Not Feeling Lunch

Stepping into the cafeteria room a raucous cheer went up and several other students hollered his name. He smiled and waved, nodding humbly.

Folding her arms under her breasts, Miss Addison allowed the moment to subside naturally without the need to curtail the acknowledgement of Tom’s return.

The hustle and bustle of activity in the lunchroom combined with the noise filled him with a sense unease and made him feel more than a little uncomfortable. The masses continued with well wishes as he grabbed a tray of food and joined Tess at a table that included Janine and Samira.

“So weird,” he murmured.

“I guess,” Janine commented, big grin on her incredibly pretty face, “My first day back after a week and not a peep,” she chuckled, no trace of envy in her voice.

“Seems like you’re the big man on campus today,” Tess teased, giving him a sideways grin.

Samira grinned too, dark eyes lingering on Tom’s face.

Avoiding Samira’s gaze, he picked absently at the food on his plate, “I suppose,” he replied weakly.

“You okay?” Janine asked, reaching a hand out and touching the back of his head.

Chuckling, “Yeah, I guess it’s going to take me a while to settle back into the groove,” he replied, flashing her a wink. What he didn’t divulge was how disconnected he felt from them all in this environment.

Tess pulled out her phone and looked at the screen, “Mother says Aunt Dona and grandfather have decided to leave,” she commented

“And?” he asked.

“And?” she repeated.

“What else did Mother say? I’m guessing she was checking up on me?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“She wanted to know how you were holding up,” Tess replied, typing a quick reply and sending it off.

“And what did you say?” he queried.

“I told her you were doing fine,” she answered, rolling her eyes before setting the phone down on the table for him to see.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, making a contrite face.

“A little Tess-ty?” Janine asked playfully.

Mock indignation on his face, Tom looked up then to his sister, “Did you teach her that?” he accused.

Tess laughed and shook her head. Janine chuckled.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, though,” Sam started, grinning and blushing before trailing off.

He knew what she was going to say, that while glad, she wished she had another chance at him when he was little. He gave her a wan smile. The last time he had been with her she was forcing him to lick come off her crinkled butthole. Tom just smiled at her.

Janine grinned, eyes on her plate.

Tess rolled her eyes. “I think we’ll just take this in a different direction. What did Miss Harwood want?” she inquired.

“Same as Addison, homework and stuff. I think I’m going to be buried under a mountain of school work for the next month,” he said, taking a forkful of pasta into his mouth and trying to eat something.

“I’ll bet,” his sister answered, raising her eyebrows and nodding.

After a moment, Tom set his fork down on the plate, “I need to get some air,” he said, sliding his tray away and getting to his feet. Panic attack? Nervous anxiety? Either way, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

A concerned expression appeared on Tess’s face as she looked up at her brother, “Tom?” she asked.

Shaking his head, he moved away from the table and through the tables to the one of the doors leading outside the lunchroom.

“I’ll go,” Janine offered, standing up. Hurrying after Tom, she spied him leaning with his bottom against one of the stately oak trees decorating the grassy area called the West Lawn, bent forward with his hands on his knees.

“Hey,” she said, smiling at him, “you’re okay,” she reassured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into her.

He chuckled nervously, “I don’t know why I feel like this,” he chided, shaking his head and allowing her to hold him.

“It’s an awful lot to take in, and forgive the pun, but there have been some big changes in the last few days for you,” she replied, giving him a reassuring smile.

“I suppose you’re right,” he conceded, disengaging from her and straightening upright before giving her a practiced smile.

Touching his brow, “You’re sweating pretty badly,” she said, rubbing her thumb across her wet fingers.

He chuckled, “I got the prettiest girl in school touching me right now,” he replied.

She grinned wickedly, “Wait until you’re better and see how I touch you,” she teased, big blue eyes full of mischievous promise.

He knew her more intimately perhaps than any man might know a woman, well, except maybe for his grandfather’s knowledge of his aunt. He chuckled, “I can’t wait.”

The school bell sounded, announcing the warning for the commencement of afternoon classes in five minutes.

Brushing his chest with his hands before smoothing them over his hair, he smiled at her. “I’ll be fine,” he assured. “I just needed some air is all,” he added.

Cocking her head to the side, “Sure?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

“Yeah,” he replied nodding and making a happy face trying to put her at ease.

Studying him for a moment, she nodded. “We should get back inside then, classes are going to start soon,” she urged, looping her arm through his and starting back toward the school building.

The balance of his afternoon essentially mirrored his early morning class. Homework, assignments, welcome back and so on. By the end of the school day he was incredibly tired, physically and mentally exhausted, desiring nothing more than get some rest. He was kind of surprised at how bone weary he felt. Added to his state of beleaguered weariness was a veritable mountain of homework and assignments he needed to complete if he was going to qualify to clear this semester’s courses. Not that the work was particularly challenging or difficult, just the sheer amount of it was what was daunting.