You!

Fried chips!

I leisurely made my way down to the sandy beach, the salty ocean breeze filled my lungs and invigorated my senses. A sense of harmony washed over me, despite my stubborn determination to never admit it out loud. The thought of returning to Virginia as soon as I turned eighteen was firmly planted in my mind, and not even the calming embrace of the beach could sway me.

I strolled into the beach cafeteria, the sounds of teenagers laughing and the smell of fried food filled the air.

"Table for one?" the waitress asked, catching me off guard with her unexpected question.

I looked around at the crowded restaurant, filled with groups of friends enjoying their meals. "Well, do you see two?" I thought to myself, amused by the waitress's stupid question. With a smile and a nod, I confirmed that yes, indeed, I was dining solo.

I took a menu from the counter myself, as she seemed to have "forgotten" to hand me one. I followed her to the back of the cafeteria, scanning the menu to see what I could afford.

Pizza caught my eye, but when I saw the price, I nearly choked on my saliva. How is it that pizza is so expensive? I nervously smiled at the waitress, trying to play it cool as I quickly buried my eyes back into the menu.

After much deliberation, I mustered up the courage to order water. It seemed like that would be all I could afford. Oh, and maybe a side of fried chips. At least that was within my budget, or maybe just half of it.

The waitress waited patiently for me to finish my order, her expression unchanged. It was clear that she had already pegged me as a cheapskate. But hey, a penny saved is a penny earned, right? And in my case, it was more like a dollar saved.

The waitress brought my order and placed the fried chips and water in front of me. She gave me a fake smile, which made it clear that she didn't expect me to leave a tip, and she was right, but I could spare her a few chips.

I started munching on my chips and took a sip of the lukewarm water, which was tap water. She glared from the paying counter at me and I gave her a friendly smile, although, in my mind, I felt like cursing at her for serving me warm water.

I was lost in thought while munching on my chips and sipping water when a group of shirtless and sweaty local boys entered.

My heart started racing as they barged into the room, their self-assured gait making me cower in the corner. The stark difference between their rough-and-tumble look and my geeky appearance was simply undeniable.

I quickly finished my chips, hoping to make a swift exit before anyone noticed. However, fate had other plans as one of the boys caught my eye and flashed me a mischievous grin. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

I leisurely finished my meal and stood up from my chair making my way towards the exit

"Hey Miss, sorry Missy?"

"Shit, shit!" I cursed silently to myself. All eyes in the cafeteria seemed to be on me as I turned around, my face flushed with embarrassment.

"You forgot to pay!" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I nervously approached the waitress to retrieve my purse and settle the bill.

With trembling hands, I fumbled through my purse, trying to find my wallet. And just my luck, everything decided to make a grand entrance by spilling out onto the floor. The cafeteria fell silent as everyone watched my clumsy display.

"Excellent!" I exclaimed, making light of the situation. It seemed I was doomed to forever be the weirdo and biggest nerd in the room. But hey, at least I was entertaining everyone with my antics.