a growl. "Was that your stomach?" Ryou said with a slight giggle at the end. Crystal blushed in embarrassment. This is not what I want to happen when I start making friends! Crystal nodded a 'yes' and stared at her rabbit. "Are you hungry, Flurry?" The little fuzz ball shook its head. "I think I'll have some ice cream right now." Crystal smiled and put Flurry on the seat next to hers. She waved her hands around a little, then all of a sudden, 'Poof!' there was ice cream in front of her. "I'm gonna go get a spoon, be right back."

[Sakurai Kairi]

Went through the pain? Kairi watched as the blonde girl walked over to a table in the center of the Cafeteria, her eyes showed signs of irritation. She didn't like how sensitive and assuming the girl was. How does she know what we went through? She wondered, Our father didn't die, he just. . . Left. Turning to her brother, Kairi spoke. "Why did you lie like that?" Ryou started to apologize, but instead smiled down at his food. "I didn't want her to feel alone," he murmured, "she looked so sad, so I wanted to let her know that she wasn't the only one." Kairi let a look of surprise cross her face. Had he always been this compassionate? The brunette suddenly felt bad that she had though such mean things about a girl she'd barely met. Its not that I don't like her, I just can't stand people who think they can gain a little pity by crying.

Kairi turned her attention back to her food, which was nearly finished, when she noticed a small carton of ice cream sitting across from her. Has that always been there? She lifted her head to get a better look at the ice cream. "Ryou, did that girl just make ice cream appear out of nowhere?" She asked, tugging at her brother's sleeve. The male twin turned his head to look at the carton as well. "Didn't you hear? That girl is the daughter of Dia, the Snow Fairy." Kairi was taken aback by her brothers easygoing response. The Snow Fairy?! Even though it seemed fairly obvious, Kairi had been completely oblivious to everything that had supported the girl being a Snow Fairy's descendant. That explains why her bunny seemed to look like snow. . . At that moment, the brunette had a thought; she had never asked the girls name! In fact, not even Ryou had asked, but that was obviously because he already knew so much about her. "Ryou, what's that girl's name?" She asked, turning to her brother once again. "Crystal, her name is Crystal."

[Crystal]

After Crystal went to get the spoon she had heard her name. "Huh? Did someone say my name?" She looked left and right, kind of nervous, like she was in trouble. All of a sudden the lunch lady walked up to her with an irritated look her her face. "Crystal, did you steal a carrot from the vegetables?" The lady crossed her arms waiting for an answer. Crystal's face was a red as the principle's roses. "Y- yes. I'm very sorry." She reached into her pocket for some money, luckily she found enough to pay. The lunch lady counted the change, then turned to Crystal. "Next time, just pay when your supposed to." She said with a smile, and walked back to the kitchen. Found out again! I need to find out how to get Flurry his carrots without getting caught! Crystal started to walk back to her table.

She sat back down and placed her spoon in her ice cream. Flurry put his front paws on the table, like he was going to have a bite. "What flavor?" She looked up to see Ryou pointing at her ice cream, waiting for an answer. "It's orange sherbet. I rarely have this flavor so I thought now would be a good time." Her face was still red from talking to the lunch lady. She knew, but hoped the twins didn't see. Flurry started to poke Crystal's arm, wanting some ice cream, too. "Okay, okay. Here you go you little booger." She gave a small spoonful to her rabbit and giggled to herself. Then she took the spoon and a napkin from the napkin compartment and wiped the spoon off. She then continued to eat her ice cream, staring into space.

[Amelia]

    Amelia wanders through the hallways, looking for the cafeteria. She can't believe she is already lost, especially because it's the cafeteria she's trying to find. It should be loud and crowded, but the halls are silent and devoid of any sign of life. Eventually, she stumbles upon a flight of stairs leading downwards. Oh. She thought to herself. Maybe I'm on the wrong floor. Past the stairs and through another hallway Amy could hear voices. She followed the sound until she found the cafeteria door. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. 
    The large room was full of chattering people eating everything from sandwiches to fancy pasta dishes and back again. Some people used chopsticks, some forks, some nothing but their hands. Amelia walked across the room and sat at a mostly empty table located near the spot where the last few people were carrying their bought lunches from. She started eating her lunch, but before long noticed who she presumed to be the lunch lady striding towards a small girl with blonde hair. Amy stopped chewing so she could hear what was taking place. She heard the lunch lady ask the girl if she had stolen a carrot, and the girl confess, turning red. The gears in her brain started turning. How did she know who the carrot thief was? She asked herself. Making a split second decision, she picked up her lunch and walked up behind the blonde girl and asked her, "How do you think she knew it was you that stole the carrot?"

[Crystal]

After a few thoughts, a blue haired girl walked up to Crystal. After she asked her question, Crystal presented her rabbit and replied. "This is Flurry, he's my rabbit. He can also smell like carrots sometimes." She said with a kind smile on her face. Crystal looked back at the table she was sitting at, seeing the twins talking, and Kairi pointing at her ice cream. Why does Kairi have a perplexed look on her face? Does she not know I'm Dia's daughter? But Crystal always jumps to conclusions, it's always been her personality.

Immediately she thought about the school she went to for her second and part of third years of middle school. She was always bullied there and the people that bullied her talked ill of her and her parents. A frightened look appeared on her face, she zoned everything around her out, and ran outside the cafeteria. A few thoughts went through her head. Will the people here make fun of me, too? Should I have stayed at that other school instead of coming back? Was it a mistake to come back? She then gave herself a slap across the face. "No! I won't jump to conclusions on these people, I have to make friends, for mom." Crystal looked back and forth, just to make sure people weren't there. She then walked back in the cafeteria to her table.

[Sakurai Kairi]

Kairi watched as the blonde-haired girl raced out of the Cafeteria, a look of fright on her face. It was obvious that whatever the blue-haired girl had said to Crystal had upset her. She almost decided to give chase; only to second-guess herself and decide to wait until she returned. And as the blonde approached the table, Kairi could make out a faint, pink mark on the girl's cheek. Did the lunch lady hit her? She wondered, appalled and slightly scared, it's a good thing Ryou makes our lunches. . . Kairi had grown up in a quiet house with no one but her mother and brother, so any form of shouting or violence scared her immensely. She'd never had a strong male figure in her life either, which didn't help her shy and fearful personality.

Pushing her fears aside, Kairi spoke up. "Are you alright? You know, the adults here aren't allowed to harm students in any way. You should report the lunch lady to Principle Hearts." She did her best to make her voice sound firm and assertive, but inside she was trembling at the thought of going to the principle to complain. What would she say? She wondered, would she do something, or nothing? The thought pestered her the more she thought about it. But after thoroughly thinking it through, Kairi realized she was being silly. Of course the principle would do something! After all, if she didn't, she would be replaced by someone far more fit to help the students succeed.

[Crystal]

Crystal looked up at Kairi, with the spoon hanging from her mouth. "Uh, no. She didn't." She looked back at the table. "I slapped myself, you don't have to worry though." Her voice sounded a bit annoyed, like she wanted to be left alone. Ryou exclaimed, "Why would you slap yourself, wouldn't that hurt?!" Crystal looked at him in shock, he's never yelled before. "Ah, oh! I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to raise my voice!" Again, she looked at him in shock. Is he one of those weird bipolar guys? Great, this is what I get for trying to make friends for my mom. She rolled her eyes, luckily the twins didn't notice.

She chose to stuff another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. But, nothing, no ice cream. Crystal stared down at her empty bowl of ice cream, with an annoyed look on her face. She looked around the cafeteria for any teachers, none in sight. Then she slightly waved her hands near the bowl and, 'Poof!' another flavor of ice cream had appeared in the sherbets place. This time it was S'mores, one of her favorites! She also got a small bowl full of carrot ice cream, and then set it down on the table in front of Flurry. The little fuzz ball began to eat little bites of it. Sooo cute! Thought Crystal, her eyes sparkling. She then turned back to her bowl and began eating the ice cream with a soft smile on her face.

[Sakurai Kairi]

Kairi tilted her head to the side in confusion. Slapping yourself. . ? She flinched as her brother raised his voice. Shocked, she stared at him, feeling as though someone unfamiliar was sitting in her brother's place. He's never raised his voice before, she thought, why is he so concerned about a girl he's barely met? Kairi was beginning to feel as though she and her brother weren't twins at all; appearance, sure, but personality? The brunette had always thought that she and Ryou were exactly alike; always making the same motions and reactions to the things around them. Had Ryou changed without Kairi noticing?

Once again, Kairi pushed the thought away. She had found years ago that she always chose to run from her problems instead of facing them. No matter how small the problem, Kairi refused to acknowledge it. Shifting back into reality, the brunette focused her gaze back on Crystal, who had produced another bowl of ice cream. Unlike the sherbet, this flavor looked to be a light brown, with sprinkles of graham crackers and marshmallow-covered-chocolate chunks. That looks like S'mores. . . Kairi could feel her mouth begin to water at the sight of the chocolaty treat. She's so lucky to have been born with powers, she thought, jealously, I wish I could make ice cream appear out of thin air. . .

[Amelia]

After Amelia had asked the blonde girl her question and gotten a reply, she watched as the other student suddenly zoomed out of the cafeteria. She took a few steps in the direction she had gone but then thought, I don't even know this girl. She looked pretty upset, and I don't think I could try to comfort a complete stranger. She swayed a bit on her feet, still trying to make up her mind. Eventually, she decided against it, and turned her attention to the other people at the table. There was a girl and a boy who looked very similar, she assumed they were related, maybe even twins. She started to ask them their names, but only got to open her mouth before the blonde girl came back inside.

Amy almost walked away, not wanting to eavesdrop, but her curiosity glued her feet to the ground. She tuned back in to hear the boy shout, "Why would you slap yourself? Wouldn't that hurt?" And quickly apologize afterwards. She hit herself? Why? she asked herself. She walked back to the table to stand right behind the blonde again. Still holding her lunch, some of the food unwrapped and almost falling, she stood quietly and waited for someone to notice her. 

[Crystal]

While eating her ice cream, Crystal noticed some blue hair in the corner of her eye. It's that random girl again. She shrugged and went back to eating her ice cream, trying not to notice the girl standing near her. It was very silent at the table, probably the most quiet place in the cafeteria. Crystal looked at her bunny again, watching him eat his carrot ice cream. Yuck. I couldn't possibly eat that stuff, and I love ice cream more than anyone on this planet!

Crystal was starting to get very irritated with the amount of silence the table gave. She looked around the room at all the other teens talking, laughing, and making friends. I wish it was that easy in real life. But nope, I just had to get a weird one. Crystal finished her ice cream and set her dishes on the cafeteria dishwasher. It didn't take her to long to walk across the room and back, because of her tall legs. She sat back down, the blue haired girl still stood. Finally Crystal just came out and said, " Would you like to sit with us?" with a smile.

[Amelia]

"Uh, sure." Amelia replied to the blonde girl's question. She set her lunch on the table and slid onto the bench next to the girl. She had to sit a little bit apart from the other students because of the bunny. Yes, there was a bunny that looked like it was made of snow sitting on the table and eating what appeared to be ice cream. She hadn't wanted to put her food right by the creature, do she had sat a bit to the side.

Amy started organizing her food and starting to eat again so she could finish before lunch ended. After a while, she realized that she didn't even know anybody's names and that it was probably weird to have just stood there and waited to be noticed. She blushed slightly in embarrassment. Turning her head, she noticed the blonde girl also had ice cream. Amy thought that it was a bit odd that they were eating it, as it hasn't been served by the school and it would have melted if she had packed it. To satisfy her curiosity, Amelia asked the blonde girl, "What's your name? And where did the ice cream come from?"

[Crystal]

Crystal poked at her ice cream with her spoon. When she heard the blue hair girl speak, she stopped to look at her. "Oh. My name is Crystal. And, I made this ice cream appear. I'm the daughter of the snow fairy, Dia." She spoke with a soft voice and a soft smile. Crystal went back to poking her ice cream, then finally took a bite. Sooo good. Crystal was joyed to keep eating ice cream for some reason. Even she didn't know why. The blonde looked around her table at the others sitting there and thought to herself. So, I'm sitting with twins, a boy and girl who seem kind of shy. And a blue haired bookworm. Honestly, I don't really mind that. They all seem really nice, so I might as well try to be friends with them.

One more thought went through her head before she chose to speak. Maybe I should ask them if they want some ice cream. The female twin looks like she wants some. She giggled at her last thought. Crystal then chose to speak up to bury the silence. "Do any of you want some ice cream? I can even make a big sundae for the four of us to share!" She looked happy, like she really felt like eating a sundae at the moment. Even though she already had two bowls of ice cream, she felt like she was starving to death. But that's just how it is for Crystal. Somehow, she was still waiting for a response.