Requital hope

Twenty-five

The last few games finished up and people were preparing to leave, though it ended up being an extra hour before that happened. A few groups of people decided they wanted to have a match. In the meantime, some of the teachers were going out for lunch. They were going to treat anyone who tagged along. Zhan convinced me to go and we followed close behind them along with several other students. I didn't realize how hungry bowling could make you. I feel like I've been starved for days.

It makes it that much more pleasing when the mentioned diner comes into view. It was rather small but there was enough space to fit everyone who tagged along. All of us slowly poured through the glass door, taking out seats. I and Zhan were lucky enough to snag seats close to the window as we usually do. Since there were so many people here it took a while for the servers to get to us. By then I had already decided what to order. I took advantage of this opportunity and got a nice slice of Apple pie. It's been a while since I had the pleasure. Even though I'm very hungry I prefer not to eat heavy meals after lunch, unless it's dinner. Zhan ordered a burger and a side of fries. It sounded tasty as he mouthed it to the waitress that was currently taking our orders.

"Any drinks?" She asked, writing down our orders on her clipboard.

"I will have a coke." Zhan said, relaxing into the back of his seat. She turned to look at me, waiting for my answer.

"Ah, yes... I'll have lemonade if that's okay." I say and she nods.

"Your meals will arrive shortly." She informs before disappearing somewhere in the crowded room. Our drinks were delivered within a minute or two. Zhan
and I took a sip at the same time. I noticed the sudden frown appear on his face.

"Tastes like shit " He mumbles, eying his cup. I found it a little humorous and smiled at him. Mine was pretty good actually.

"Do you wanna share mine? It's pretty good." I ask, looking at him. A smirk crossed his face as he nodded. I couldn't help but blush a little.

Of course, now I was tempted to taste his. He nodded when I asked him but warned me of its taste. I slowly lifted his cup to my lips and sipped the coke. It tasted quite musty and warm. The taste made me very uncomfortable. It didn't even compare to the powerful feeling of sharing cups with Zhan though, so I was able to shrug it off pretty easily. With the amount I've been blushing, I bet I look like a walking cherry.

After waiting a few minutes our food arrived. The slice of pie looked just as good as it did on the menu. The sweet creaminess of the pie lit my mouth. The tingles from the sugar caressed my tongue. The delicate crust melted in my mouth as I chewed. It was so delicious I smiled brightly. I held the back of my hand to my mouth, making sure none of it fell out. Zhan sat there and watched me with an amused look on his face. Soon he was biting into his meal. He finished before me, despite the size of his meal. I was just about done though.

"Yo, give me a bite of that." He says lifting his head. There was one good bite left but I didn't mind letting him have it at all. I grinned and slid my plate over to him. He smiled before taking the last bite. "This makes that coke taste like dishwater." I cracked another smile as he spoke.

Soon enough everyone had finished their meals and it was time to head back to the park. After exiting the diner the orange tint of the evening sky that covered the peaceful-looking town caught my eye. It was truly a sight, one that I wish I could
have captured, in a picture of something.

The sun was just setting as we arrived back at the cabin park. The trip back was a little boring because someone snagged Zhan's seat beside me before he could get there. He asked the person sitting there if he could swap seats but she ignored him after a long blank stare. So I was left without any entertainment other than watching the day fade away from the windows of the bus.

Today was exhausting so as soon as I made it to the bedroom I fell face first onto my bed. The softness of the sheets mended my soreness. Today was a lot of fun. It feels amazing having a friend, especially someone like Zhan. He's truly a good person.

After a short nap, I pulled out the book that I was reading earlier and continued where I left off. I placed myself in a whole other world as I pulled the words from the pages, my eyes trailed over them.

"Hey, it's almost time for dinner. You wanna come?" Zhan asks, popping his head halfway into the room.

"I plan on bringing it here because I'm too tired to eat there, so if you don't wanna come I can pack you something." He adds.

"I'll come." I smile while setting down my book. I want to spend as much time around him as possible during this trip, because I don't know how things'll be when I get back home. I don't even know if I'd be able to survive another day if my father found out where I was.

I lifted myself from the bed and made my way to Zhan's side. As we left the cabin I noticed it was still a little light outside despite the sun already setting. As we walked to the food hall we heard cheers, shouts, and screams. It seems some of the
students were partying. I most certainly didn't want to be a part of it, and from the looks of it, Zhan didn't seem to be interested either.

It seemed like a lot of students were eating out tonight, because when we arrived at the food hall it was almost empty. There were a few people scattered about but far less than usual. To my surprise, there was still quite a selection of food to choose from.

The things I and Zhan chose were quite different. I got two dinner rolls, a box of stir-fried vegetable rice, and some salmon. Zhan got a box of spaghetti with a sauce, a chicken salad, and yogurt. We bagged the food and returned to the cabin. I sat on
my bed and opened the brown bag. The room was quiet, aside from the sound of our crackling bags and the gentle breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees nearby.

I pulled out the rice and unwrapped the fork that I got from the food hall. The first bite was satisfying. All of the sweet and salty vegetables melded with the rice made for an excellent dish. After a few more bites I looked up to Zhan. He was taking all of the food from his bag and placing it on his bed. He caught my gaze.

He nudged his head. "Come over here. I wanna try some of that." He spoke, then patted the spot next to him. I shyly stood from my bed and brought the bag with me. When I reached his bed I took a seat on the comfortable sheets, next to Zhan. We were close enough to where I could feel the warmth coming from his body. Since he's a very active guy, he produces more heat than the average person, or at least that's what I assume.

He smirked at me before taking a bite of my stir-fried rice. I felt my cheeks heat up as we continued eating from the same box. With every bite, it seemed as if the food tasted better. The box of stir-fried rice was gone quickly since we were both eating it. Zhan popped out his box of spaghetti and took a bite. It looked so freaking good. I wanted to taste it but I didn't want to take his food. He turned to look at me with a questioning look on his face.

"You aren't going to eat?" He asked.

"You don't mind?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"I just ate a ton of your rice... why would I keep this for myself?" He narrowed his eyes. "What kind of guy do you take me for?" He continued. I couldn't help but break a smile. He returned it and nudged me in the arm.