Chapter 11: Seeing David at Lunch

As soon as the bell rang, Tifara and her friends headed for the cafeteria. Students' chatter echoed across the hall, and other students performed their same behaviors as before. Tifara nervously held onto her necklace with her heart beating hard and her eyes twitching a bit.

Ugh! I jus' can't wait to get the hell out of this school soon, 'cause this is jus' seriously annoyin', she annoyedly thought, looking down below her, frowning. While Sam and Dalila paid close attention to their surroundings around Tifara and chatted with one another, May glared at those who were rude to her and patted on Tifara's shoulder.

After hearing Tifara breathe hard, May turned to her best friend. "Hey, Tifara. Are you alright?"

"No…" Tifara responded, turning to May with her continuous frown. "It's like no matter how many times I tried to ignore those horny boys and rude girls, they keep puttin' me down."

"Keep dependin' on Elohim. It doesn't matter how hard things get. He'll help you through it if you keep tryin'," May said with her determined tone.

Tifara grinned at May. "Thanks, May. I'll keep on goin' and never give up on it."

"Mhn," May said, shaking her head, closing her eyes with a smile. "No, prob."

Tifara looked up at the ceiling. Dear Lord, please give me strength to overcome this. In Yeshua's name, Amen, she thought as she returned to her destination. Once Tifara and her friends made it to the cafeteria, they walked their way towards the line to get their lunch. Tifara's eyes searched for David, disregarding his pleas.

When the students minded their own businesses, the administrators watched over the crowd. David was nowhere to be found. Calpurnia and her friends walked up towards Tifara with their trays, viciously looking at her.

"Oh, here goes this panty girl again," Calpurnia said, placing her foot against Tifara's.

"Ah!" While Tifara was about to fall against Dalila's back, May's arm prevented her from falling. Tifara turned to May, grinning at her, while the couple stopped moving and quickly turned to Tifara. "Thank Elohim, you saved me."

"No, prob," May said, closing her eyes with a grin, tilting her head a little sideways.

Then Sam and Dalila turned to Calpurnia and her friends, glaring at them.

"Hey, y'all better knock it off!" Sam roared. "'Cause Elohim will punish you if y'all keep doin' y'all's wicked ways."

"Yea!" Dalila agreed, shaking her head.

"Oh, yea, sure!" Calpurnia smugly said as she and her friends viciously chuckled.

Sam growled at her, clenching his fist, getting ready to go after her. Dalila noticed this and prevented him from doing so. "Sam, babe. Don't do this. It's not worth it."

"Yea, Dalila's right. Plus, the administrators are watchin'. You don't wanna get in trouble on your second day of school, don't ya?" May asked.

"But-" Sam said until Tifara placed her hand onto his shoulder.

"It's alright, Sam. I appreciate what you've done for me. You don't need to get in trouble jus' for my sake, okay?" Tifara reassured.

Once Sam calmed down, he said, "Thank Elohim you guys saved me from gettin' in trouble."

"No, prob, Sam," The girls said to him.

"And I thank Elohim you guys protected me," Tifara said.

"No, prob, Tifara," her friends stated.

"Now let's go get some lunch," Tifara said.

"Uh-huh!" Her friends exclaimed as they returned to their destination.

Once they got their food and searched for their seats, Tifara looked around to see if David was around yet. She finally spotted him sitting at the same exact spot as yesterday. The crowd around him either moved past him or sat far away from him.

Tifara saw an empty spot at the table near the stairway near the end of the hallway. Alright, Tifara. I better convince my friends to sit over there. I need to find out where David's off to, she determinedly thought as she turned to her friends.

"Okay, guys. I found an empty spot where we can eat," Tifara said, pointing her finger at the table that she saw.

When her friends saw it, they agreed and headed their way over to that table. Yes! I can't wait to see where David goes as soon as he gets done eating! She thought when she and her friends sat down at their table, eating their meals, drinking their milks. She took a look around for a while and chatted with her friends until she saw David heading in her direction.

Tifara ignored David and sipped her milk. David studied his surroundings for a while. But the moment he saw Tifara eating and chatting with her friends, he immediately glared at her before he walked up to the administrator behind her.

Tifara looked at David one last time, noticing his library pass on his hand. Whoa! Now I'm wondering why David's goin' to the library for during lunchtime. I'll have to find out 'bout it tomorrow, she curiously thought as she continuously watched David show the administrator his pass and went downstairs. Tifara's friends noticed Tifara watching David out of curiosity.

May tapped into Tifara's shoulder a couple times and Tifara turned to May. "Uh, Tifara. Why are you watchin' the boy back there?"

"Yea," Sam and Dalila agreed.

"Well…" Tifara looked at David's direction and her friends back and forth. "Do you guys remember David, my homeroom classmate?"

"Yea, and?" Dalila responded.

"That boy I watched earlier was David," Tifara responded. "I noticed he doesn't have any friends whenever I see him, and I wonder why he goes to the library and what he's doin' there."

"I see…" Sam said, placing his hand on his chin, rubbing his fingers on it. "Maybe we'll investigate with you tomorrow."

Tifara widened her surprised eyes when looking at Sam. "Huh?! You really mean that?!"

"Yep, I really mean it," Sam responded.

Oh, okay, Tifara. This is great! My questions will probably be answered tomorrow! How exciting is that, Tifara! Hmm?! She excitedly thought.

"Okay, great!" Tifara exclaimed. "But how are we supposed to get the library passes for all of us though?"

"We'll request them from the front office either after school or tomorrow morning," May answered.

Tifara shook her head. "Great!" She finished chewing on her food and drinking her milk. "I hope we get those passes soon."

"We will," Sam stated. "You bet on that."

May and Dalila shook their heads. "Mhn!"

While Tifara's friends also finished eating their meals and drinking their milks, Tifara excitedly thought, Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. I can't wait for lunchtime tomorrow! I can't wait to see what David's up to in the library. Ooooo!

After Tifara and her friends got done eating and drinking, they put their trays up and remained seated in their spots until the bell rang. Not even Calpurnia and her friends didn't even bother them as much.

****

Once Tifara and David arrived back to Mrs. Kane's class, they still leaned their heads on their desks and stared at their walls. Their classmates still chatted with one another across the room. Mrs. Kane was surfing through the web, typing on the computer.

Other Secondary school Sophomores outside Mrs. Kane's classroom chatted and walked in the hall. Then the bell rung, and Mrs. Kane turned to her students.

"Alright, class. Listen up!" Mrs. Kane demanded. "I'm going to take a roll call, so I really need you guys to be quiet for once."

After her students were quiet and Mrs. Kane roll called all her students, she stood up from her desk and said to her class, "Today we're going to do our first two-page daily journals about our school day, so take out your journals and get to writing, please."

The students obeyed and began writing about their school day. Tifara followed suit and David last. When Tifara and David finished their writing, they put their journals up and leaned their heads on the table again. Then Tifara looked David in the eye while David stared at the wall.

No train of thought came to mind for Tifara, nor images resurfaced in her heart. Tifara moved her eyes sideways as they twitched a bit. She sighed for a bit. How can I get David to be my friend? she thought. I don't want him to be all alone forever, y'know. Mrs. Kane noticed Tifara staring at David, glaring at her.

"Uh, Tifara. Don't stare. It's not polite to do that, you know," Mrs. Kane roared.

David and Mrs. Kane's class turned to Tifara while Tifara turned to her homeroom teacher. David growled and glared at her even more than ever before.

"But Mrs. Kane! I-" Tifara cried, widening her shocked eyes.

"Now do as I say or you get an office referral, is that understood?!"

"Yes, ma'am…" Tifara said with her shadow covering her eyes and forehead.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Mrs. Kane said out of relaxation.

David quickly returned his attention to the wall, and the rest of Mrs. Kane's classroom laughed at Tifara. Tifara frowned when she stared at a wall as well. Oh, man. I can't believe I'm not even allowed to even look at David, she thought with her annoyed face. That's jus' pathetic, like for real. She leaned her head back down for the remaining of class until the final bell rung.