La Fenice

Lunch had never been a good time for Scout. The table xe sat at had few people at it, including Scout. The people xe sat with weren’t people or friends to be proud of. The entertainment of their conversations were almost always based on the misfortune of others. Scout never approved of that but never found the voice to oppose it.

The circular tables gave people the illusion of community. They sat side-by-side around the cafeteria, and anyone could turn and smile (or sneer) at the person seated at the other table. The patterns laid across the tables made Scout uncomfortable, almost more uncomfortable than the people near hir invading xyr ribcage with their elbows. The bright strides of green and purple didn’t go together. They didn’t even comfortably contrast. There wasn’t any kind of consideration or compassion in the lunchroom, even in the table patterns.

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