At one o'clock, it was time for lunch. Most of the students chatted among themselves, eating in the meantime. With my lower lip caught between my teeth, I waited for the line to move. I was really hungry, and when I was hungry, I could be quite grumpy. Enid looked curiously at the fries a guy was receiving. My knuckles clenched tightly on the still empty tray.
"Do they have fries? Since when?" Enid was very excited. I shook my head, letting her know that I didn't know the answer.
All I cared about was getting some food in my stomach.
"I'll have... this," I said when it was finally my turn. A mush they called pasta sat in a corner of the kitchen. It looked awful, but I was still starving. The cook rolled her eyes in boredom and put the mush on my tray. The sound and smell made me tremble slightly, and with my head lowered, I glared at the woman with anger.
"Do you need anything else?" she asked, placing a bottle of water on my tray. I shook my head, suppressing the urge to tell her that we didn't deserve to eat that garbage.
With a frustrated sigh, Enid and I made our way to the table where Erick was sitting.
The blushing boy genuinely smiled at us as he held hands with his boyfriend. I have to admit, Diego is a good guy, and they look so cute together.
With a thud, we sat down at the table.
I was sitting across from the lovebirds.
"I heard there's a new Calculus teacher. What's he like?" Erick put a french fry in his mouth. "We have him tomorrow, but I'd like to know your opinion," he swallowed loudly and immediately took another fry from the tray, dipping it in mayo.
"Well, actually, it's a female teacher," Enid genuinely smiled. "She made us take a test, but despite that, she seems pretty chill," she shrugged indifferently. "She's really young, and, well, really sexy," she raised her eyebrows mischievously, and I rolled my eyes at the comment.
"Is it true that she kicked Edward out of class?" Diego asked, placing a hand on his boyfriend's tray and receiving a small slap on his fingers. The brunette rubbed the affected area, looking at Erick with a furrowed brow.
"Yep, that idiot called her 'doll'," I smiled. "I'm glad she kicked him out. Sometimes that guy can be really stupid," I said, playing with the pasta.
Reluctantly, I took a bite, struggling to swallow the unpleasant taste.
"Finally, someone put him in his place," Erick smiled, happy with the news. "T/N, do you want some fries?" he asked me later. I guess my friend noticed that my food was terrible. I shook my head, amused by Diego's incredulous reaction.
"By the way... you have an admirer," Enid whispered, smiling mischievously. Her eyes were fixed on a point behind my back.
I turned around and saw Jenna grabbing an apple and a bottle of water from the kitchen. In fact, her eyes were aimed at me, making brief eye contact with me. Her gaze then turned to the cook, smiling at her and saying something I couldn't hear for obvious reasons.
She gave me a quick glance, and with a shy smile, Professor Ortega left the dining hall.
Enid let out an ecstatic scream. Many students turned towards us, looking at us with confusion. With flushed cheeks, I looked back at the blonde.
"You were not mistaken at all, Enid," Erick genuinely smiled, resting his head on Diego's shoulder.
"By the way, what did the sexy girl want?" Enid rested her head on her hand, looking at me intently.
"Her name is Jenna, or you can call her Professor Ortega," I said irritably, giving a reproachful look to the petite blonde.
Enid rolled her eyes in boredom, gesturing for me to continue talking.
"Anyway..." I said, swallowing nervously as three pairs of eyes stared at me without blinking. "There's going to be some kind of Calculus contest in a few months, and she wanted me to sign up," Enid sighed, suddenly bored.
"Then?" Diego prompted, curious to hear what I had to say. "She offered to be my tutor and help me a couple of afternoons a week."
Enid's eyes widened, and she took my hand, squeezing it tightly. A silly smile was plastered on her lips. I think something has gotten into her mischievous head.
"That changes everything! It's a date!" Enid smiled, and I looked at her as if she had two heads.
"A study date," I emphasized, puzzled by her words, breaking the contact between our hands. What's gotten into her? After all, Jenna is my teacher.
I stood up from my seat, suddenly losing my appetite. Enid looked at me with a slight smile on her lips.
"I'm going to the coffee machines. I feel like having a cappuccino," I pointed lazily towards the exit, grabbing the water bottle.
Enid squinted her eyes, trying to figure out my true intentions. Erick smiled at me, waving his hand in greeting.
I began walking towards the exit with quick steps.
"Good luck, lion!" Enid shouted, and with flushed cheeks, I increased my walking speed, avoiding the inappropriate comment.
My real intention was to talk to Jenna. In the hours since her class, I had reflected a lot on her proposal, and it didn't seem like a bad idea after all.
I wanted to accept the proposal and retrieve the ring.
Come to think of it, I was in the mood for a cappuccino.
All I hoped for was to find Jenna Ortega.