Hotdogs and Burgers

Ben's stomach was growling.

Earlier this morning at breakfast, he had asked the server for a smaller portion since he wasn't feeling particularly hungry then. But now, his appetite was ravenous to the point that he found it hard to concentrate on what Mr. Sam was explaining.

"Verbs? Reproduction? Wait, isn't Mr. Sam supposed to be the math teacher?" Ben wondered.

He found himself eagerly counting down the minutes until lunch. Unfortunately, lunch wasn't provided during the week, so students had to purchase snacks instead. As soon as the bell rang, Ben hurriedly stuffed his books into his bag, ready to dash out, when he heard Mr. Sam calling him.

"Ben, could you come here for a moment?" Mr. Sam said with a grin. Ben had mixed feelings about Mr. Sam for several reasons.

He couldn't figure out why Mr. Sam always smiled when speaking to him, a contrast to his demeanor with other students. Was it due to Ben's background?

Ben sensed the reason behind the teacher's request. He approached Mr. Sam and stood before him. "Yes, sir?"

"Could you do me a favor and take this textbook to the head office?" Mr. Sam asked, handing him the book.

This was another reason for Ben's dislike of Mr. Sam. He always assigned him errands whenever he came to teach. Initially, Ben thought it was just a one-time favor, but it had turned into a series of tasks that had persisted since his 10th grade. Ben's stomach was growling.

"Alright, who should I hand this to?" Ben was not about to say no; after all, Mr. Sam was a teacher. He figured he'd drop it off and then head out for some snacks.

"Pass it to Miss Riley," Mr. Sam instructed, maintaining that smile. Was it wrong of Ben to find that smile a bit unsettling?

Ben nodded and walked away, realizing this was not how he envisioned his lunch break. All he wanted was to get some food down his throat, and Mr. Sam was putting a damper on that.

'But it's okay, I'll just deliver this and then eat,' Ben reassured himself as he hurried along, weaving through fellow students.

Suddenly, he collided with someone and tumbled to the floor. Looking up, he saw it was Chloe. Remarkably, she had remained upright during the bump. Ben silently cursed his empty stomach.

"I'm really sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Chloe said as she picked up her textbook and brushed it off.

Ben got to his feet and dusted off his clothes. "No worries, I wasn't exactly looking either." It was then that he noticed the guy standing next to her—Eric.

Chloe handed the textbook back to Ben. "Aren't you in our class?"

Ben's growling stomach distracted him from responding. He needed to grab something to eat before lunch ended. With a quick nod, he took off without glancing back at Chloe's confused expression. She turned to Eric, who seemed to understand her thoughts perfectly. "Maybe he's in a hurry. I bet you'll find a way to talk to him later." Chloe nodded in agreement.

Ben hadn't quite come to terms with his encounter with Chloe; instead, he found solace in the distraction of his growling stomach. After finally handing Miss Riley the textbook, he made his way to the cafeteria to grab some snacks. He felt relieved to see that the line was short, so he joined it without hesitation.

"I've never heard 'four words' say so much. Maybe I should follow him during lunch breaks to catch more of his chatter," one girl remarked from behind him.

"You might be onto something because I feel the same way. Honestly, he's popular just because of his looks. He hardly talks to anyone except for his best friend and that awful Chloe," replied her friend, and they both chuckled.

Ben recognized they were discussing the guy ahead of him, who was now walking away after paying for his snacks.

When it was finally Ben's turn to order, the lunch lady said, "Oh Ben, we're out of hotdogs. That boy just bought the last four," gesturing toward the direction the boy had gone.

Naturally, the lunch lady knew him well. Not only was the school owned by his grandparents, but she also recognized him because he always ordered the same thing: one hotdog and his beloved peach soda. That was his go-to combination.

The lunch lady handed Ben a peach soda. "Would you like a burger instead?" Burger? He wasn't a fan of burgers; it had been years since he last had one!

An idea struck him. "Sure, I'll take that," he replied and paid up. He grabbed the snacks and took a few steps before he suddenly stopped. What was he supposed to do now?

The 'idea' he had was to politely ask 'four words' if he could swap one of his hotdogs for the burger. But upon reflection, the notion seemed foolish.

After all, they were complete strangers. Why would 'four words' want to trade his hotdog for a burger from someone he didn't even know? Should he give it a shot? Or should he just eat the burger and wait for dinner to come?

His stomach growled again, urging him to make a quick decision. He decided to give it a try. What was the worst that could happen?

Looking around, he spotted 'four words' sitting by himself in the cafeteria, munching on one of the hotdogs. He had already eaten about half of it, taking a sip of his drink while glancing around. Ben walked over to him.

"Hey, um, would you be willing to swap one of your hotdogs for this burger?" Ben asked.

The boy paused mid-chew, glanced up at Ben, and continued chewing until he swallowed. "What?"

'Did I come off as rude?' Ben wondered, trying again. "Could you please trade one of your hotdogs for this burger?" He extended the burger towards him.

The boy looked back and forth between the burger and his hotdog before bursting into laughter.

Ben was taken aback. The reaction from 'four words' surprised him. What was so funny? He had merely posed a simple question—just a yes or no would suffice, not laughter directed at him!

As soon as the boy noticed the displeasure etched on Ben's face, his laughter ceased. He took a bite of his hotdog and simply replied, "No."

Ben wore a deep scowl that made him appear quite sour. He wasn't upset about the hotdog itself; rather, he felt slighted by the boy's laughter.

"That laughter was unnecessary; just a straightforward 'no' would have sufficed," Ben remarked, trying to dismiss the rumbling in his stomach. Unfortunately for him, it seemed to echo his disappointment.

"I doubt your stomach cares whether it's a burger or a hotdog that it's missing out on," the boy quipped, taking another bite.

Ben's feelings of anger and embarrassment swirled within him. Why was everything going so wrong today?

At that moment, two familiar faces approached the table. "Sorry we're late…" Ben turned to see Eric and Chloe.

"What's up?" Chloe asked, noticing the persistent scowl on Ben's face.

The boy couldn't help but chuckle again. "Why don't you tell them what you asked me?" he said with a teasing laugh.

His amusement at Ben's request only deepened Ben's humiliation. Was his inquiry really that foolish?

Realizing he had made a significant error in judgment, Ben quickly excused himself and returned to class. He tossed his snacks into his bag, zipping it up with force and folding his arms tightly.

Why hadn't he just opted for the burger?

The day felt completely ruined, all because of hotdogs and burgers.