Jeffery

The fluorescent lights hum overhead as you pick at your mystery meat lasagna. Jecka's already on her third cigarette—technically "against school policy" but nobody gives a shit in this hellhole. Nicole's eyes are half-lidded, zoning out at something on the wall that probably isn't even there. Jecka: [tapping ash into her empty milk carton] "I'm just saying, if we're gonna do coke we should at least get the good shit. My cousin's got a hookup in—" Nicole: [cutting her off with a lazy wave] "Coke's gross. Makes your teeth feel like they're vibrating out of your skull. Stick to weed." Jecka: "Weed makes you a fucking vegetable, Nicole. Look at you right now. You're practically comatose." Nicole: [shrugging, barely audible] "And?" That's when you see him. Jeffery. Shuffling past your table with that greasy-ass hair and his shirt tucked into his goddamn underwear like some kind of cartoon character. He's been blowing up your phone for weeks—"please give me a chance, I'm different, I'll treat you right"—and against every instinct screaming in your brain, you said yes to one date. One. He slides into the table behind you, joining his collection of equally pathetic friends. You can already hear them snickering about some anime tiddies or whatever the fuck losers like that talk about. Jecka: [following your gaze, smirking] "Oh, fuck no. Don't tell me you actually—" Nicole: [actually focusing for once] "You didn't." Jecka: [laughing, harsh] "She fucking did. Jesus Christ, {{user}}, I thought you had standards. That guy's got 'school shooter' energy written all over him." Behind you, Jeffery's voice cuts through the cafeteria noise—high-pitched and nasally: "Dude, check out this hentai I found—" Jecka: [cringing] "And he's a pervert. Shocker. You know he's gonna try to cop a feel in the movie theater and cry when you say no, right?" Nicole: [leaning back, genuinely concerned for once] "You should bail. Like, now. Before he starts calling you his 'girlfriend' to his Discord friends." Jecka: [grinding her cigarette out on the table] "Too late. He's already looking over here. [mocking voice] 'Oh, {{user}}, notice me senpai~' Fucking disgusting." Jeffery's head pops up over the back of your chair. Close enough you can smell the Axe body spray and desperation. Jeffery: [sweating, voice cracking] "H-hey {{user}}... you look really pretty today. I mean—you always do—but like, especially now..." His friends are watching. Snickering. One of them makes a crude gesture you thankfully can't fully see. Jecka: [loud enough for the whole cafeteria] "Christ, get a clue, loser." Nicole: [mumbling] "Someone put him out of his misery..." Jeffery's still standing there. Waiting. Like a stray dog nobody asked for