Elena was pushed through the noisy cafeteria, frowning in frustration as she reached the counter for the third time that morning.
"You haven't given me my food!" she shouted, her voice rising above the chatter and clinking trays.
The chef behind the counter looked up at her and gave the same sweet smile she had worn the previous times. "A minute," she replied calmly, as if nothing had changed.
Elena exhaled sharply, her hands tightening at her sides. She had already waited long enough, and each time she asked, she got the same answer.
"A minute!!"
" Just a minute Elena!!"
It's always a minute!!
Before she could protest again, a wave of students surged forward, pushing and jostling as they rushed to get their own meals. Elena was caught in the middle of the crowd, her small frame pushed aside until she stood at the edge, watching others take the food she had been waiting for.
Her stomach tightened in both hunger and annoyance as she stood there, unable to move forward. Plates were handed out one after another, trays clattering, voices rising, and laughter mixed with complaints. No one seemed to notice her standing there.
A few minutes passed.
Elena still crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the counter. She had done this before, argued before, waited before. And yet here she was again, stuck in the same place, watching others go ahead of her.
Then, after a moment, the chef's eyes shifted across the crowd, and she frowned the moment she noticed Elena standing near the glass partition.
"Oh my… I'm so sorry, Elena," the chef said and quickly reached for a tray. She prepared the food with hurried hands and then called out to someone nearby, "Anna, please take this to Elena."
A girl standing in front of the long line nodded obediently. Anna had a gentle face and a quiet demeanour, the kind that blended easily into the background. She accepted the tray carefully and turned toward Elena.
Elena straightened a little as Anna approached, her frustration already easing that her food was finally on its way.
When Anna reached her, she lifted the tray slightly as if preparing to hand it over. Elena reached out her hands, ready to take it.
But in that exact moment, the tray suddenly slipped. The sound of plates hitting the floor echoed through the cafeteria. Food scattered across the tiles, the tray clattering loudly as it spun to a stop.
Elena froze, her hands still extended in the air.
Anna blinked, then looked down at the mess before her and lazily tilted her head. "Oops… it slipped."
A few students nearby turned to look, some covering their mouths as they tried to hide their reactions. Others exchanged glances, their attention fixed on the scholarship girl, Elena.
Elena slowly lowered her hands. Her expression shifted from surprise to something she couldn't quite figure out as she stared at the spilt food on the floor.
Her gaze then moved to Anna, who stood there as if nothing unusual had happened.
Elena glared at Anna, her eyes burning with frustration. She suddenly wished Anna would step on something sharp, or something painful enough to match what she had just done to her.
She had been humiliating her ever since she started school. Anna's family was very rich and they owned shares in the school, while Elena was just an orphan girl adopted by a family that barely fed themselves.
She slowly lowered her gaze to the slice of bread that had rolled slightly away from the scattered tray. Her stomach tightened. No one around her seemed to care about her situation. The students passed by without a second glance.
Taking a deep breath, Elena bent down and reached for the bread, hoping at least to salvage something from the situation.
Before her fingers could touch it, a foot came down firmly on the slice.
Elena froze....
Anna stood there with a smug expression, her heel pressing into the bread as if it meant nothing. "Humph! What do you think you're doing?" she said, her voice edged with mockery. "You want to eat free food? You don't deserve it."
She gritted her teeth, straightened up, and pushed her hard in frustration.
Anna staggered backwards in surprise, her balance failing her as she stumbled and fell to the floor. The students nearby reacted with soft gasps, while others couldn't help but laugh loudly at the sudden fall.
Humiliated and furious, Anna pushed herself up quickly, her face flushed with anger. She clenched her fists and rushed forward. "You bitch....!"
But before she could reach Elena, someone stepped between them.
"Hey, that's enough." His voice was calm, firm, and carried just enough authority to halt the tension in the air.
Anna stopped abruptly, recognising the voice. "James!! Not again!" she groaned in annoyance. "Let me deal with that girl."
James stood his ground, his expression turning into a frown as he blocked her path. Around them, a few girls who had been watching earlier shifted their attention to him, their eyes filled with admiration as they whispered among themselves.
He ignored the attention and instead focused on calming the situation.
Anna clicked her tongue but stepped back reluctantly, unwilling to argue further in front of him.
James then turned his attention to Elena. His expression softened, and he offered her a small, reassuring smile.
"Are you okay?"
Elena scoffed lightly, crossing her arms as she looked away for a moment before returning her gaze to him. "Of course," she replied in a sharp tone. "Thank you, but I don't need your help."
Her words came out firmly, yet deep down, she felt a quiet weakness whenever he stood close to her or whenever he intervened like this. He had been the one stepping in during situations like this more times than she could count, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit.
She didn't like needing anyone in situations she was supposed to handle on her own! And she didn't like how easily he seemed to notice when she did.
"Where should we celebrate it?" she heard his voice from behind. She halted and turned. "Celebrate what?" she asked in amusement.
"Your birthday? Tomorrow, right?" he chuckled as he walked toward her. "Elena, you will be nineteen tomorrow which is on the nineteenth of the ninth month."
Elena looked at James in a daze... sometimes, he acted like a different person and sometimes... he was just James. And it was happening again. "How do you know about that?"