"We sometimes think we want to disappear, but all we really want is to be found."
-Unknown
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As soon as the canteen-lady saw my face, she pointed to a black and white picture on the newspaper she was holding. "You! I know you. You were on TV the last night. Do you study here? Yes, yes of course. I have seen your silver head!" She kept poking her index into the picture, all through her star-struck yelps.

"Ha... Thanks for noticing me, finally!" I rolled my eyes, clanking my platter onto the counter top.
"And now that you have noticed, why not give me that extra yogurt you give to Alita and Peaches, huh?" I spat. She gulped nervously wiping her hands onto her black apron and started serving food.

"You know, they pay for that extra food they eat." She said, picking and placing a lump of salad on my platter with a pair of tongs.

"I don't care. And for god's sake, wash your hands! I have seen you picking nose."

Trust me, she didn't see that coming. Hence the doubtful glare. Nevertheless she swiftly turned around to wash her hands. I waited patiently tapping my hands on the metal counter until she returned and placed two cups of yogurt on my food tray.

"Gimme everything and double the quantity. Don't worry, I'll pay." I said, stuffing my back pocket to find my cafeteria credit card. She followed all my instructions and took my card and swiped it saying, "That'd be...100. But, are you sure, you are going to eat all that?"

I glanced at the platter in my hands, it almost looked like a 'food mountain' from a buffet, that my parents and I used to have back in the days. But that was one serving for all three of us to share. Well now? Umm... now I was alone. 'Am I gonna eat all that?'

"Yes!" I nodded, faking a confident look. She shrugged returning my card. I snatched the card from her hands as if she was stealing it from me and went to my usual uncool table at the corner, sassing my walk.

I scanned around the hall, it was empty. No one was there yet, as they were all busy in their morning classes. Only I was early for breakfast, since I was kicked out of mine. 'Sigh. What a great start for the day!'

As simple job as undoing bag from my shoulder itself felt tedious. I cursed under my nose and yanked it off and sat on the seat. I dug my hands into the carbs first. I mean who doesn't like finger-chips? I stuffed a hand full of them into my mouth. I didn't care whether I completely chewed it or not, I just kept stuffing my mouth with toast, salad, fries. Then repeat the same, stuff-chew-gulp. Then I impatiently tore off the silver foil on the yogurt package and stuck my spoon inside, picking up a big dollop of it.
"Mmm...so good!" I felt weird at my own food-gasmic moans.

'Heartless-Overachieving- lunatic-Antisocial-loner!'

'Overachieving anti social loner!'

Munching chews and delish moans suddenly faded, as I felt myself obsessing over Nick's words.

'How could he say something like that? About me, his childhood friend? Am I that awkward, that heartless?'

My fingers squeezed the disposable spork in my hand, as I banged it onto the table top.

"Easy there..." A voice snapped me awake, it was as soothing as ice-water on a sun-burn.
"Go easy on your food!"

My knotted brows relaxed a bit at Pete's dimply grin. His eyes darted towards my puffed up mouth with a lump of half chewed food inside with dripping juices from both corners of my lips.

'Crap!'
I tried to gulp it all at once, wiping my lips with the back of my long grey sleeve. Instead I choked on my food and broke into a wild cough widening my eyes.

He instantly offered me his tetra pack of orange juice. I grabbed it from his fingers without any hesitation, even though inner Lee was like, 'Super-awkward!'
I plucked the straw out of it and guzzled all of the tangy drink.

His grinning had grown wider by then. "You okay?" He asked, resting his elbows on the table top and scrunched his eyebrows up.

I nodded placing the pack down. My eyebrows squeezed into each other in utter shame. 'Why am I so awkward? So, what Nick said about me is true?' "An overachieving anti social loner?"

He snorted, hiding his obvious laugh. It took only a second for me to realise that I had articulated the last part of my inner thought. Ugh!

I flashed a toothy grin, shying my eyes. "Do you think that I uh...I am..I am a...?" I hesitated to articulate the same words again -for I don't know, what stupid reason.

"No... trust me, you are not." He said and took a mouthful​ bite of his food.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." I added, taking in a soothing dollop of yogurt into my mouth.

Another clank echoed into my ear. Alita sighed and slid her bottom along the seat beside me. I registered that it was already past nine since the chaotic laughs and gossips had already filled the canteen hall. 'Dang! Theory of relativity is definitely true... at least around Pete.' I thought, melting like a popsicle over his dimple.

"Hi." She blurted, waving her long fingers towards Pete. He gave his usual one-third of an actual smile. Next few minutes were filled with Alita's over-the-top comments, intros and googly eyes. He finally got up and left us walking towards 'the cool section', where all the soccer boys usually acquainted themselves every day.

"I am so...sorry." She said, finally noticing that Invisible-lady-Lee was still sitting there.
"I heard everything about the locker-flyer-thingy and Coach Zach's drama..."

I gestured my fingers as if I was zip locking my lips. I was totally determined not to talk with her for another couple of hours. I know, that's not technically possible. There had been no single day that I didn't talk to her. But I had to at least try.

"Come on. So you are not gonna talk with me now?" She queried. I shook my head from side to side, doubling my decision.

She flashed her blatant ghetto gesture and crossed her arms, "Fine Lee. Challenge accepted, let's see who's gonna win then!"

My eyes couldn't help but notice what was on her plate. A lump of lettuce salad and a cup of yogurt. 'That's it?'
I looked at my plate, it seemed like a pile of garbage and appeared as unappetising as possible.
"Is that enough? How could so little be enough for you?" I asked, wondering at the paradox. She liked food, more like, she lived for food.

"Just cutting down some calories, Lee. Told ya... You can never quit talking to me, can you? I win!" She chinned her face up, as light hearted as ever.
"And guess what? I am the lead for this year's musical...eek!" She squealed sharing her 'dream-come-true' accomplishment.

"That's awesome. Congratulations!" I gave her a small but tight hug.

'Aah...the dreaded fest.'
The realisation struck me. That's why she vanished in the morning, leaving me alone to fend against those bullying morons. She probably went for the practice. 'Yeah, that makes sense!'
I nodded to myself. A low sigh rumbled through my nose as I pondered over the thought of 'fest'. Because, I was going to be the sole instructor for the Science fair on the day of fest and it was not something I loved to do. Because, it involved people, too many...Too many -too dumb.

'So, that makes me anti-social?' I asked myself.

'No. Just no.'

'Gosh...I should stop thinking about him or his stupid remarks! I am nothing like he said.' Thinking that, I shook my head.

But little did I know, that I was totally, utterly and completely wrong.