At one o'clock, it was time to eat.
Most of the students chatted animatedly with each other while filling their trays in the cafeteria line.
Biting my lower lip, I waited impatiently in line.
I was very hungry, and I knew that when I was like this, I could get quite irritable. Enid, beside me, watched curiously as a boy enthusiastically received his fries. My knuckles gripped the still-empty tray tightly.
"Fries? Since when do they serve those?" Enid was excited. I shook my head, indicating I had no idea.
The only thing I cared about at that moment was filling my empty stomach.
Finally, my turn arrived.
"I'll have… this," I indicated the puree they called pasta, though it looked more like an amorphous blob on the serving tray.
It wasn't the most appetizing choice, but my need outweighed my palate at that moment. The cook, with evident disdain, rolled her eyes and served the puree onto my tray, releasing an unappetizing aroma that made me shudder slightly. I kept my head down, suppressing the urge to express my disgust at the quality of the food.
"Do you need anything else?" the cook asked, placing a bottle of water next to the tray. I shook my head, holding back the desire to tell her that this "food" didn't deserve the name.
With a frustrated sigh, Enid and I headed toward the table where Erick was sitting. The boy greeted us with a genuine smile while holding the hand of his boyfriend, Diego, who also looked at us with a friendly expression. Diego and Erick were an adorable couple, and they always brought positive energy to the environment.
We sat down with a dull thud of trays on the table. I sat across from the pair of lovebirds.
"I heard a new calculus teacher arrived. What are they like?" Erick asked, grabbing a fry and dipping it in mayonnaise before eating it.
"We'll have her tomorrow, but I'd like to hear your opinion," he said, mouth full of food.
"It's actually a she," Enid chimed in with a genuine smile.
"She made us take a test, but other than that, she seems pretty laid-back," Enid shrugged indifferently. "She's very young and… very attractive," she added, raising her eyebrows mischievously, making me roll my eyes at the comment.
"Is it true she kicked Edward out of the class?" Diego asked, placing a hand on his boyfriend's tray, only to receive a playful slap on the fingers from Erick.
Diego rubbed the affected area, frowning.
"Yes, that idiot called her 'doll,'" I smiled. "I'm glad she kicked him out. That guy can be really stupid sometimes," I said, poking at the unappetizing pasta on my tray before reluctantly taking a bite.
"Finally, someone put him in his place," Erick smiled, satisfied with the news.
"Do you want some fries, Marty?" he asked, noticing my lack of enthusiasm for my own food. I shook my head, amused by Diego's incredulous reaction.
"By the way… you have an admirer," Enid whispered, a mischievous smile on her face. Her eyes were fixed on a point behind me.
I turned and saw Jenna picking up an apple and a bottle of water in the kitchen. Our eyes met briefly, and a shiver ran through my skin in that fleeting instant. Then, her gaze shifted to the cook, smiling and saying something I couldn't hear over the noise in the cafeteria. She seemed to be in a good mood, and that intrigued me even more.
Enid let out an enthusiastic squeal, drawing the attention of many students toward our table. My cheeks burned, and I turned back to look at Enid, exasperated by her outburst.
"You weren't wrong at all, Enid," Erick said, smiling conspiratorially as he leaned his head on Diego's shoulder.
"By the way, what did the sexy girl want?" Enid asked, resting her head on her hand and looking at me with curiosity.
"Her name is Jenna, or you could call her Professor Ortega," I said, annoyed at the way Enid referred to her, throwing a disapproving glance at the blonde.
Enid rolled her eyes in annoyance, urging me to continue with a hand gesture.
"Anyway…" I began, swallowing nervously, aware that three pairs of eyes were watching me intently.
"In a few months, there'll be a calculus competition, and Jenna wanted me to participate." Enid snorted, seemingly bored.
"And then?" Diego encouraged me, curious to know more. "What did she propose?"
"She offered to be my tutor and help me a couple of afternoons a week," I explained.
Enid's eyes widened as she grabbed my hand, squeezing it with excitement. A silly smile appeared on her lips, clearly intrigued by the situation.
"Now that changes everything! It's a date!" Enid exclaimed, and I looked at her in disbelief.
"A study date," I clarified, surprised by Enid's interpretation, pulling my hand away from hers.
What was wrong with her? After all, Jenna was my teacher.
I stood up, 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 a cappuccino," I said, pointing toward the exit and grabbing the water bottle.
Enid squinted, trying to decipher my true intentions. Erick smiled at me, waving.
I started walking toward the exit with quick steps.
"Good luck, tiger!" Enid shouted, and with flushed cheeks, I quickened my pace to avoid more awkward comments.
My true goal was to talk to Jenna. During the hours following her class, I'd thought a lot about her proposal, and it didn't seem like a bad idea after all.
I wanted to accept her offer and, by the way, get my ring back.
As I walked toward the coffee machine area, I thought about the best way to bring up the subject with Jenna.
I needed to find her.