Before Emilia had realized the morning had flew by. She had attended three lecture classes and while both Clementine and Azael had expected her to have a hard time because she was new she surprised both with how ready she was. It seemed that the schooling she had been receiving back at Elysium had prepared her well and she was in par with her classmates.
Emilia felt happy that she was not lost, but that she was just on the right level concerning her academic life, except she was even happier by the fact that her two new acquaintances had not left her alone all morning. They had stuck by her side like glue, and she wonder if it was okay to consider them her friends. She made a mental note to ask them this before the end of the school day.
In all three classes that the group attended Clementine made sure that Emilia sat between Azael and her. She knew that the stares Emilia had received in the morning had freaked her out and she did not want any other issue to affect her.
When mid-day arrived, it was time for lunch.
"Yes! Lunch time!" Azael rejoiced, "I'm hungry."
"You are always hungry." Clementine struck while the group made their way thru the crowded hallways of the academy.
It looked like everyone around them was enjoying the class break. Students were seen all around laughing and talking with each other without a care in the world. Emilia was mesmerized by all these new images that were encrypted in her mind.
"Come Emilia, let us show you the cafeteria." Azael said with a joyful tone.
They kept on walking thru the main hallway for a little while longer until they reached an open space. Emilia noticed that they were actually on a second floor, and they had to descend the stairs to reach the cafeteria that was at the bottom. The cafeteria was divided into two sections. One was an outside patio with many wooden round tables and a big maple tree on the far-right side. The tree was just in front of the stairs, and it offered a great shade for all those students who were on this section. To get to the other section one had to walk across the outside patio and enter thru a set of four huge double doors. Once inside there was a buffet like section on the left and more wooden tables on the right. This section was specially crowded as this is where all the food was.
As soon as Emilia walked inside, she noticed that the inside cafeteria was already packed with students in different uniform colors. She saw red, green, brown, gray, black and of course blue.
"Do all ages eat together?" Emilia asked as she noticed not only the difference in uniform color, but also in physical appearance.
"Yes, but each age keeps to themselves" Azael explained. "It's sort of an unwritten rule. No age level mingles with another."
"Well, that is accurate only from our age and up." Clementine clarified, "The little kiddos do eat apart in their own private section."
"That makes sense" Emilia whispered. She was mystified as her gaze travelled thru all corners of the cafeteria. She had never seen so many young people before. She was only used to adults and for her this entire scene of youths interacting with one another was fascinating.
"Come, let's go get our food." Clementine said pulling her out of her trance.
The trio made their way to the buffet like section of the cafeteria that was composed of multiple trays containing warm food. The smell was so inviting that Emilia could not wait to devour anything and everything she could get her hands on. The buffet was made out of foods like chicken, fish, salads and soups. Toward the end there were baskets of warm bread rolls and even containers of freshly cut fruit. Everything looked delicious and because Emilia could not decide on what to get, she took a little bit of everything.
Throughout her journey in the cafeteria Emilia made sure to always stick by Clementine and Azael. She was still not comfortable being without them.
After all three of them filled their platters with food Emilia followed Clementine to a table on a far corner by a window. Azael was trailing behind them and in an instant when Emilia turned to see if Azael was still behind her, she felt her body crash into a hard wall. She was startle and darted her eyes to the front. She noticed that what she had crushed into was not a wall, but an older boy who was wearing a green uniform. He was much taller than her and in order to meet his eyes she had to look up and hold her chin up. Emilia was instantly assaulted with a nervous feeling that made her body shake with anxiety.
Her anxiety worsened when Emilia noticed that the boy in front of her was not happy. In fact, he was fuming with anger. He glared at Emilia and froze her on her spot. No matter how much her brain was telling her to say something it was as if he had cast a spell on her making her unable to move or speak.
"Are you fucking bling?" the boy screamed at Emilia, "Look at the mess that you made! And all my food -wasted!" The boy was infuriated. His rage was unlike anything Emilia had ever witnessed.
Looking at the floor she noticed that she had made him drop all his food. She had created a mess. There was chicken and bread all mushed together on the ground. Her eyes continue to wonder around the cafeteria, and she noticed that all eyes were on her. She had caused a spectacle and had no idea how to get out of it. Her lack of experience was at fault, and she felt weaker than weak.
As tears threaten to leave her eyes, she suddenly felt a strong arm holding her shoulder and pulling her in to a side hug. The arm belonged to Clementine who had taken noticed of what had happened and rush back to aid Emilia.
"What the hell Marcus? You are the one who is apparently blind." Clementine roared back. She was not going to stand and watch this bully overpower her friend.
"Come Emilia, let's go. Do not pay attention to unnecessary people." Clementine gave Marcus a harsh look before moving Emilia who she was still holding on to in a strong grip.
"And where the hell do you think you are going just like that." Marcus screamed while grabbing Clementine by the arm. "She made me drop my food, so it is only fair that she gives me hers." Marcus exclaimed, while he was still holding on to Clementine with a brute force.
"Let go of me.." Clementine said while grunting her teeth and giving Marcus a fierce look.
Clementine was not going to let Marcus intimidate her or her friend. She knew very well that her human strength was no match to Marcus's celestial demon strength, but still there was no way she was backing down. In her mind she was prepared to lose this fight, but she would at least get one good punch. She smiled at the thought of watching him take a blow from her human fist.
"I will once she gives me her lunch." Marcus retorted back.
Emilia who up to this point had been a frozen statue suddenly jolted back to reality. She could not just stand there and let Clementine be maltreated because of her clumsiness.
"Clementine, I'll just give him my food. It was my fault for not paying attention to my surroundings." Emilia whispered to Clementine to try to ger her approval. She so desperately wanted this situation to be over and, in an effort, to move things along she nudged her food platter toward Marcus, but as soon as Clementine saw this, she pulled Emilia back and stopped her from giving him her tray. In Clementine's mind there was no way she was going to let Emilia give her food to Marcus. It was no longer about whose fault it was that Marcus had dropped his food, but it was about how rude and filthy Marcus was acting. He did not deserve to get Emilia's food.
Without diverting her eyes from Marcus, Clementine repeated herself in a fiery voice, "I said to let go of me."
Marcus only gave her an evil smile. He was fired up and ready to take on this little human.
Suddenly, out of nowhere Azael, who had been distracted talking to some friends came into the dense scene.
"You heard the lady," Azael said while placing his body in between the girls and Marcus. "Let go of her if you don't want things to escalate". Azael's tone was witty as ever. His confidence was like no other. It seemed that he was sure Marcus had nothing on him.