Dawns High and the Destruction of the Bees

Con.

Selena Jal:

Sunday January 17th—

I'm feeling a bit lazy today so I am going to school for breakfast. Usually, I make my own breakfast, but not everyday is a productive day. The only downside about having your meal at school is that you have to pay for it and it's usually premade so it's not as delicious. The lunch and breakfast they offer during school days are free and they are made on that day so those are good, but once it comes to Sunday's meals, the cooks kind of lay down a bit.

"I still like your cooking better," Emma says, wandering freely. She's coming with me because we ran out of yogurt. I'll get more, but we won't be home for the week so there's no point in doing so.

I hand the cashier $5 for a bowl of oatmeal and cream cheese bagel. The juice and milk are free so I grab a pint of strawberry milk. Haven't drank this in a while, but it's still as good as ever.

"There are a lot more people here than expected," Emma says, taking a seat. She ordered a salad, some fruits, and a cup of almond milk. However, she also pulls out a small notebook from somewhere. I see her marking up the events in January.

"Is that your planner?" I ask. I didn't know she had one.

"Yup!" she responds, beaming. She pops a slice of juicy peach into her mouth. "I found it in my drawer the other day and I'm determined to use it." I pour some of my milk into the oatmeal and stir them around. I always put milk into my oats, but I don't think I've ever put in strawberry milk.

"Hey!" Wade says, sitting down next to me. "Ya guys come 'ear for breakfast too?" Suddenly, I feel very self aware and anxious. I start staring down at my food more and turning my head right, to avoid looking at him. However, I do notice that he ordered some eggs and bacon, a plain bagel, and a cup of orange juice. I don't know why, but I like to analyze food and what people order. It's fascinating to me because it helps me come up with new recipes.

"Hey dude," Emma says, closing her planner. Emma is not a shy person, but she won't usually approach someone she doesn't know. Another way to put it is that most people have to approach Emma first. "And no, it's our first time coming here."

"Oh, I come here a lot because I can't cook. I'm afraid I'll poison myself," Wade says, laughing it off. Somehow, I feel less nervous now, but I'm kind of irritated. Nobody should say that they can't cook. Everybody can, they just need a proper recipe and follow all the instructions.

"Um, I have a cookbook if you want to borrow it," I say quietly. Emma drops her fork and looks at me with super wide eyes. I know, it's so embarrassing, but I can't help it. Anything involving food is too much for me to ignore.

"Not sure if it's gonna work, but I'll give it a try," he says. I nod; I have a PDF of it in my drive so I might as well send it to him when later in the day. Our wristband has the school contact information of every student and staff here so I can find Wade's name easily.

"So did you guys know that I passed into the third round?" Wade says excitedly.

"Really? Congratulations! Us too!" Emma says, happily. I guess Wade and his teammates are a pretty strong group after all. You really can't underestimate anyone when it comes to competitions.

"Which team are you on?" Emma asks.

"Team Cornflakes," Wade says, a bit embarrassed. "The name's a bit weird, but I like it. Anyway, what group are you guys in?" I remember Team Cornflakes passed as 5th place and I remember thinking that it's a great name because it is named after a kind of food.

"Team Inarrestabile," Emma says. "And I'm so excited for the next round!" I know she's just saying that, but Emma is definitely panicking inside. She must be nervous because whether or not she can get her mom's information will be passed off this next round. I still think that it's unfair how Mr. A wants us to win the tournament when there are so many other strong students like the Royal Family members. It's like a human trying to outrun a horse in a race.