One by one, five people sat down at the table normally used only by Alex, and him alone. Though he was annoyed, he was the first to start the conversation, a rarity for other to even hear his voice.

"What are any of you doing here," Alex spat, "at my table?" He liked being alone, he didn't need other people at his table. He didn't need friends, didn't need to be social. Didn't want to be social.

The next to reply was Sebastian, derisively, "Look around, nerd. Do you see another table? God, with grades like yours I'd think you could count at least." He crossed his arms. He hated it when others acted snippy or angry with him. He never wanted to be wrong.

Alex seethed. This boy better not have just insulted him like that. "Did you just-" He began, but was stopped.

"Is there a reason you're bickering like children," Maria said levelly, with a no-nonsense tone to her voice, "or are you going to begin acting like you belong in high school instead of elementary?" She was sick of this, sick of having to control and reign in people who should be controlling themselves.

For a moment, there was silence. Sebastian sniffed and rolled his eyes. Hailey watched quietly, the urge to speak slowly building in the back of her mind - if she weren't going to lead a simple social interaction, what was the point in even coming to lunch? She could've eaten in the library. Alex sighed and quietly opened his notebook, returning to writing while he ate. Kyle, having finished his school lunch already, slowly pulled a snack out of his bag, though the sound of him opening the wrapper seemed to be the only one to be heard at the table.

Finally, Hailey spoke, at first hesitantly, then regaining her normal confidence, "So...that chemistry test, huh? It was probably the longest one I've seen yet." She was trying hard to make conversation, to be a leader. The tense silence was unbearable to her, she hated it when no one could get along.

Maria looked at the ground and stayed quiet. That chemistry test... why would the smartest girl in school have to bring it up? Sebastian didn't respond, he wanted to be above such trivialities and so he acted like he was. Alex, engrossed in his writing, barely heard the question. 

"Yeah...uh...how bad is it?" Kyle asked shyly, nervous. He hadn't taken the test yet, that class was later in the day for him. He'd always struggled in chemistry, and he was hoping it wouldn't be as agonizing as the other tests.

"Not horrible, just long," Hailey shrugged as she spoke. Even she had found it hard, but she didn't want to admit that - especially not in front of these people. Maria wanted to disagree, but instead stayed silent, not wanting to seem weak. Kyle wiped his trembling hands on his skirt before beginning to speak again.

"So...yeah...I'm probably going to try and do the retake afterwards..." Kyle chuckled, though he didn't really feel like it was funny, and looked away. He didn't want to admit how much he also struggled in chemistry, so he tried to joke about it to take away from the stress it caused him.

Alex looked up from his writing for a moment. "The chemistry test? That teacher doesn't do retakes." He shook his head and went back to his notebook, the scrawl of pencil against paper seeming loud in the lull between each person speaking.

Kyle shifted uncomfortably and looked at the floor. "Oh..." He uttered, not speaking anymore. He felt so...stupid, saying something only to be corrected like that. He wiped his eyes.

Hailey looked to Maria. "In any case, you're...on the football team, right? How's that going for you?" She tried to make friendly conversation, bringing up the one thing she knew - and envied - about the girl. Hailey had never been particularly athletic, so she always ended up looking at those who had.

"The football team?" Maria hesitated. She forced a smile, not wanting to show her troubles to these people, not wanting to burden them. "Oh, it's going well. I'm the captain this year." She tried to be casual, hiding the feelings she had about her precarious position on the team.

Sebastian was interested in the conversation again. He knew the football team, most of them at least - except Maria, of course. He'd never had any favors owed or asked for from her. He paused for a while, unsure whether or not to speak up again. "...well, it's good you're captain. They at least need someone competent."

Maria scoffed. This boy couldn't even try to compliment someone without sounding like an ass, could he? "Thanks," she said sarcastically, "definitely got the position purely with competence. No skill whatsoever." She rolled her eyes and didn't look at him.

Sebastian stifled a groan. She was right to respond to him like that, and he knew it. Yet, he couldn't seem to break the habit of trying to put others down with every sentence. He knew he was toxic, but he just couldn't seem to stop.

It was silent again, for a while. Alex continued writing while Kyle began sucking on a sucker, and Sebastian, having already finished his food, turned his attention to the other tables. Maria and Hailey stole glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, each envying the other for different reasons. In the strained lull between forced conversations...something happened.

The world seemed to spin for a moment, colors becoming inverted, movement seeming all at once impossible and already happening, and suddenly, when everyone's vision cleared, they weren't in the cafeteria anymore.