Hands In The Stars

18. Gray Break

"Oh, there you are!" Meng's high pitched shrill voice caused Ai to freeze dead in his tracks. "I was looking all over for you!" She continued. Ai looked suspiciously to his right to see Meng already clinging frantically onto Datui's arm, while Datui barely even reacted at all.
"Oh, hey, I didn't know you'd be here today. What would you be searching for me for?" Datui asked curiously, smiling down at the short girl.
"Well, I was hoping you'd have some free time after school today, or any other day as well for that matter! I heard you got a new place, isn't it in the big city? Everyone talks about it, that's so cool!" She asked excitedly, tugging Datui's arm closer to her.
"Uh, yeah, I did. Damn, how do they get news so quick? It's almost concerning. Maybe we could ask the others if they want to have a hangout some time this week, I don't really have much plans anyways. It's been a while since we all had a party together." Datui agreed. His attention turned to one of the bigger groups further away on the field. Before Meng even had the chance to open her mouth again, Datui was already making his way towards the group, pulling Meng along who was still holding tightly onto his arm. Ai observed, as they left. The urge to follow after them grew stronger within him for every passing second, but he simply pushed it away. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary argument, and knew very well that most of the people in that group didn't really like his presence all too much. Instead, he simply let it go and slowly made his way back towards the girls changing room.

*

The lunch bells rang out loudly, and some of the students were already packing up their food in their respective classrooms. Others grabbed onto their belongings and made their way towards the spacious cafeteria at the edge of the school building, where the restaurant students sold their home-made sweets, snacks and drinks. Zen hurried up behind a group of other students that seemed to be headed that way, keeping her head low as they rapidly got into the line for sweets. She roamed her eyes over the cafeterias menu on the counter, for the forth time today, as she tried to drag as little attention as possible to herself.
"Oh look, there's Zen. I'm surprised she even reveals her face in here anymore." Meng admitted as she took another bite out of her donut and nodded towards the girl standing in the far end of the line.
"She's so gross, she clearly doesn't need any more of those snacks, why is she even here at all? Doesn't she own any mirrors?" Lin frowned.
"She looks so lonely over there though, it's really not fair. Lin. Go chat her up, won't you?" Hana teased. She nudged Lin's side with a wide smile across her lips. "Come on, I'll take care of your muffin for you."
"Oh, really? Why would I ever want to talk to her? There's clearly a reason she's standing alone." Lin stated in a humiliating tone, rolling her eyes.

Lin put her muffin down in front of Hana and stood up from her chair.
"The muffin is yours anyways. You paid for it." She gave her friends a brief smile, then walked over to the line and stopping right next to the brown haired girl. Lin's elbow poked Zen's side, and with a surprised expression Zen turned to look at her. She had been too lost in thought to fully register the other students presence.
"Hey mom, I don't know if anyone has told you yet, but you probably shouldn't really be standing in this line. Some others need their food way more than you do, or, well, maybe it's not the food that's making you so round?" She teased and poked Zen's side again with a snicker. Zen didn't snicker back, she lowered her head, wrapping her pale arms around herself. Eventually, she gradually took a few steps out of the line and watched her previous spot quickly getting closed up as the students behind her took a step forwards. They didn't care about the situation, they simply moved forth in line. Zen felt a wave of shame wash over her.

"I'm not- I am not fat, Lin." Zen tried to protect herself. She wanted to show the others that she wouldn't be stepped all over, but her voice betrayed her. Her defence came out as nothing more than a shaky, flawed whisper. She took a few steps back, trying to get away from their judging glances, when she suddenly bumped into another student behind her. The unprepared stranger dropped their plate with cake onto the ground, and a loud clang interrupted the chatter of the room. Zen quickly turned around and stumbled away, staring at the mess of broken porcelain and whipped cream in front of her. The entire cafeteria went silent, and everyone turned around to observe what had just happened. After a few long seconds, however, the silence got broken off by Meng and Hana laughing like maniacs from their table, and soon some of their classmates joined in as well. Zen felt the tears starting to dwell up in her eyes and she turned around sharply, forcefully pushing Lin's thin body backwards.

"S-stop that already! Just stop! It was- It was a whole year ago! Just stop!" She burst out at Lin, tears down her chubby cheeks.
"How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours?!" Lin snapped back, giving Zen a harsh glare. "Who knows how many old men's dicks you've touched with those! I don't want them anywhere near me, you're so gross!" Lin raised her hand in Zen's direction. She stopped dead in her tracks and slowly lowered her hand once again, staring at the tall figure approaching them behind Zen. Zen slowly turned around to see what Lin was staring at.
"Hey there sweetheart, haven't you gotten yourself any food yet?" Ethan asked as he extended a hand towards Zen. "The break is almost over by now, come on, if you're not going to get anything from here, why don't you join me for lunch?" He suggested with a tender smile. The upperclassman completely ignoring Lin's presence, and Zen grabbed gently onto his hand in response. All she wanted was to get out of there. 

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