Lunch Stories Pt.2

As Nathan and Aaron walked back to the cafeteria, Aaron showed him more things such as the dirty water fountain and the experimental nurse's office.

Seeing that there was no way out of his meeting with Jade, Nathan decided to gather more information to be able to maybe introduce himself in a non-embarrassing manner.

"So what is-uh Jade like?", he asked.

"Jade is like a person.", replied Aaron with no sense of humour at all.

Nathan's voice fell flat,

"Oh..."

They soon arrived back at the green plastic chairs and white tables of the school cafeteria area.

While walking awkwardly in a cramped space between the other people who were trying to eat their lunch, Nathan could see a girl with brown hair sitting in the direction that they were headed.

He recognized the distinctive golden-like aura around her hair which seemed to glow under the light.

It had to be Jade, the girl who was Aaron's friend and also the girl who they were currently going to meet.

She sat at a table just slightly off to the right of the school cafeteria. It was one of the only tables to have some walking space around it.

"And what are people like?", questioned Nathan.

"Have you never met a human before?", Aaron replied with a question of his own.

Nathan's face went blank (well blanker than usual) as he thought for a while. He was trying to come up with an answer for Aaron. He wasn't too sure what to say or how to say it.

Aaron laughed and patted Nathan's back with quite a heavy thud, "I'm kidding. Lighten up."

He continued, "Jade is an amazing person. I don't even know where to begin. But if I had to, I'd say that, she is giving, mindful, respectful, talented, unselfish, funny, supporting, passionate, trustworthy. She has a brilliant mind as well as a generous heart. And quite frankly her friendship is something I can never see myself living without..."

Aaron paused at the very thought of such a thing ever happening.

A few seconds escaped as Aaron composed himself.

He went on to say, "She is always there when I need her and even when I am sometimes selfish, she still stands with me. I don't always understand it, but that is just how loving her friendship is.

But don't mistake her for naive. Because while she shows great *solicitude, she is also one of the bravest and strongest people I know."

"Sounds like you two are real close friends.", added Nathan.

"Well yeah I guess. We've known each other for years. But I'm sure you two would make great friends too.", said Aaron with assurance in his voice.

"It's not that easy.", mumbled Nathan.

It was just audible enough for Aaron to catch it.

"Well why is it not easy? Are you nervous because Jade is a female? Don't think I haven't noticed, you've been trying to get out of this for awhile now."

Nathan felt red-faced that Aaron had noticed and quickly responded, "No, no, not at all. Why would I feel nervous around girls? I don't like her-uh I mean girls..."

There was a short moment of silence where the two boys had paused between two tables.

Nathan had slowly realized what he had just said.

"Well I don't - uh mean it like that. I mean I like girls, but just not like that... you know ....."

Aaron nodded knowingly, "You don't have to say another word. I understand, you're one of those."

"One of what?", asked Nathan defensively.

"Relax my dude, I have nothing against them, you know the ones who like pink instead of blue, think rainbows are 'pretty', dresses appeal to you more than boxers...You know that sort of thing.", explained Aaron with all sincerity in his words.

Nathan looked distraught, "I think you have it all wrong..."

Aaron stopped him, "Relax, I'm joking. You get used to me after a while.", he laughed.

"But I do actually understand what you mean. I too used to lack confidence before."

"Really, you lacked confidence too?", asked Nathan, while finding it difficult to believe that someone like Aaron Williams lacked confidence.

Aaron adjusted his tie,

"Of course not."

"Look, if I, a billionaire and boy genius could make friends in this school, then certainly you can too.", explained Aaron.

Nathan just nodded awkwardly in pretence understanding. He really couldn't see the correlation between himself making friends and a "spoiled boy genius" making friends.

"Now cmon we're here.", Aaron took Nathan towards the brown haired girl's table.

"Now if you look to your right you'd see the brown haired, blue eyed alien and pianist second to my intellect that is Jade Morvan.", Aaron pointed out the girl who Nathan had been studying.

"Giving people tours again are you?", Jade laughed at Aaron's introduction to her as she got up and hugged him.

Nathan was taken aback as he stood one side and stared at Jade.

This was the first time that he had seen her face.

She was even more anxiety inducing from the front.

There was something about the way that her rosy cheeks lit up with laughter.

There was something about the way that the light particles glittered in her crystal blue eyes.

There was something about the way that her soft brown hair touched her shoulders.

There was something about the way that her presence made Nathan feel.

It wasn't just his normal anxieties anymore, it was a whole other level of social phobia.

And even though all the different fears such as *gynophobia and *anthropophobia could be used to explain his feelings, he still wanted to stay and spend even more time with her.

"Jade I'd like to formally introduce you to a friend of mine, Nathan Marquette. Of course we all met before seeing that we're in the same history class. But this is the verbal contact introduction I guess.", explained Aaron.

Nathan thought that they had looked familiar. It was only now that he remembered seeing the pair yesterday sitting in the front row of their history class. They were the same well-dressed people who had given him the thumbs up when he had no idea what to say Infront of the class.

But it wasn't unlikely for him to forget who was in his history class. In fact he tried hard to forget yesterday.

After his embarrassing history lesson introduction, he wanted nothing more than to forget everyone and everything involved.

Jade moved from Aaron to meet Nathan.

"I am so sorry that you had to deal with this monkey before meeting me.", Jade gestured to Aaron being the monkey.

"My name is Jade, it's awesome meeting you.", Jade stuck her hand out for a handshake with Nathan.

Nathan stared at her with blank intent. He had never shook a girls hand before as a form of greeting.

Maybe he was expecting an even more nerve racking gesture like a hug as she had done with Aaron, but either way his arm wasn't going to move without animating it in a robotic jig-like motion.

He continued in his robotic motion and took Jade's hand in his. He never moved an inch more after.

Her hand and his was completely stagnant.

"And... I'm-uh Nathan... Nathan Marquette...", stuttered Nathan nervously.

"Nathan Marquette. That's a really fancy name.",

Jade smiled awkwardly as Nathan had neither shook her hand nor let go of it yet.

Aaron put his hands on both of their shoulders respectively, "Why don't we get to our lunch my dudes, I'm starving."

Without changing her gaze, Jade said, "Sounds great."

Nathan finally released her hand as the three of them took a seat around the white table.

"Hey by the way you dropped this back there.", said Jade as she took out a very familiar looking book from her green backpack.

It was a book, so different.

So expressive and rich.

It's aura exhumed that of more than just a book.

It was like looking through history itself.

The book's frail brown leather cover shimmered under the dull rays of light with glory and might, yet it appeared so ancient and used.

As Nathan stared in horror at the leathery cover, the book glared back with it's esoteric-like symbols and drawings.

Nathan quickly grew pale.

Had Jade already read it, where did she get it and how did she know that it was his? In fact that was going to be his first question.

"H-How do you know it's mine?", asked Nathan while avoiding direct eye contact with Jade.

"Ne sois pas idiot", said Jade in her french accent.

[Don't worry she wasn't calling him an "idiot". The word actually translates to ''silly" in english. Therefore she was saying, "Don't be silly."]

"I saw it fall from your backpack after what Chase did to you.", she explained.

Nathan felt exasperated and self-conscious now that Jade saw what had happened with Chase and him earlier,

"Urgh, you saw that?"

Jade smiled,

"Pretty much most of the school saw that. But I wouldn't worry about it, there's no such thing as bad fame hey."

Nathan took the leathery book from Jade, "With my luck, any sort of fame is infamy."

"Where did you get such a book?", Aaron joined the conversation as he had been silently studying the leathery book for a while now.

He was always curious and hungry for knowledge. So anything that seemed out of the ordinary was his business.

"I wouldn't worry about it Aaron, the pages are empty. It seems like just a fancy diary to me.", suggested Jade.

Nathan shot an accusing look at Jade.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to go through your book I promise. But when I had found it, it was already open on its back.", Jade defended herself.

Nathan was confused as to why they would think the book was empty.

He quickly turned to a random page.

The paper itself was faded to a brownish - like yellow color.

It was surprisingly stiff too, as if it had been hardened with age.

Nathan placed his right hand palm on one of the pages, feeling the lonely spaces. The pages were indeed blank. However he felt an urge to keep this information to himself. He wasn't about to tell them that he had once actually seen something written in the books' pages.

"Still an interesting cover, it looks like *papyrus in nature. So is it really just a fancy diary?", persisted Aaron.

Nathan sat in his chair paralyzed.

He wasn't sure if it was from the beauty that he saw in Jade or the exposing questions that Aaron asked.

He had come to a conclusive choice to lie to them.

"Yes, yes it is just a fancy diary. I-uh bought it a long time ago from a gift shop back in America."

"Those symbols on the cover look quite real though, I believe I've seen some in my grandfather's study. They're *esoteric, maybe even Egyptian in origin. Just out of curiosity maybe you could come by my house sometime and we could translate it or decipher a code or somethin'."

"Why what does you grandfather do?", asked Nathan

"He has passed on now.", Aaron said grimly.

A short silence fell over the three friends. Only the chatter of the surrounding pupils could be heard.

"Uh-I'm sorry to hear that. I had no idea.", Nathan tried empathising with Aaron's visible pain.

"It's okay, he used to be an archaeologist. So fancy diary or not, I know a bit about what you have in your hands there.", explained Aaron.

Nathan felt that he had to change the topic of the conversation quickly. It's not that he didn't want help with whatever it was that he needed help with, it was more of a defensive option to keep the book safe and in his hands only.

"Yeah we'll see about deciphering the cover or whatever, but I'm sure it means nothing. Now let's get to a really serious question.", Nathan looked at Jade and then Aaron.

"Which is?", enquired Jade.

Nathan mustered up the courage to ask a question that he did actually want to ask,

"Are you two really just friends?"

Both Jade and Aaron burst into hysterical laughter.

Nathan watched in confusion.

"Don-Dont worry.... we get that... all the time.", said Jade as she gasped to catch her breath from the laughter.

"Yeah my dude, we're just friends... Actually best friends.", Aaron said as he calmed down his laughter too.

Now I don't completely blame Nathan for asking such a question.

Apparently Jade was that one girl with a best friend who happened to be a boy.

That boy being Aaron.

The rumor around school was that Aaron and her were dating under the cover of just being friends.

As you know, they must all believe that a male and female can not be

"just friends" forever.

Of Course that was just the good old gossip, maybe true, maybe false.

"Say, I have a great idea. Let's meet up after school on Friday. We could grab a donut from the Dinky Donut bakery across school.", suggested Aaron.

"Actually I can't...", Both Jade and Nathan blurted out simultaneously.

Aaron looked at both of them, waiting for one of them to explain.

Nathan looked at Jade and Jade looked at Nathan.

"You go first.", said Nathan.

"No you.", insisted Jade.

So Nathan began, "I can't come because my parents invited our neighbors for dinner. They would kill me if I skipped out on that."

"What a coincidence, I too am having dinner at a neighbor's house. We were invited a few days ago.", explained Jade.

"But gosh I do hate having dinner with neighbors. I would much rather be doing other things like watching TV or even watching paint dry.", Jade complained.

"I know exactly what you mean. I mean why must we go for birthdays or weddings if our parents were the ones who accepted the invite in the first place. It should be solely their responsibility, and not ours.", protested Nathan.

"How about this afternoon though?", suggested Jade.

"Where would you be without me.", smirked Aaron.

"What do you mean?", asked Jade.

"You've got earlier music practice today at 4pm genius.", Aaron spoke as if he generally knew where Jade was or what she was doing.

This made Nathan feel left out or out of place. It wasn't a good feeling being the new kid in a group of friends. Obviously Jade and Aaron had a longer history than Nathan had with either of them.

So naturally Aaron knew more about Jade and Jade knew more about Aaron.

"Oh gosh you're right, where would I be...", Jade gave herself a small face palm.

Aaron gobbled down his burger which was thus far untouched on his side of the table.

"The bell will ring in 49 seconds...",

Aaron spoke with muffled words under his chewing as he picked up his silver link watch and showed Jade and Nathan the time.

"I'm taking half day leave today, so I won't be around later.", explained Aaron.

"But why? You haven't told me you're doing this.", said Jade with a bit of concern in her voice.

"Test tubes.", replied Aaron, now chugging down his orange juice.

Jade understood what Aaron meant by "test tubes". But in case you do not understand, I will explain.

Aaron was referring to his lab work from last night. The work which involved analyzing his parents DNA for a possible drug treatment. I'm not sure why he hadn't just said so, but perhaps he just didn't want to lay so much of information on Nathan.

Nathan just continued to sit in his seat and nodded in pretence, smiling awkwardly as if he knew what was going on.

"Ohhh that, well let me know how it goes. We'll text later.", Jade smiled supportively.

Aaron, as professional as ever, shook Nathan's hand as if closing out a business deal and then hugged Jade before leaving as the bell signaled the end of their break.

Nathan also got up from his seat.

As much as this was an opportunity to spend alone time with Jade, Nathan only wanted to run away. He had no idea what to say or do without Aaron there. It killed him to say goodbye. However, he also felt silly or ''stupid'' for feeling such feelings for someone who he barely even knew, but at the same time he understood that he would regret leaving there earlier than her. It would eventually become one of those 3am thoughts of what could have been.

"Uhm, bye Jade..."

Nathan waved shyly as he got ready to leave.

"N'oubliez pas votre livre.",

Jade said something in French.

Nathan being Nathan just pretended to understand and walked off.

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DefInItIonS iN ThIS ChApTEr:

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*Solicitude - To show care for someone or something.

*Gynophobia - The dislike or fear of women.

*Esoteric - Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest ie, "EVEQYNME TCER"

*Anthropophobia - the fear of people, is a commonly misunderstood phobia. It often resembles social phobia but is not precisely the same fear. Depending on the severity, anthropophobia may cause a phobic reaction even when in the company of only one other person.

*Papyrus - Is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant.

In Egypt the papyrus plant is a reed that grows in marshy areas around the Nile river. In ancient Egypt, the wild plant was used for a variety of uses, and specially cultivated papyrus, grown on plantations, was used to make writing material. The inside of the triangular stalk was cut or peeled into long strips.