I sit down at a red table with my friend Jessica.

"Any drinks to start you off?" the waiter asks.

"Lemonade," I reply.

"Lemonade," Jessica repeats.

The waiter rushes off.

I look at the menu, there is steak, pork chops, and chicken in the meat section. I wince.

I'm a vegetarian. On the other hand, Jessica is a meat lover. I became a vegetarian when I was 11 years old; I'm 17 now. I know eating animals is wrong and cruel. Sure, the Native Indians hunted animals and ate them. But now we have much more fruits and vegetables, like lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, oranges, and more.

The waiter comes back.

"Here are your drinks," the waiter exclaims, handing Jessica and I a glass of lemonade.

"I would like some salad. No meat."  I say.

"I would like grilled pork chop," Jessica tells the waiter.

The waiter takes out a little writing pad and a pen. He scribbles something down and rushes off again.

"How's it going at the animal rescue shelter?" Jessica inquires.

I take a sip of my lemonade. "Good. I heard there was a new guy on the job. I'm going to meet him in a couple of hours."

"Oo. A boy," Jessica teases.

"He's just going to help me with the animals," I tell her.

The waiter comes back with a bowl of salad and a pork chop. 

"Is that all for the night?" the waiter asks.

I nod. The waiter walks to another table. I close my eyes, eating my salad.

"C'mon, Lily. Don't be scared. It's just meat."

"I'm not scared. I just don't like seeing people eat meat." I say, shivering.

Jessica takes a bite of her pork chop. I stare at my salad. It has lettuce and spinach leaves, chopped tomatoes, and a bit of olive oil.

"You have to be ready to meet the boy in a couple of hours." Jessica reminds me.