Inferior [completed]

...herself...

Lunch time came quickly and Jane followed Kailey towards the school cantine. Normally, Kailey's mother would already pack her lunch for her but this morning, she was in a hurry to get to work and had instead gave her some pocket money to get herself something from the school cantine.

Kailey groaned as she eyed the long queue of students waiting to pay for their meal. Jane stood next to her friend as they both waited for their turn. Jane was not intending to get anything, she already had a couple of sandwiches which she had prepared for herself in the morning.

Kailey scrutinized Jane as she realised that the latter was quieter than usual. She guessed that it probably had something to do with what had happened earlier in History class.

"Hey, don't feel bad about what Mrs. Roosevelt said. She can be rude sometimes," Kailey said and rubbed her friend's arm.

Jane managed a small smile, which was not enough to convince Kailey that she had let go of the matter.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to say anything either. I mean you had said something at least. I would have certainly stare at her like a retarted fish," she said and opened her eyes wide, mimicking a fish.

Jane couldn't prevent a laugh from escaping her. Kailey was such a funny specimen. One she didn't deserve.

"And besides, I'm ready to bet that Peterson kid didn't actually know the answer. He obviously heard you," she added and rolled her eyes.

"Now you're exaggerating, Kailey," stated Jane. "Did you really just say that George Peterson, the straight–A nerd, didn't know the answer?"

Kailey shrugged. "He may get straight As but that doesn't mean he knows every single thing," she defended her point.

Jane shook her head. She appreciated her friend's effort in making her feel better. And she didn't want to show her that it didn't work at hundred percent. "Thanks, Kai. It made me feel better," she lied.

It tore at her heart seeing the satisfied smile on her friend's face. She averted her gaze, fearing that her eyes might give her off. She really didn't want to lie to Kailey but she couldn't do otherwise.

She disliked involving others in her emotional problems. She believed that she was grown up enough to deal with them herself. Besides, she knew better than to open up too much to people. It was going to be at her own disadvantage; she got her fair share of people walking out on her before just when she had started opening up to them.

She didn't want a repeat of that. She didn't think that she would be as strong as she had been back then.

Their turn soon came and Kailey ordered a takeaway of vegetable salad and chicken nuggets. The cashier repeated the order to the cook who nodded and got to work quickly.

"How much?" Kailey asked as she retrieved the money from the small pocket of her bag.

"Vegetable salad $0.55 plus chicken nuggets $1," she said out loud as she calculated the price on an electronic calculator, "gives you $1.55."

Kailey fumbled with her coins. A worried expression appeared on her face as she went through that small pocket again and searched frantically.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked, sensing her friend's distress.

Kailey's shoulders slumped dejectedly as she groaned. "My mom left the money on the table and I think I forgot to take them," she explained.

"Oh don't worry, I got you," Jane said quickly and fished the required amount of money from her jeans' pocket.

Before Kailey could object, she had already handed the money to the cashier. The latter took it and thrust the takeaway into Jane's waiting hands.

"Why'd you do that?" asked a shocked Kailey as Jane handed her her lunch.

Jane frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you pay for the meal?" Kailey asked.

"Why wouldn't I? You don't have anything to eat for lunch and was short of money. That's the least I can do for you," explained Jane with a shrug.

Kailey sighed. She felt guilty for making her friend pay for her lunch.

"Thank you. I promise to repay you back as soon as possible," she said in a timid voice.

"No don't worry about it. I don't mind at all," Jane reassured. They both sat down at a vacant table in the cafeteria.

"Anybody would have done the same," she added. However, she wasn't sure of that statement herself. To be honest, she knew that it was a lie. Nobody had done that for her.

She remembered clearly that one time when she went out to McDonald with her cousins — which was by default actually because her brother couldn't go so she went in his place. When it was time to pay for the meals, her cousins had shared their part of the bill while she was left aside to pay for her own. They had actually requested seperate bills for her, as if she was a disease.

Poor Jane, who had thought that they would be sharing the bill had brought with her only $4. She was short of $1. She was so hesitant to ask her cousins to cover up for her but when the waiter started tapping his foot impatiently, she took the risk. And was humiliated. They ended up laughing at her and calling her a gold-digger before storming out, leaving her in tears. The waiter had took pity and accepted her $4, saying that he'll use his tips to cover for the shortage. Jane had never felt so ashamed in her life.

She was not the favorite cousin; that one fact she knew very well and was proven so quite a lot of times.

She didn't want anyone to feel the way she did that day. As she looked at Kailey enjoying her lunch, she smiled.

Now she felt better.

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Stay beyoutiful,
Peace!