The cafeteria was full of students laughing and chatting. Dante was sitting at the far end of a crowded table, poking at his food. No one sat near him, and that was okay with him. He liked it that way, less chance of someone bugging him.
A group of students walked past, talking loudly.
"Did you hear about the alien invasion rumors?" a girl asked, holding her tray in one hand and gesturing with the other.
"Yeah, but it's so fake. It must be a joke, right? I mean, aliens? Come on," a boy replied. "Just another dumb hoax."
"I don't know," the girl said, lowering her voice. "My cousin works at some military base. She says they've been on high alert all week. Maybe it's real."
Dante perked up, listening. Alien invasion? He'd seen some posts online, but it seemed ridiculous. He figured it was just another one of those internet things. People always jumped to conclusions over nothing.
Another kid chimed in, shaking his head. "Please, if there were aliens, we'd know by now. They'd be all over the news. It's just some bored people trying to get attention."
The group moved on, their conversation fading into the background, but Dante's thoughts lingered on the word: aliens.
He wondered what it would be like if it were true. But he knew aliens were nothing but a myth.
"Hey, loser!"
Just his luck.
He thought as Tommy called out across the noisy cafeteria. Dante didn't look up. He wondered if they would leave him alone if he ignored them.
No such luck.
"It is time for your daily contribution." Tommy called out.
Dante sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled five-dollar bill. As he held it out, he didn't allow himself to think of how his father gave him a slap for asking for an extra five dollars.
"That's it?" Tommy asked, snatching the money from his hand. "I know you are broke, but you can't do better."
"I don't have any money," Dante replied quietly.
"You should try and get more money," Tommy said, leaning down until his face was inches from Dante's. "Or next time, we might have to take something else." He looked down at Dante's tray and smirked. "Like your lunch."
Tommy dropped his tray down with a loud clatter, sliding into the seat across from Dante. His friends, Bryce and Jason, sat on either side of him, grinning.
"Looks like you've been saving me a seat, huh?" Tommy asked, a smirk on his face. "How thoughtful of you."
Dante kept his eyes on his tray. "Just trying to eat."
Tommy leaned in closer, pretending to look at Dante's food. "What's for lunch today, loser?"
"Leave me alone, Tommy," Dante mumbled.
Tommy chuckled, reaching out and grabbing Dante's carton of milk. "You didn't say 'please,' Dante. Didn't your mom teach you anything about manners?"
He twisted the cap off the milk, opening it and before Dante could react, Tommy poured it all over his fries and sandwich. The white liquid soaked into the food, turning everything into a soggy mess.
"Oops," Tommy said, feigning surprise. "Clumsy me."
Dante's face burned with embarrassment and anger, but he didn't say anything. He knew better than to fight back.
Bryce and Jason laughed, high-fiving Tommy as they stood up.
"That's not all," Bryce added, grabbing a handful of Dante's fries and stuffing them into his mouth. "Yum, these are better than mine."
Dante clenched his fists under the table, willing himself not to react. His pulse raced, and his skin felt hot. All eyes were on him now. He could feel it. The other students watched, whispering to each other, but no one stepped in. No one ever did.
Tommy leaned in again, his voice low and mocking. "You gonna cry about it, Martinez? Or are you just gonna sit there and take it like always?"
Dante looked up then, meeting Tommy's gaze for the first time, "Just leave me alone."
Tommy smirked. "We'll see about that."
Without warning, he shoved the table and Dante's lunch splattered all over his body. The cafeteria roared with laughter.
Dante couldn't move. His face burned with humiliation. He wanted to disappear, to sink into the ground, and never come back alive.
"Enjoy the rest of your lunch, nerd," Tommy sneered, standing up with his friends. "Next time, give me more money."
Tommy and his friends laughed as they walked away.
Dante sat there, staring down at himself. His hands trembled, but he didn't wipe away the milk dripping from his chin.
A few kids passed by, giving him pitying glances, but no one said anything.
That was worse, somehow. Like he wasn't even worth their full attention, just another sad person in their day.
He gathered his stuff as he hurried out of the cafeteria.
After school, Dante walked home alone with his hands deeply tucked into his pockets.
Rumors of alien invasion had spread rapidly. Some students discussed it in hushed tones while others openly ridiculed the idea, deeming it too ridiculous to be true.
Aliens invading Earth? It sounded like the plot of a science fiction movie, not reality.
The gray sky threatened rain, but Dante hardly noticed. His thoughts were consumed by the rumors, the only thing that could distract him from his dark thoughts.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a message from his mom.
"I am working late. There's food in the fridge. Love you."
He stared at the message for a moment and replied "okay" before putting the phone back into his pocket.
It wasn't unusual for his mom to work late since they'd moved to the city. She was always busy, always trying to earn more money. And his dad? Dante didn't even know where he was most of the time.
He pushed open the door to their apartment and stepped inside, dropping his backpack by the couch. The apartment was quiet, too quiet. Dante detested the silence; it gave him too much time to think.
He entered the kitchen and opened the fridge, gazing at the half-empty shelves. There was some leftover pasta from the night before, but he wasn't hungry. The thought of food made his stomach churn.
Instead, he grabbed a can of soda and sank onto the couch, switching on the TV. The news was on, showing a clip of a government official at a press conference.
"...no credible evidence of alien activity," the man was saying. "We urge the public to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation."
Dante scoffed, taking a sip of his soda. Of course it was only a rumor.
He changed the channel, but his mind kept returning to the rumors. What if the aliens were real? What if the government was hiding something? It wouldn't be the first time they'd kept things from the public.
As he stared at the TV, the screen flickered for a moment, static crackling across the image.
Dante frowned, tapping the remote. The screen cleared, but something about it felt off.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it left him with an uneasy feeling.