No One Ever Said Life Was Easy!

Instantly, out ran students from their classes and into the hall. Shey grabbed my hand, pulling and guiding me through the crowd, repeating 'Excuse me' and 'move it' to each slow walking pupil. Eventually the chatter died down to a buzz, yet Shey still pulled me forward. For a tiny girl, she sure has a lot of power.

We reached two giant doors. Above them, the word Cafeteria was printed in big, bold letters.

Shey turned to me, smiling. "Welcome to heaven," she chuckled. She pushed the doors open with her free hand and entered the giant room casually.

I gasped. Shey let go of my hand and turned around to face me. "What's wrong?" She asked.

My eyes trailed around the room, taking in every little detail about the room. It was by far the biggest cafeteria I had ever seen in my life.

"Hello?" Shey asked again, waving her black-polished hand in front my face. "Lisse? Are you alright?"

I knocked myself back into reality. "Yeah," I answered, still in awe. "I'm fine. It's just... this place it huge!"

Shey smiled. "I know, it's awesome, right?" She giggled. "Come on, to the table."

She grabbed my hand again and ran across the immense room, her Converse shoes making the slightest pitter-patter as they hit the floor. In a matter of seconds, we arrived at a gigantic, rectangular, circle. Oh so stereotypical high school. Shey sat down and flung her legs under the table, revolving her head around and screaming; "Sit!"

I laughed softly at Shey's enthusiasm and sat down on her opposite side, facing her.

"So," I started, wanting so badly to ask her what she meant about Austin liking me, the new girl he ran into in the hallway, the new girl he barely said two words to, the new girl who didn't deserve a boyfriend anyways.

"He really does like you," Shey said, as if reading my mind. She smiled slightly.

I looked down at the table. "What... what do you mean?" I mumbled.

Shey rolled her eyes. "What are you, 12? He thinks you're cute, duh. And he has a good reason to think that, 'cause you are pretty cute. I'd so dig you if I weren't taken."

I had to laugh. "He thinks I'm cute? That's... weird, because I'm not cute."

Shey sighed. "That's ridiculous. And you better get used to compliments, because you're going to be getting a lot of them now that you're friends with me." She pursed her lips ever so slightly and batted her eyelashes.

I grinned; it was impossible not to. Shey's insane amount of positivity does that to you.

"Well," Shey said, stretching her legs and getting up, "I'm off to get some food. You want anything?" I shook my head. She smiled again and left.

I sat in silence, trailing my eyes around the room and getting a good look at the different tables and cliques. Each table had only one thing in common: laughter. Every person from every table seemed to laugh simultaneously... weather it was from jokes or conversation, I wasn't sure. That'll never be me, I thought to myself. I can't ever laugh like that. Not with the amount of crap going on at home right now... it'd be cruel to have a good time while everyone else is suffering... My thoughts trailed on, leaving me with an odd feeling of home-sickness.

"Hey," a boy's voice said.

I turned my head and almost fainted. "Austin!" I cried, a smile creeping on my face, even though my heart was beating a million times an hour. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, well, I usually sit here."

I felt my face going bright pink as I pushed aside for him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Shey just sat me down here and I thought-"

"No, no, it's fine. I'll sit next to you," he smiled. I sighed silently and brought my flesh back to my normal shade of light tan.

"So, you're Lisse, right?" He asked me, spreading his hands across the table.

"Yup," I answered with a slight smile.

"You're cute, you know?" He grinned, swiping his hair out of his and revealing his ever-so-perfect emerald eyes.

I nearly chocked on my own saliva. "What?" I hollered, a little too loudly.

He laughed. "Sorry. I tend to do that a lot... but it's true."

I opened my mouth to reply in a fit of it's-not-trues, but I was interrupted by the sound a loud bleeep.

Automatically, everyone in the cafeteria turned their heads to a speaker on the left side of the hall ceiling. I flung my head around; trying to find the speaker."Attention, students. Can I have Lisse Byers come to the office? Lisse Byers to the office. Thank you."Each student turned their head around in unison, searching for this Lisse Byers the intercom had called for.

Austin turned his head to me. "Hey, isn't that you?"

I half-gasped. "Yeah," I mumbled, getting up from my seat.

"Well, I'll escort you. Come one," Austin said, standing up and linking my arm with his. He grinned, and started trotting out the cafeteria.

He was grinning, but I wasn't. The same question echoed in my head over and over again, and no amount of willpower could get it out. What did my father do this time?