Just a Piece of Sky

Skylar rushed out of the class room as soon as the bell sounded and headed for the lunch room. She didn’t want to see Aiden; she felt it would be too awkward. Skylar hurriedly got in the lunch line and grabbed a puke pink plastic tray. Just the sight of the cafeteria food made her want to throw up. Skylar got the least appalling meal there, it was a chic fillet sandwich with mac’n’cheese and a carton of milk. She saw Aiden walk in obviously looking for someone; she didn’t really know too many of the popular people anymore since Iris died, so she doubted she could help him find whoever it was. Skylar hurried to the table she and Iris used to sit at with Iris’s multitude of friends; but today Skylar sat alone. Everyone seemed to be whispering her name, like in one of those dreams where you can hear voices all around you and you can’t really understand what they are saying. All the students would walk by like they were going to sit with her but they just stare as they walk past.
She soon gave up on her rubber sandwich and started to pick at her macaroni. The line was almost empty. Skylar just knew she was going to end up eating alone, when all of a sudden out of no where Aiden got up from his over crowded lunch table and started to walk towards her. Skylar found herself staring as he sat across from her grinning. “What’s for lunch?” Aiden asked as he opened his brown paper bag that contained his lunch from home. “It tastes like the mystery meat loaf from last year.” She stated sullenly. He laughed and said, “I remember that mystery meatloaf. I swore I got part of an ear once.” “Wait you went to this school last year, I don’t remember you.” Skylar said slightly surprised. “Yeah, I was on the base ball team. I was a pitcher. I’m kinda glad you don’t know who I am.” Aiden said so quietly it was hard for Skylar to hear him. “Why? Don’t you like being popular, I mean in a good way. Everyone knows who I am because of something that wasn’t my fault, I wasn’t even there.” Skylar was trying her hardest to keep back the tears. “What happened,” Skylar just shook her head forcing back the endless flow of tears, “it can’t be that bad.” Aiden said not knowing it was the worst thing that had ever happened to Skylar. Skylar gave him a searing look of hate at him just assuming it “Can’t be that bad”, but she didn’t say anything. “Ok, let’s talk about something else.” Aiden said, he could tell he had crossed some kind of boundary. “When we walked into class this morning everyone said you were back. Where did you go?” Skylar asked as she opened her chocolate milk. “Well, I really hadn’t gone anywhere, I…I just hadn’t been at school in a while.” Aiden said looking downtrodden. “Why not?” Skylar asked choking on the spoiled cafeteria milk. “Are you ok?” Aiden asked, avoiding the question. “I don’t know, that was disgusting.” Skylar said covering her mouth, but still laughing. “Next time, you should bring lunch from home.” Aiden said trying not to laugh.
“Hey Aiden, come sit with us.” A really pretty blonde girl called across the lunch room. Aiden looked at Skylar sadly, “It’s ok, I’m a big girl I can eat by myself.” Skylar said. “I’ll talk to you later then, ok?” Aiden asked as he walked away. “Definitely,” Skylar said as he walked away trying to smile. Inside she could feel that there was something, something different about him.
Skylar sat by herself the rest of the lunch period picking at her food, but not really eating it.