walked through the double doors. Inside the room, I’d lost the braid girl and her posse.
The long room was filled with chatter and the clatter of trays slapping the long white tables. Many already were seated and were chomping on red apples, yellow bananas, and countless other natural foods. I hadn’t realized how vibrant colors were until I’d experienced the absence of them. My stomach growled and I figured I could keep looking while I was eating. I grabbed a tray and slid it along the metal railing. The red almost hurt my eyes, and I eagerly waited in line as we approached the food.
“Just grab whatever you want,” a boy said in front of me. He pulled a few grapes from the stack and popped them into his mouth.
“Don’t eat anything,” a girl whispered behind me.
I jerked around and faced the girl with the braid. She’d found me and was eying me, searching for my reaction.
“Why?” I whispered.
“It makes you happy .” She pulled on her braid, turned and walked away.
“Wait,” I said, but she had already disappeared into the melee of people. I wanted to know her name.
Jackie was tossing an apple in one hand. “What’d she say?”
I caught the apple and Jackie glared at me. “She said don’t eat the food.” I studied the apple and thumbed the smooth edges. It didn’t look any different from any apple I’d ever seen. In fact, it looked nearly perfect. I looked for braid girl.
“What, they don’t wash the fruit here?” Jackie asked. “Who gives a crap?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was just messing with me. She said it’ll make you happy.”
“She’s probably messing with us.” Jackie plucked the apple from my hand and took a bite. She chewed on one side of her mouth. “Some newbie hazing initiation. It tastes fine. Actually, it’s really good. I think it’s working, because I’m happy to be eating.”
My stomach rumbled, and I looked at the bevy of fruits and vegetables. Another table had stacks of bread and different jellies. I scanned the different buffet setups, but each held similar fruits and breads.
“Guess there isn’t a pizza bar,” I said.
“Who wants pizza when you have apples like this?” Jackie chewed another mouthful and then snuck between two people with an apology and grabbed a bundle of grapes. “You guys should try some.”
“You okay? You look different,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” She popped a grape into her mouth. “Did you ever think there could be so many shades of white?” she asked, looking at all the people around us.
I batted the grapes from her hand and they fell to the polished floor and rolled away.
“What’s your problem?” Jackie said, some of her usual snark coming back into her tone. “Whatever. There are plenty more.” She tried to move toward the grapes.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the fruit stand. Mark rushed to my side and together we boxed her in and herded her to a quiet side of the cafeteria.
“Mark, did I ever tell you how sorry I am about all the Malki comments?” Jackie said and touched the side of his face.
He pulled her hand away.
“She ate something?” the braid girl said from behind us. She looked around and stepped closer. “How much did she eat?”
“A couple of bites of an apple and a few grapes,” I said.
“The first time is the worst,” braid girl said with a sigh.
“Can I get another apple?” Jackie said. “I’m so hungry.”
I ignored her request and kept my eyes on braid girl. “Who are you?”
“Kylie.” She glanced behind her. “They don’t want me talking to you, but give her this. It will get her out of the nice.” She guided a small bag into my hands and nudged her head toward Jackie.
“Who doesn’t want you talking to us?” Mark asked, but she’d already started walking away.
“I love her hair. She has pretty hair,” Jackie said, pulling a few strands of her own into a messy knot. “Will you braid my hair?”
“No.” I looked
The long room was filled with chatter and the clatter of trays slapping the long white tables. Many already were seated and were chomping on red apples, yellow bananas, and countless other natural foods. I hadn’t realized how vibrant colors were until I’d experienced the absence of them. My stomach growled and I figured I could keep looking while I was eating. I grabbed a tray and slid it along the metal railing. The red almost hurt my eyes, and I eagerly waited in line as we approached the food.
“Just grab whatever you want,” a boy said in front of me. He pulled a few grapes from the stack and popped them into his mouth.
“Don’t eat anything,” a girl whispered behind me.
I jerked around and faced the girl with the braid. She’d found me and was eying me, searching for my reaction.
“Why?” I whispered.
“It makes you happy .” She pulled on her braid, turned and walked away.
“Wait,” I said, but she had already disappeared into the melee of people. I wanted to know her name.
Jackie was tossing an apple in one hand. “What’d she say?”
I caught the apple and Jackie glared at me. “She said don’t eat the food.” I studied the apple and thumbed the smooth edges. It didn’t look any different from any apple I’d ever seen. In fact, it looked nearly perfect. I looked for braid girl.
“What, they don’t wash the fruit here?” Jackie asked. “Who gives a crap?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was just messing with me. She said it’ll make you happy.”
“She’s probably messing with us.” Jackie plucked the apple from my hand and took a bite. She chewed on one side of her mouth. “Some newbie hazing initiation. It tastes fine. Actually, it’s really good. I think it’s working, because I’m happy to be eating.”
My stomach rumbled, and I looked at the bevy of fruits and vegetables. Another table had stacks of bread and different jellies. I scanned the different buffet setups, but each held similar fruits and breads.
“Guess there isn’t a pizza bar,” I said.
“Who wants pizza when you have apples like this?” Jackie chewed another mouthful and then snuck between two people with an apology and grabbed a bundle of grapes. “You guys should try some.”
“You okay? You look different,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” She popped a grape into her mouth. “Did you ever think there could be so many shades of white?” she asked, looking at all the people around us.
I batted the grapes from her hand and they fell to the polished floor and rolled away.
“What’s your problem?” Jackie said, some of her usual snark coming back into her tone. “Whatever. There are plenty more.” She tried to move toward the grapes.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the fruit stand. Mark rushed to my side and together we boxed her in and herded her to a quiet side of the cafeteria.
“Mark, did I ever tell you how sorry I am about all the Malki comments?” Jackie said and touched the side of his face.
He pulled her hand away.
“She ate something?” the braid girl said from behind us. She looked around and stepped closer. “How much did she eat?”
“A couple of bites of an apple and a few grapes,” I said.
“The first time is the worst,” braid girl said with a sigh.
“Can I get another apple?” Jackie said. “I’m so hungry.”
I ignored her request and kept my eyes on braid girl. “Who are you?”
“Kylie.” She glanced behind her. “They don’t want me talking to you, but give her this. It will get her out of the nice.” She guided a small bag into my hands and nudged her head toward Jackie.
“Who doesn’t want you talking to us?” Mark asked, but she’d already started walking away.
“I love her hair. She has pretty hair,” Jackie said, pulling a few strands of her own into a messy knot. “Will you braid my hair?”
“No.” I looked
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