Chapter 3- Lunch Time

The class slowly continued on at snail's pace . . .

My mind turned itself inside out and upside down as the minutes slowly counted down. Please someone shoot me . . .

"RIIIIIIiiiiiiinnnnnNNNGGGGGG!"

The class finally ended. Everyone pulled out their lunches and started eating their gourmet cuisines. The teacher looked at me and motioned for me to come to his desk. Dammit . . . This isn't even important, I thought as I walked to his desk.

"Yusuke . . .? I can't have you disrupting class like that."

"Like what . . .?" I asked, acting stupid.

"Don't play dumb, Yusuke. You know exactly what I'm talking about." I scoffed and turned my head.

"Whatever . . ."

"Look at me when I'm addressing you." I, reluctantly, turned and looked at the dumb-ass. He narrowed his glistened over eyes and said, "You might enjoy the attention now . . . But hear this . . . That kind of behavior won't get you anywhere in the future."

" . . . Says who and what army . . .?" I asked while raising an eye-brow.

"Yusuke . . . Even if you don't see it yet, you've got potential . . . You--"

"Just haven't found it yet . . ." I snickered.

"That's not what I was going to say . . . Yusuke."

"If your class actually had something to say, more kids would stay awake for it . . ." I said to him. . . and I'm pretty sure that I insulted him. His eyes widened and then narrowed again.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that."

"It's a world full of dumb asses. . ." I said, whispering loudly, the teacher's eyebrows shooting up.

"Watch your language . . . and stop trying to change the subject. I'm only trying to help you."

"Who in the he--" I said, catching myself before I cussed again. "Who said I needed help?"

"You're almost done with high school and there's a . . ."

" . . . big world out there . . . How many times am I going to have to hear this fuckin' speech?" The gasps of surprised students rang behind me. I heard all of the kids shuffle at their desks as they turned around to look at me. Dammit . . .! I realized my stupid-ass mistake. . . but it was too late . . . Shit!

"I'll . . . give you a detention after school today," he announced to me, but loud enough for the whole class to hear. He looked up at me, disappointed. I rolled my eyes at him. "You should be thanking me . . . 'Disrespecting the instructor or fellow students' is a big offense. Especially after what you called that young man today." What . . .? I turned and and looked at the fat kid that had been sitting behind me before. Oh. . . Is he talking about 'pudgy'? I turned back around and then looked up at the ceiling as I thought for a moment. Dammit, I thought. But I have to go see Keiko . . .

"Could I do it tomorrow . . .?" I asked as I took my eyes off the ceiling to look at his ugly mug. The teacher looked as if he were thinking about my offer, his fingers rubbing on his chin as he considered it. Please say yes . . . Please say yes.

"No . . ." was his dumb-ass answer.

"But--" I started before he interrupted me with "D'you want to go for a week . . .?" Discouraged, I looked at the ground.

"No sir . . ."

"Good. I'll see you at the end of the day . . ." I turned away from his desk and walked back to my own. Dumb-ass teachers. What do they know? Detention is pointless, I told myself, nodding. Now with a suspension . . . At least you get time off from school. Well . . . detention will last for an hour . . . so that's not too long. I'll still have plenty of time to see Keiko afterwards. I sat at my desk, staring at random things, and taking some comfort in the thought of talking to Keiko face-to-face soon.

I felt my stomach rumble as I stared blankly around the room. Damn . . . I'm hungry. I opened my book bag, hoping to find something to eat. Dammit! I didn't pack anything. I was running all over the house all morning thinking I had everything done. Why am I so stupid!!? Dammit . . . Dammit . . . Dammit!

I looked in my book bag again to see if I could find some loose change. I shuffled around for about five minutes. Finally I found a meaningless bit of yen. Great . . . this should get me something, I said to myself sarcastically. I got up and walked toward the door, trying to keep the hope alive that my damn near pocket-lint could buy me something to eat.

"Yusuke . . . Where are you going . . .?" I heard the teacher ask.

"I'm going to get something to eat . . ."

"Be back in five minutes . . ." I raised an eyebrow at him and nodded. Bitch ass . . . I thought as I turned from him and walked out of the door. I closed the door behind me and walked down the hallway. I continued to walk until I reached the hectic lunch line. I should be able to get some food in no time, I told myself. It was just my luck when I realized I was standing behind some chatting girls.

"I woke up this morning and my bed had like this huge blood stain on it." said one girl in a loud whisper. "I've got the worst cramps today too . . ."

"I know . . ." said the other. Don't these girls see me standing behind them? Boys aren't supposed to hear about this shit . . . My God . . . This stuff is so disgusting.

"There's pain shooting through my sides . . . and I've barely had any sleep in three days."

"My cramps get so bad that they make me puke. I get so totally nauseated and stuff." Dear God . . .What is it with girls today? 'Oh . . . My boyfriend dumped me' and 'I'm bleeding all over the damn place.'

Stupid girls . . .

"I don't wanna hear this . . ." I said, covering my ears. The two girls turned around and looked at me. "Maybe you two should . . . talk somewhere more private instead of at a fucking cafeteria!" I advised. They glanced at me briefly, insulted and angry for a moment, before turning around and continuing their conversation. This can't be all girls talk about, I said to myself. Guys and . . .blood and. . . cramps. I walked away from my place in line and stood near a table. I'll wait for the line to get smaller, I told myself. I looked at my watch. Hmm. . . I've got one more minute to get back. I looked around and then shrugged. Aw hell . . . I'll wait anyway. That guy can kiss my ass for all I care. . .!

I watched the line dwindle away. Once the 'bloody girls' were gone I went up to the counter. As I walked up there, I looked up at the menu. Hmm . . . What should I get? I saw a plump lunch lady walking around, cleaning up. "Excuse me . . .?" She stopped and looked at me. "Could I get some rice and juice?" I asked in hope that they would be cheaper than dirt. . .

"Sorry son. We're sold out for today . . . You should have gotten here sooner." WHAT!? I looked down, realizing how empty all the trays were. DAMMIT! "I can . . . give you an apple . . . But that's all." I thought about it.

"It's better than nothing . . . I guess." She came around the counter and handed me an apple. I nodded to her as she smiled at me with her chunky, yet friendly face. As she turned to walk away, I stopped her. "Ma'am?" She turned around and looked at me. "Thank you." I picked up her hand and placed all of my money there.

"Oh . . . you can keep your money . . ."

"Don't worry about it . . ." I smiled. She looked down at her hand, probably looking at how little I actually gave her. Before she could say anything, Iturned away from her. As I walked toward the exit, I heard a table of dumb kids laughing.

"Looks like Yusuke and the Lunch Lady got somethin' going on . . .!" shouted one guy.

"Who would of thought . . .?" said another, more quietly but still audible to my ears. Who in the hell are these people? I wondered. Everyone is acting like they know me. The whole cafeteria stared at me as I turned and glanced at the thick-headed kids.

"Look here, ass wipes . . ." I walked toward the table where they all sat. I took one of them up by up his collar and pulled him closer. "If you say shit like that ever again, I'll make sure you're drinking that milk . . ." I said, pointing to the carton on the table. " . . . through your shitty ass! Got that . . .!?" The kid nodded, afraid of what I was going to do next. I sat him back down and smiled. "Now . . . Have a fucked up lunch, kiddies . . ." All of the guys sitting there nodded and slumped down in their chairs, embarassed or perhaps pissing themselves. . . I'm not really sure which. Anyway, I walked out of the cafeteria as I looked down at my watch. Great . . . Now I'm gonna have to hear from that stupid teacher. I ran back to the class room as fast as I could. When I got to the door, I stopped. I calmly opened the door and stared at the students inside.

"Is there a reason why you're late . . .?" asked my teacher.

"They ran out of food. I had to wait while they gave me this little apple." I walked back to my desk and took a chomp out of it, feeling the teacher's eyes on me all the while. I can't believe I got a detention today . . . of all days! Maybe I'll skip next week. I snickered at the thought while I glanced at the teacher. He diverted his eyes and continued working. I took another bite of my apple. As I chewed, I thought about how Keiko was eating an apple the day we'd kissed. She doesn't eat like a pig . . . I guess. She's pretty clean when she eats. I took another bite of my apple, my thoughts reflecting the frigid month that had passed for Keiko and me.

Man . . . I miss her. . .

I shook away my thoughts and stared at the clock.

Next class starts in about twenty minutes, I told myself. What should I do? Maybe I'll start something, I thought mischieviously. But . . . I don't think I can afford a double detention, not today at least. It really doesn't help that I don't know many people in this class anyway. I stood up and started walking around the room, students cautiously watching me as I did so. I stopped at a circle of four girls who stared at me as soon as I arrived.

"Can we help you . . .?" asked one girl.

"Yeah . . . You look kinda lost." said another. All the girls started laughing.

"I needed to move around . . . Being stuck in a room full of crazy asses ain't that easy." They all started giggling.

"You're always causing everyone trouble, Yusuke. . . y'know, picking fights and arguing with teachers. You're always craving for some kind of attention . . ." the third girl said, the girl's laughter dying away .

"It's what I do best . . ."

"But you have to admit . . . He's pretty funny . . . And he doesn't treat girls bad at all . . . Just guys," said the last girl. All of the girls nodded at her remark. I smiled, just a little flattered.

"Well . . . thank you for your time, ladies . . ." I told them, ready to move on. I nodded to them and continued to go about my route around the room. Hmm . . . Who should I bother next . . .? I saw Okubo, one of Kuwabara's friend's, sitting in the corner of the room. He seemed to be absorbed in the book he was reading. There's someone I know, I thought to myself. Well. . . kinda. . . I walked over to him and tapped on his desk, saying "Hey Okubo." He looked at me, shocked by my greeting.

"Yusuke . . . How are you?" he asked as I sat down in front of him.

"Not much on this side of the fence . . . And you?"

"Nothing. Your outburst during class today was pretty crazy." He looked down at his book and closed it. "What brings you my way . . .?"

"There's not much to do here," I answered. "I got a detention from our dumb-ass teacher today."

"Bummer . . ." said Okubo. Then there was an awkward silence. Okubo is not much of a talker, I reminded myself. What can we talk about for the next hour? I wondered while exaggerating in my brain. I started thinking about what Kuwabara had done to me that morning. Maybe Okubo knows what that was all about, I said to myself.

"Hey Okubo . . .?"

"Yeah . . .?"

"Do you know what was up with Kuwabara this morning . . .?"

"What do you mean?" Okubo asked, looking kind of worried.

"He tried to attack--wait-- maybe I should say 'stumble' at me this morning . . . Something about me doing something to Keiko . . ."

"I didn't see or hear anything about that," he told as he shrugged. I was disappointed by his answer. "Sorry I can't help you with that one, man . . . I could try to ask him for you . . ."

"Nah, that's alright, Okubo. Maybe I'll ask him in English class." I got out of the chair and looked down at him. "Well, I'm gonna pack up . . . It's almost time to go," I said to him though I knew we still had about ten minutes left. Okubo started to open his book again. "See you around, Okubo . . ."

"Later, man . . ." I walked back to my desk and picked up my book bag. I put all of my crap away and sat on my desk.

For a long moment, or so it seemed, I sat there. Quiet. Simply listening to the people chatter nearby, each second dragging and standing still.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I looked up at the clock. Oh God! I thought. One more minute!? I diverted my attention back to the black board, avoiding another outburst due to my impatience.

"I hate this place . . ." I whispered to myself. It's just a waste of time coming here everyday. I don't see how Keiko could like school so much. Who needs good grades . . . or pointless tests any-damn-way!!? I slowed down my thoughts as I thought of how Keiko always tries to get everything right. In fact, just thinking of her trying to do everything so perfectly annoyed me. . . but . . . at the same time . . . I kind of . . . missed it.

Her small obsessions over grades. . . Her constant and steady work ethic. . . Hell, even her happiness when she her work pays off. . .

Keiko's in my next class too. I sighed, mad that I'd let my thoughts wonder to her for the millionth time that day. I smiled to myself. I really shouldn't let her sneak into my thoughts like that.

I looked at my teacher and some students in the front of the room as they gathered at the door. Dammit . . . when is the bell going to ring . . .!? I looked back up at the clock. Come on . . . Please ring! Oh, it rang alright! And with it's sound, I jumped up in preparation to haul ass to the door. But the urge to run out died and somehow, I found myself waiting for everyone to move out of the way. I was the last person to leave.

"Don't forget to be here at the end of the day." My mind was filled with different thoughts. I really wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.

"Alright . . . Pops." I kept my back to him and waved. I walked out . . . on my way to English class . . . to see Keiko . . .