The Facility | ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Seven

This is the fourth-last chapter. 

I squinted my eyes at the book in front of me, "Is this even in English?"

Opal gave me a small laugh, "No, it's Japanese. It's my last HSC exam next week."

"Ah... Opal?"

"Yeah?" she raised an eyebrow. 

"How am I supposed to help you study for Japanese when... um, I don't know Japanese?" I collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Her face fell and she muttered, "Tawagoto."

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking at the scribbles in her book. 

"You don't wanna know," she replied, "Okay, I'll get Steph to help me later, then. Dinner's starting."

"Food?" I looked up from her book of nonsense. 

"Yes, food-lover, dinner," Opal smirked, "It started... two minutes ago."

"What?" I shrieked, "Why is it always me running late?"

"I'm staying to study for Jap. You go down and eat."

"Okay!" I didn't even argue as I ran out of the common room and down to the dining hall. 

Principal Wednesday was halfway through the school pledge when I ran in and she frowned at me but continued. 

A few giggles escaped from the younger girls as I - red-faced - made my way to a table. Whitney whispered to me, "How on earth are you S.B.P. when you're always late?"

I grinned, "Because I'm better than you."

Whitney rolled her mascara-ed eyes, "Sure, sure. I'll let you believe that."

"You may begin eating," Principal Wednesday said and I finally looked to my plate.

My face twisted, "What the fudge is this?"

I used my fork to pick up the squishy brown thing. The bottom of it was charred black, "Ew, ew, ew..."

Whitney chewed into her lasagna but across the table, Emily's face was also grimaced, "What on earth is this?"

I shuddered, "I'm not eating that... Anyone up to pizza and wedges in my dorm?"

Emily nodded quickly, "Deal!"

We both stood up to make our way to the dorm but Principal Wednesday asked coldly, "Where do you two think you're going?"

I winced, "To my dorm?"

"Why?"

I looked to Emily quickly. She stuttered, "Um, uh, we're, I'm not, we're not hungry."

"Really?" Principal Wednesday crossed her arms, "Natalie's always hungry, though."

Emily gave a short bubble of laughter and then said, "Mum, the dinner looks gross."

"It's called scrapple, Emily," Principal Wednesday sighed, "And it's not my decision on what the chef chooses to make."

I wrinkled my nose, "What is scrapple?"

"Pork loaf, basically," Principal Wednesday said, "And you girls both had it at the beach house a few years back."

Right, back when I'd eat anything in a fit.

Emily grimaced, "Please, Mum?"

"Fine, go," Principal Wednesday rolled her eyes, "A waste of food but fine."

Emily quickly dragged me out before I could feel any guilt crush me. We raced up to Teresa common room and I put my frozen pizza in the oven with a tray of sweet potato wedges.