Head spinned in her direction when Lauren walk into the dining hall. She knew she was a spectacle, an anomaly even among the anomalies.
Lauren should be used to it by now, after all these years. She should be tougher, jaded, indifferent to the opinions of others. She should be a lot of things.
Lauren cleared her eyes and keep her hands to the both sides and pretend she was unable to make eye contact with anything but that spot, that little mark on the wall 50 feet from where she was standing.
Lauren pretended she just an object, a display. No emotions on her face and lips perfectly still. Back straight, hands unclenched. She was a robot, a ghost slipping through the crowds.
Three steps forward, 15 tables to pass, 50, 60 seconds and counting.
Food was served at only 3 times throughout the day: breakfast from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., and dinner from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
