Chapter One: The Crust

School sucks.

Actually erase that, school is a monster that feeds on the souls of children. 

I grumpily made my way to the cafeteria hoping to grab some lunch. The only redeeming quality of our school was the Wednesday lunch, which was my favorite. Most of the food in our school lunch was no different from the soggy, inedible cardboard they served in every other school. However, I looked forward to the one good thing on today's menu. Pizza.

Every Wednesday we had this special pizza which is one of the best I had tasted. I really needed to channel my inner Usain Bolt and get to the cafeteria fast. Unfortunately my small legs couldn't carry me much faster. I looked at my watch. Shit! I was already five minutes late. Good things always come in limited edition so our pizzas were limited too.

Usually the pizzas were finished in ten minutes flat and then they would start serving the 'lunch box'. It was a box with several square compartments with food neatly placed in it. It contained mashed potatoes, some boiled vegetables (which I always throw away) and yesterday's leftovers.
I know, smart right? A very subtle way of robbing famished irritated kids.
I entered the cafeteria to see a long queue in front of the serving station. I took out a 5 dollar bill and took my queue behind a short Asian kid. After much feet tapping and feeling weird under weird Asian boy's scrutinizing eyes the line moved only an inch.
I hate this.
Something hot pink caught my peripheral vision, I looked around to be hit by the smell of lipgloss and Kim K's signature perfume . Jules Williams giggling with her -as I refer to them- "Army Of Skanks" or "Minions". She was dressed in a high waist, A line baby pink skirt and a striped magenta and black top. Jules was definitely the most popular girl in our grade and perhaps the prettiest with her platinum blonde hair and the figure of Cameron Diaz. She was every parent's ideal daughter- straight A student, president of the debate club and not to mention the head cheerleader.

Wait something seemed fishy-Jules was whispering something to her minions and giggling. I was used to the giggling part but what were they whispering about and why was she holding a bucket in her perfectly manicured hands.

The line in front of me moved a few inches so I gingerly occupied the empty space in front of me. I looked at the array of pizza which was disappearing one by one. I mentally calculated the amount of people in front of me and the number of delectable pizzas left on the tray. Shit! I won't even get a slice.

I couldn't afford to stand here and dream about eating them. It's time to take a decision. I couldn't help but shift my gaze towards Jules. This is really fishy. Why is she carrying a bucket?

She tilted her bucket a little revealing the contents of the bucket. It was paint. Jet black colored paint. It looked disgusting. Imagine someone drenched in that. It would take hours to remove it.

Wait a minute. I looked up to see Jules at the doorway of the cafeteria. It looked like she was waiting for someone. Jules Williams holding a bucket of mucky black paint and no one noticed? That's something new.

My trail of thoughts was interrupted by the ringtone of my cell phone.

Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face
You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place
Singin'

We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you

Yup that's my jam.

"Emma what took you so long to receive my call?" my best friend cried out. Before I could say anything, she answered for me," Lemme guess you were singing to your ringtone?"

"That's right. You know me too well Hailey" I replied appreciatively.

"Where are you now?"

"At the cafeteria. It's getting really crowded. You need to reserve a seat for us".

"Aye aye captain! I am almost there" She replied to me in a playful tone and with that I hung up.

I looked towards the entrance waiting for Hailey to arrive. She waved at me as she came into my sight, adjusting her curly auburn hair to the sides. She was wearing jeans and her favorite halter neck, flower printed top.

On the other hand Jules and her "Army of Skanks" finally stopped giggling and was eagerly looking towards the entrance. Jules lifted the bucket in her hands a little bit higher as if she was waiting to throw its contents on someone.

Oh. My. God. Everything clicked in my head. My best friend is going to get drenched in a bucket of black paint. Not only that the there was only one slice of pizza left on the steel trays and the new Italian exchange student Leo Arson is going to get it.

My mind was racking to find a solution- either I save my best friend from the humiliation and miss the last slice of pizza or I break the queue and get the pizza but let Jules humiliate my best friend.

Without thinking I did the thing I didn't expect myself to do, I went over to Leo Arsen who was distractedly running his hand over his brown hair making it look more disheveled if that's possible. All those girls describing this exchange student as a Greek god wasn't lying. He had the perfect jaw line and those big bright blue eyes were like the ocean. He was casually holding those red lunch trays and graced me with a smile. Before he could say anything, I placed my hands on either side of his face and planted my lips on his.

The guys behind him in the queue started cheering while I continued to kiss him. At first he was shocked his lips were frozen, he tried to push me away but my hand found its way up his hair tugging him closer. I was silently hoping he wouldn't open his mouth but slowly he parted his lips giving me permission to deepen the kiss making my legs turn into jelly so I wrapped my arms around his neck for support. I opened my eyes a little to see I was getting the desired effect I was hoping for. Everyone in the cafeteria had their eyes were on us even Hailey stopped on her tracks, her eyes planted on us and her jaw dropping on the floor.

I started to get on with my mission. Leo placed the tray of pizza on the side as he had his muscular arms wrapped around my waist. Sliding my arms from him and reach for the pizza tray, taking it in my hands. Level one complete.

We broke apart only to catch our breaths, Leo still had the astonished look plastered over his face. Before he could say anything, I spoke out, "Thanks for the pizza", I smiled lifting my hand to show him the tray. I turned around and started walking away from him sashaying my hips leaving a very stunned Leo behind. I swear I didn't know where I got that much confidence from. Usually I am a shy turnip.

The whole cafeteria was silent- watching the little exchange between us. But the sound of bucket hitting along with the unmistakable splatter of paint interrupted it and stopped me in my tracks. Jules Williams was gawking at us, the pool of black paint covering her magenta skirt, her nefarious plan of drenching Hailey in paint forgotten. Level two complete.

Jules looked down disgusted to see the slimy charcoal black stuff covering her feet and only that some of the paint was even splattered on her front ruining her perfect skirt.

She clenched her fists to her sides and cried out, "You bitch!" just before our principal walked into the cafeteria.

..................

The First Chapter!

Let me know your thoughts about it in the comments.

And most importantly, I have a question for you guys.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Write them down in the comments.