After what felt like an eternity, class finally ended. Charmel breathed a sigh of relief, her thoughts already turning to the lunch waiting for her in the cafeteria.
"Finally," she exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head. "I thought that class would never end."
"I know, right? I'm starving," Kai agreed, his stomach growling on cue.
"Same," Chika chimed in, her own stomach echoing the sentiment. "Let's head to the cafeteria before there's nothing left to eat."
The group quickly gathered their belongings and headed out of the classroom, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. As they approached the cafeteria, the smell of food wafting through the air intensified their hunger.
"Ah, the sweet smell of food," Charmel sighed blissfully. "I can't wait to stuff my face."
They entered the bustling cafeteria and were immediately hit by the hustle and bustle of hungry students. The room was filled with the clatter of trays, the murmur of conversations, and the delicious aromas of various cuisines.
Chika's eyes widened as she surveyed the food options. "There's so much to choose from," she said, her voice tinged with excitement. "I don't even know where to start."
"Leave that to me," Charmel said, giving Chika a confident grin. "I know exactly what I'm getting."
The group navigated their way through the crowd, weaving between tables and fellow students. They found an empty table near the window and settled down, their eyes fixed on the tempting array of food laid out in front of them.
Charmel wasted no time in selecting her lunch. She piled her plate high with a generous serving of noodles, a burger, pizza slices, and a side of fries.
Leo watched in disbelief as Charmel's plate filled up, her own more modest selection looking pitiful in comparison. "How are you going to eat all that?" she asked, incredulous.
Charmel shrugged, a defiant glint in her eyes. "It's all about strategy. You start with the light stuff first, work your way up to the heavier items, and pace yourself."
Kai chuckled, thoroughly entertained by Charmel's determination. "You really do have a game plan for everything, don't you?"
"Hey, I take eating seriously," Charmel replied with a mock-serious tone. "It's an art form, you know. One that requires skill and finesse."
Chika watched as Charmel dug into her food with gusto, her own sandwich forgotten in favor of witnessing this spectacle.
"I swear, you're going to give yourself an upset stomach eating all that," Leo commented, shaking her head.
Charmel waved off Leo's concern, her mouth full of noodles. "Don't worry about me. My stomach's made of titanium. It can handle anything."
As Charmel was busy stuffing her face with noodles, Kai's hand snaked out and grabbed a bite of her sandwich. Charmel yelped in surprise, almost choking on her food.
"Hey! What the heck, man?" she exclaimed, her eyes narrowing at Kai. "That was my sandwich!"
Kai chewed the stolen bite, a smirk on his face. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good sandwich. And yours looked extra tasty."
Charmel playfully swatted at him, feigning annoyance. "You jerk! You could've at least asked for a bite instead of just taking it."
"You really asking for a fight?" Charmel's playful swat at Kai escalated into a light-hearted scuffle, both of them grappling for control of the remaining sandwich. Leo and Chika watched with amusement, their own lunches forgotten for the moment.
"Oh, you're on," Kai said, a competitive glint in his eyes. "I'm not letting you have this sandwich without a fight."
Chika sigh "There we go again" Chika shook her head in resignation as Charmel and Kai continued their playful brawl over the sandwich. This wasn't an uncommon sight among their group, and they were used to their antics by now.
"Every time we have lunch together, they end up wrestling over food," Chika said, chuckling. "You'd think they would grow out of it eventually."
"You know Charmel and Kai," Leo chimed in, a smirk on her face. "They can't help but compete over everything, even something as trivial as a sandwich."
On the other side of the table, Charmel and Kai were still locked in their mock battle, attempting to snatch the sandwich from each other's grip.
After the lunch break, the group returned to their classroom, bracing themselves for another round of classes. Charmel was still fuming a little over Kai stealing her sandwich, but she tried her best to put on a composed face.
"Next time, I'm hiding my food from you," Charmel muttered to Kai as they settled into their seats.
The ringing of the bell echoed through the room, signaling the start of the next class. The group groaned inwardly, wishing they could have a little more time to rest before delving back into academics. The teacher entered the room, a stern expression on his face. "Alright, class," he began, his voice commanding attention. "Today, we'll be focusing on a very important topic. Please open your history books to chapter four."
Charmel let out a soft sigh. She hated history class, finding it incredibly boring and tedious. She leaned back in her seat, already feeling drowsy.
The teacher droned on about historical events, and Charmel found her mind wandering. She fidgeted with her pen, doodling in the margins of her notebook instead of taking notes.
Suddenly, she felt a light poke on her arm. She looked up to see Kai stealthily passing her a note. Charmel eyed the note curiously, then discreetly took it. She unfolded it, her eyes scanning the contents.
The note read: "Stay awake, or you'll end up drooling on your desk." - Kai
She glanced back at Kai, shooting him an annoyed look.
Charmel rise her hand to excuse for restroom. The teacher, mid-lecture, paused and looked at Charmel. "Yes, Charmel?"
Charmel put on her most polite expression. "May I use the restroom, sir?"
The teacher eyed her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Make it quick, though. We have a lot to cover today."
Charmel thanked him and left the classroom, grateful for the excuse to escape the boredom of history class.
Charmel slipped out into the corridor and made her way to the cafeteria. The halls were buzzing with students, but the cafeteria itself was nearly deserted due to the ongoing classes.
She strolled through the tables, enjoying the temporary solitude. Seeing a vending machine nearby, she realized she was feeling a bit thirsty.
Charmel approached the vending machine and eyed the array of drinks inside. Her stomach was still full from lunch, but her thirst was starting to bother her.
After a moment of contemplation, she inserted some coins into the machine and selected a chilled bottle of lemonade.
As she waited for the drink to dispense, Charmel looked around the cafeteria. It was different seeing the usually bustling room deserted like this. A strange sense of calm settled over her.
The vending machine beeped, and a cold bottle of lemonade dropped into the collection slot. Charmel grabbed it and twisted off the cap, taking a refreshing sip.
Charmel had spent a good amount of time in the cafeteria, savoring her fizzy drink and enjoying the relative peace. Eventually, she decided it was probably time to return to class before the teacher noticed her absence.
She sighed, not looking forward to the prospect of returning to history class. But she knew she had to go. Reluctantly, she left the cafeteria and navigated her way back to her classroom.
As Charmel approached the classroom door, she heard faint murmurs of conversation coming from inside. Taking a deep breath, bracing herself for the monotony that awaited her, she pushed open the door.
"Ok finish or not finish, pass your paper." The teacher's voice caught Charmel's attention, snapping her out of her reverie. She quickly realized that she had missed a significant chunk of the lesson. She quickly retook her seat, hoping the teacher hadn't noticed her absence.
Around her, her classmates were handing in their completed assignments, presumably a quiz or test they had been working on during her absence. Charmel silently cursed herself for getting distracted.
As Charmel saw the stack of completed papers being placed on the teacher's desk, she inwardly groaned. She hadn't done any of the work in her absence, and now she'd have to make up for it somehow.
The teacher called out another student's name to pass forth their papers, and Charmel realized she was almost up next.
"Ah, Charmel," the teacher said, his voice slightly disapproving. "You're back. I hope you enjoyed your little break."
Charmel winced inwardly, knowing she had been caught. "I had to visit the restroom," she lied, hoping the teacher wouldn't press the issue.
The teacher gave her a look that suggested he didn't quite believe her explanation, but he didn't argue. "Well, next time, try not to take impromptu bathroom breaks during class."
Charmel nodded apologetically, silently vowing to be more discreet about her absences from now on.