Bitter, Sweet, Repeat

5 -- Define Happiness

The woman in the front of the room nodded, “This will be your assignment. I want it by the end of the week. Define happiness.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “My time’s up.”

“Come with me to lunch?” Connor stood towering over Sophia in her seat. She looked at him skeptically. “I won’t bite you. If I wanted something decaying inside and out then I’d eat you, but I don’t.”

Cocking a brow, Sophia responded, “You want me to get lunch with you but you’ve got an attitude like that?”

He put his hands up in a mock surrender, “It’s a reflex to insult you.”

Picking up her bag and standing up, Sophia got up and headed toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder and, with her head, motioned for Connor to follow. They walked in silence for a few minutes. The noise around them was slowly swelling as they approached the dinning hall.

“So happiness is an illusion?”

Sophia kept her eyes fixed forward, “As far as I’m concerned… yeah,” she shrugged.

“Well that’s pretty morbid,” Connor side glanced at the brunette. Her features were unchanging. They reached the entrance of the dinning hall and Connor stopped in his tracks. Only a step a head, Sophia leaned back on her back foot, turned on the heel of her foot, and gave him a questioning look. Opening his mouth, sound refused to come out.

“What?” She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

He shook his head, “Nothing.” Once they paid for their food and sat down Connor started picking off of Sophia’s plate.

“Knock it off,” she slapped at his hands. Their friends joined them. Much to Sophia’s dismay, the friends that she had managed to make, they were in the same social circle as Connor.

Rick sat across from Sophia, beside Connor, at the rectangular table, “Hey mate,” he nodded at Connor, “Hey Sophia.”

“Hi,” looking up from her food she smiled at him gently. He watched as Sophia’s fork fought off Connor’s from her plate.

“Why didn’t get you get the chicken pasta if that’s what you wanted?”

“I just want to try some of yours,” he wined.

“You know how it tastes!” She snapped.

“Sophia,” she looked up at Rick. “What are you doing after classes?” Sophia stopped fighting off Connor’s fork and jabbed at a piece of fruit with her fork.

“Nothing, why?”

“I was wondering if you could help me with that assignment we got today… that what is happiness…?” Sophia nodded slowly.

“Sure, after classes right?”

“You can’t,” Connor blurted. A few of their other friends that had joined them stopped their chattered and looked at him. “Lacrosse practice today,” he shrugged sympathetically. “Nice save,” Connor thought to himself.

All practice, Rick and Connor had been getting extra rough with one another. Connor shoulder checked Rick. “What’s your deal?” Rick shoved Connor back.

“Nothing, just playing the game. Can’t handle me?”

“We’re on the same team, idiot.” They both had red practice jerseys over their padding. Connor ignored Rick.

Toward the end of practice Rick gave Connor another hard shove causing him to stumble. He caught his footing. With his eyes fixed on Rick, Connor threw down his stick, and came charging.