Forever Running

Forever Running | Chapter Eleven

I looked at my plate, the tan coloured slop covering every inch and making my stomach turn. The girl patted, more like slapped, my back and nugged me to eat. I glanced back at her glaring face and quickly picked up my spoon. As I took a bite I looked to see a satisfied look in the girls face.

Once she turned around, I spat it back into a used napkin.

"Caught you." I shot my head up in fear the lunch girl had saw me, but instead I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Stella.

"Thank God it's you." I whispered. A small smile cracked on Stella's face.

"Sorry," she began as she dropped her plate of slop on the table and pulled a seat in front of me. "Vicky is the one who feeds us, and since we don't always have something to eat, we're forced to shove anything she makes down our throat."

I smiled gently. "I'm not hungry." I glanced away from Stella. "I've gone longer nights without food."

Silence rose between Stella and I. When I glanced back to her, her electric blue eyes flashed, almost with irritation. The heavy background noise of the children flushed over to our table.

"So, I guess we have a lot to talk about." Stated Stella, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Like what?" I asked, working my spoon into the slop. To be dead honest, I was done with talking. My last conversation with James was too emotionally draining, I wasn't sure if I was solid enough to speak to Stella.

"Like James." She whispered, leaning into her seat so her electric eyes could lock easily with mine.

I sat back into my seat, wondering if Stella could read minds. "There's nothing to talk about...other than the fact that I'm terrified of him."

"Uh uh." Repied Stella, waving her index finger in front of my face. "To be real, you looked pretty comfortable with him."

"What?" I asked in a way that sounded too offended than intended.

"Tell me about what you guys talked about." She demanded, leaning back in her seat, placing her feet crossed over on the table.

"Home." I replied. I sank lower into my seat. I really was not in the mood for this conversation.

"Whose?" She demanded, her eyes flaring with curiosity. "James or yours?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Both....I guess....why?"

"James doesn't talk much." Stella explained leaning back into her chair. She promoted her feet on the table and leaning back further, stretching her arms out, lacing her fingers behind her head.

"Really?" I asked curiously. James didn't seem too secretive. If he was willing to give his entire life story to someone he didn't know, then what was holding him back from telling the people he lives with?

"Well, apart from his obvious background, he doesn't say much. Or at least go into detail."

I ran my hand through my dark hair and let out a small sigh. "What about you?" I asked Stella, trying to redirect the conversation.

"What do you want to know?" she said staring at the ceiling.

"Everything." I replied siting up straight, leaning in to focus on Stella.

"Well," laughed Stella. "I'm twenty three years old and I grew up in the west end, in a small home with my parents and older sister." She began, her eyes not leaving the ceiling, the smile on her face glistening.

"We didn't have much money growing up, just like everyone else here. But everything was fine until high school." Stella's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the memory.

"Selena was three years older than me, so as my older sister she introduced me to people. Everyone loved Selena so they soon loved me. I kinda became the popular girl in my school, or more like my grade." They smile on Sella's face tightened.

"And I loved it. There was even this guy," she paused for a moment. "He was the coolest kid in school. At least everyone thought he was, he was just like me though. He grew up in a small home a small family, with a small income. We had so much in common, we were basically best friends." Stella's voice almost cracked at the thought.

"Were best friends?" I asked, hinting at the past tense.

"He changed, and ruined me," Stella explained, her eyes snapping to me, the smile that was once on her face had disappeared entirely.

"Or should I say blessed me?" She continued. I stared back at Stella, my expression blank.

"What do you mean?" I asked, hunting for clarification.

She waved her hand back and forth for a second. "That's not important, I guess. What's important is that he's the reason I'm here." she explained.

The silence between us grew thicker.

"Um, is there a washroom here?" I asked standing up and breaking the silence.

"Yea," answered Stella, standing up with me. "If you follow the hallway over there, it's the first door to your left."

"Thanks." I said turning my body around, stopped and looked at Stella again. "for everything."

A large grin cracked on Stella's face. "No problem." she laid her hand on my shoulder. "You'll fit in here great."

I smiled gently and walked to the hallway, trying to dodge the children running around. On my way to the bathroom door, I glanced back at Stella.

A young boy, who couldn't be older than the age of four, ran up to her and hugged her tightly. His dirty blonde hair nearly covered his eyes. His electric blue eyes that danced in excitment at the sight of Stella. The large smile returned to her face as she lifted him up, carried him with her hip and walked into the croud of children.