Stress Relief

11: Something Right

Tray of gross, processed food in hand, Elijah turned down the gym hall with a pep in his step. Despite today being a Monday, it was a very good Monday, because today may mark the day he will start sitting with actual friends during lunch. His mind began wandering to them, whether or not they were as described to him a few days ago, if Chase would be there like he had said, many things popped into his brain, and ran away.

Opening the door, he looked around and started creeping between the bleachers, hopeful that he wouldn't get into trouble.

"Bad pass, dude!" Matt called out.

"Quit being picky I'm throwing like I always throw!" Alex retaliated, the sound of someone catching a football following "I don't need your bitching."

Peaking around the metal seats his shoulders relaxed at the sight of a group of guys sitting out by the field nearby. Lunch trays and a few lunch boxes sitting out, no doubt having decided to save themselves from the awful cafeteria food.

"If you throw like that on game day we're screwed," Diego commented, earning a glare so intense Elijah felt the sun getting a little hotter. "What?"

"You know what." His eyes rolling and eventually meeting Elijah's, the agitated lines in his brow disappeared and he waved a hand toward him. "Eli! How's it going?"

The group of boys all looked at him and a nervous itch creeped up his neck. "Good." Chase was the second to speak up, turning away from his conversation with Jase as Elijah walked over.

That same bright smile he always wore added a little glow to his eyes. "Hey, Eli!" Shifting over a little, he gestured to the open spot on his left. "You always eat the school lunch?"

Elijah sat down, setting his tray in front of him and happily discarding the load off his back. "Most of the time. Sometimes I eat leftovers." Bringing the burger to his mouth, he took a bite and grimaced at the lingering taste of the sausage cooked that morning. And of course they didn't clean the grills today, great. On one hand, he couldn't blame the low budget for food, on the other, they could at least clean the damn things.

"Yeah, that's gonna be a no for me." Chase chuckled, no doubt because of the face he made. "I make my lunch and let me tell you it is fine dining compared to that shit."

"You're telling me." Not able to eat anything more than half of the burger, his tastebuds and churning stomach screaming at the pollutant equivalent of a patty entering his mouth, Elijah set his food down and repulsively pushed it aside. "So, you feel good about Calculus?"

Elijah noticed Jase look up at Carson and Anthony gesturing to come over from the large number ten on the ground. Alex seemed distracted by something in the same direction before Matt called his name. "Well, I feel better than I did yesterday. I actually understood some of the stuff he said, so." He put a forkful of what looked like some kind of pasta into his mouth. Briefly Chase glanced at his half-empty tray. "Not hungry?" Looking up at him finally, Elijah noticed a little bit of cheese on the corner of his mouth. The wind wafting the smell of his food up to his face

Suddenly he was starving. "Couldn't stomach it."

"You want some of mine?" He licked the residue off of his lips, still looking at him.

Elijah shrugged and picked at his fries. "No, I'm fine." He said simply.

"H-oh yeah!"

Matt made a noise akin to a yelp when the football hit him square in the face. Hands flying to the abused area. "Carson, what the fuck?!" Alex bellowed after having thrown it, the two boys sat next to the accused  laughing not nearly as wildly. Diego, who was on Chase's right, just shook his head and got up with his empty tupperware.