Hell of a Day

Ben was bewildered by how quickly everything unfolded. One moment he was simply enjoying his dinner, and the next, he found himself seated at the popular group's table, with nine pairs of eyes fixed on him, a mix of amusement, confusion, and disdain reflected in their gazes.

He recalled arriving at the Food Hall post-shower, grabbing his plate and utensils, and standing in line. He could still taste the rice and chicken soup he had requested extra portions of, his hunger urging him to ask for more.

Then, he heard someone call out his name. Turning around, he spotted Chloe waving enthusiastically, beckoning him over. He considered ignoring her, but she was quick on her feet.

She approached him and pulled him toward the table. As Ben sat down, he surveyed the group—five people in total: Chloe, Eric, 'four words,' and two other guys he barely recognized.

Within moments, four more individuals joined them, bringing the total to nine, not counting himself.

Their collective surprise at his presence was evident. "I didn't realize the special kid was dining with us," remarked a boy named Casper, amusement glimmering in his eyes.

'Special kid?' Was that really how everyone referred to him?

"Really, kid? You're only a year older than him," Darla pointed out to Casper.

"Yeah, but I'm his senior, so he's still a kid in my eyes," Casper replied with a smug grin, prompting Darla to roll her eyes in response.

Ben shifted his gaze around the table, realizing that nine pairs of eyes were fixed on him. Were they waiting for him to introduce himself?

"Everyone, this is Ben, my new friend. Ben, meet..." Chloe began to introduce her friends by name.

Ben didn't bother trying to remember their names; he was too busy pondering how he and Chloe had suddenly become friends.

Friends? They'd only spoken for the first time today!

"Ben?" a girl named Bia chimed in, seeming to recall something. "Is this the burger guy?" she asked 'four words' cheerfully. His smile seemed to confirm it, and she burst into laughter.

'Burger guy'? Ben couldn't help but wonder what other nicknames he had that he was unaware of. He was starting to feel uneasy; this wasn't how he envisioned his dinner would unfold. How had he ended up here?

"Bia," Chloe admonished, not wanting Ben to think she had brought him here just to be teased.

"It was funny," Bia shrugged off the comment, continuing to eat her meal. Ben stared at his food, only looking up when someone else spoke.

"I didn't realize just anyone could join this group now," Natty remarked, her expression neutral. She looked at Chloe as she added, "We did that with Chloe last year; do we really need to do it again this year?"

"Natty..." Eric said through clenched teeth. Natty merely scoffed, returning her focus to her meal.

Ben recognized her; she was a classmate. The palpable tension suggested that Natty had a strong dislike for Chloe. He didn't know much about Natty, leaving him puzzled as to why she'd have an issue with Chloe, especially since they were in the same group.

"But seriously, why is he even here?" Bia asked, her confusion evident. Given Ben's unpopularity for various reasons, she was curious about his presence at their table.

"I've never seen you two interact. When did you become friends?" Jess questioned, a mouthful of food making his words slightly muffled.

"Ew, that's disgusting," Darla remarked, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Jess just grinned in response.

Ben stole a glance at 'four words' and noticed a small smile creeping onto his face. 'Is he actually enjoying this?' Ben wondered.

"Guys, can we take it down a notch? He's my friend, we—" Chloe began, only to be interrupted.

"You couldn't have picked a cooler friend? You had to go with the 'special nerd.' Or is it just because of his connections?" Natty shot back, a sly grin playing on her lips.

Ben was uncomfortable with the entire situation. In truth, this wasn't even his choice to begin with; he hadn't wanted to sit with them from the start. He was already bracing himself for an awkward disaster, but this was more than he had signed up for.

He rose from his seat, grabbed his meal, and headed out—friend groups simply weren't his vibe. He made a beeline for his room, fully aware that he was bending the rules, but he just couldn't find another spot in the Food Hall.

This was all Chloe's doing. Why did she have to pull him into that situation? Ben decided to let it all slide. He had studying to do that night, so he ate and then crashed, pushing the evening's events to the back of his mind.

When he stirred awake at 8 p.m., he made his way to the cafeteria to pick up a snack for his reading session. The reading hall was pleasantly quiet; it only filled up during exam periods. Ben found a chair and pulled out his book. History was on the agenda, and he was already dreading the night ahead.

An hour and a half later, someone plopped down next to him. It was Chloe, once again.

"I'm really sorry about how dinner went. I just wanted to share a meal with you. Truly, I apologize," she said earnestly.

"It doesn't matter what your intentions were. I warned you it was a bad idea, yet you still insisted I come," Ben replied, his gaze locked on his book.

"I know, and I'm-"

"Babe?" Both Chloe and Ben turned at the sound of the voice. Eric, along with a couple of others, was making his way towards them.

Ben let out a mental sigh. 'Are we really doing this again? Will the others join in too?' he pondered, his brow furrowed. One thing Ben appreciated about himself was his effort to learn from past missteps.

Determined not to let history repeat itself, he gathered his books, stood up, and declared, "Could you please leave me be? I've already said I wasn't offended by what happened at lunch, so there's no need for all this. You weren't even part of the conversation, so I'm not sure why you're involved." With that, Ben walked away, casting a quick glance at 'four words,' who wore a completely expressionless face.

He made his way to his room, letting out another sigh as he slumped onto his bed, his books landing beside him. At least he managed to read for an hour and a half. He sincerely wished today's events wouldn't replay themselves.

Ben couldn't shake the thought that perhaps he had been too tough on Chloe. "She did seem genuinely apologetic. And what's up with 'four words' and that ridiculous blank expression? He's the one who stirred this whole mess up. Or was it me?" he mused to himself.

He flopped back onto his bed, exhaling heavily. He found himself returning the blame to his own jar of regrets. If only he had eaten that darn burger. If only he had known what to say to his friends instead of staying silent and coming off as a weirdo. If only he had someone he could call a friend.

Closing his eyes, he longed for a way to cool his thoughts, wishing he could plunge his head into a bucket of ice. Today had certainly been a challenging one.

It was one hell of a day.