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Post by Melody Calder on Jul 20, 2012 20:38:42 GMT -4
Melody poked at the noxious blob on her tray that was supposed to be reminiscent of mashed potatoes as she walked through the lunch line. She hated the school lunches; no matter where you went, they were always the same. They paraded about as healthy meals, but were probably more toxic than eating out of the dumpster. Occasionally however, there was a rare edible gem that miraculously appeared on the trays. And today was one of those days. Sitting in the middle of her tray, like a life raft in a poisoned ocean, was a huge cheeseburger.
These trophies were usually only available outside the academy walls - after all, they defied the whole "health kick" that most high schools were on. Melody could practically taste the grease dripping off the meat. She loaded it up with all the fixings, ready to sink her teeth into what would surely become a gooey mess. But she was past caring. She was experiencing a food euphoria.
The sophomore's good mood was shattered when she finally tore her eyes away from her tray and saw that a bunch of freshman had jacked her table. They just thought they owned the whole damn school. Scanning the cafeteria, her high continued to sour as she realized how packed the place was. In fact, the only available seat that she could find was at a booth that already housed some Arab kid. With a dramatic sigh, she resigned to accept her fate and made her way to the crowd of people to the booth.
Once she reach the table, she looked the occupant up and down before asking, "This seat taken?"
Without waiting for an answer, she shrugged and took her seat across from him, digging into her cheeseburger with reckless abandon. |
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Post by Aladdin Baba on Jul 20, 2012 22:03:38 GMT -4
Today marked the fist day of Ramadan, a month in which those who practiced in the Muslim faith fasted from dawn to sunset. Al sat quietly in a booth alone trying to look away from the sight of food. But the smell drew him in, this was absolute torture. The one day that the school chose to serve a delicious meal Al couldn't eat and the lunch lady had refused to pack him anything for tonight. He'd have to talk to one of the faculty members about his eating arrangements but for now he was just staring at everyone else; their belly's content and taste buds happy, while Al's belly rumbled and his taste buds salivated. Just when Al thought matters couldn't get any worse a sophomore with her plate fully loaded approached his table.
Before Al could muster out a you can't sit here her but was glued to the bench and her burger was stuffed in her mouth. Al could tell she was enjoying it. His eyes followed her burger and he reflexively licked his lips. He'd give anything for just one bite, but no he must resist temptation. He knew his mother would turn in her grave if he consumed anything during Ramadan. " Could you pretend to enjoy that less?"
Al sunk his head in his arms in complete defeat. Since in previous years he was lucky to get a meal he'd convinced himself that Allah understood that he must eat or die. But this year things were different Al was served three meals a day and his stomach hardly ever rumbled. Al knew he must thank Allah and that not practicing Ramadan this year might spoil all that Allah had given him. So he sat in the cafeteria staring at the girl seated in front of him wanting so bad to quit after just the first day.
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Post by Melody Calder on Jul 20, 2012 23:22:43 GMT -4
The moment that artery-clogging greasy goodness touched Melody's lips, it was the ultimate food-gasm. Fireworks exploded in her brain, and a Catholic children's choir sang in her esophagus. Dredges of golden grease dripped down her fingers and onto her tray, and she'd all but forgotten that the boy was there, so exquisite was her sandwich. It wasn't until he spoke that Melody finally swirled out of her daydream and back to reality.
Her charcoal-colored eyes zoomed in on the boy, her mouth still full and meat and bread and the burger suspended from her hand, just begging to be eaten. She started taking in the boys features, her eyes darting from this hair to his nose to his eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes all in a split second. Conclusion: he was hot. But the words coming out of his mouth were a complete turn off.
Swallowing her food, she put the burger back down on her tray and licked her fingers. "Please don't tell me your one of those vegan nutjobs or whatever it is they call themselves nowadays," she groaned.
Of all the people she could possibly get stuck with, it would be someone who complained about her eating a burger. |
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Post by Aladdin Baba on Jul 21, 2012 0:16:32 GMT -4
Al smiled softly as Melody accused him of being a veggie. Aside from pork Al loved eating meat. The fact that there was beef between those two buns wasn't an issue, Al's problem was that the sun was still up. Had the sun set Al would have been happily chowing down on his own burger but the sun was shining with all it's glory and Al sat with no food in front of him. He looked towards the girl and noticed the tattoos. Some where designs and others words. He sort of wondered how many she had but he knew that trying to count them would be awkward.
"Oh no of course not, I love meat it's just that it's the month of Ramadan." Al wasn't sure if the girl was familiar with Ramadan or any Muslim culture so he decided to further explain his predicament. " I'm really hungry but because of Ramadan I can only eat when the sun is down. " He looked once more at her burger than turned away knowing he had to be strong. He'd eat later tonight, luckily his roommate River was blind and wouldn't mind if Al had the lights turned on while he was sleeping. He'd just have to find a way to get food but he was sure Professor Hootford would help him out. After all, Hootford was now his legal guardian and making sure Al ate was a legal guardian type of responsibility.
Al looked once more at the girl trying to avoid staring at her burger. He knew it would be rude if he didn't look at her while speaking. " The first days are the hardest... So, sorry if I'm being a kill joy."
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Post by Melody Calder on Jul 22, 2012 18:30:35 GMT -4
Rama-what? Melody cocked an eyebrow. Was this guy one a those cultists that worshiped goats or whatever? And apparently his goat god thing prevented him from eating for a month. Nothing like starving yourself to appease a religious entity. She looked down at her burger, now oozing with condiments all over her tray. Her soul-shattering high had sizzled out and now looking at her meal made her slightly nauseous.
Melody had never been one to say no to food, especially that which was unhealthy or diabetes-inducing. Sugar and salt were her two best friends. Trying to imagine not being able to eat from sun up to sun down was downright painful. She felt a twinge of pity for the boy, that that's what he got for pledging his allegiance to a goat.
Still staring her burger, her mouth watered and her stomach begged for the meaty goodness. But she pushed her tray away, averting her eyes to the boy across from her. Pondering the situation carefully, she traced the edge of the tray before pushing it toward the boy, her stomach crying out from the loss of such amazing food.
"Come on. Eat it. You're too scrawny to be starving yourself all day," she said. |
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Post by Aladdin Baba on Jul 28, 2012 0:33:31 GMT -4
Al cringed a little as the girl pushed her plate towards him. Had she lost her mind? Was she really telling him to abandon all his religious beliefs? The sawab (rewards) of participating in Ramadan were said to be many but Al fasted in order to give thanks to Allah for all that he has given him this year. Al was lucky enough to fin a place where he belonged. Professor Hootford had taken him in and for once Al didn't feel unwanted.
"No I can't!" Aladdin turned away from the food hoping that she'd get the point. "I'm Muslim." he never said that allowed voluntarily. After seeing his mother burdened because of the religion she believed in so faithfully Al was scared to disclose that piece of information to others. But most people could tell he was Arab from the name and appearance.
Al found it strange that the girl would try to get him to eat. Usually people respected others religious beliefs. Maybe she didn't know what Ramadan was. Oh whatever! He'd just smile and pretend like it didn't bother him.
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Post by Melody Calder on Aug 11, 2012 16:19:40 GMT -4
Melody was somewhat put off when the boy refused her offering. He didn't know how lucky he was; Melody wasn't usually this kind to anyone. And she was giving up her own lunch out of pity for the poor guy. So she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Come on," she said in as friendly a manner as she could muster while salivating over the food she was giving up, "just a few bites. I'm sure your goat--er, god--won't mind. If it was any kind of goat--er, god--I'm sure it wouldn't want you starving yourself."
Wow, she sucked at this. She nudged the tray a little closer to him, trying to encourage him to eat something. She even angled it so that the desert--a gorgeous brownie, still slightly warm--faced him. He was going to eat something, even if she had to crawl over the table and shove the food in his mouth. But that would be highly inappropriate and probably be considered assault, and the last thing Melody needed was to be suspended. Again.
"Come one." It was hard to keep her plea from sounding like begging, but she was becoming desperate. Just one bite. No one's watching. No one has to know." |
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Post by Aladdin Baba on Aug 18, 2012 3:22:41 GMT -4
Al was determined to not give into temptation. As much as this girl pleaded and begged he would not be going back on the promise he made to himself and to his god. Al placed his hand on the table in order to scoot the tray of food back towards the girl. He sat there in silence wondering what was going on in the girls head. Could she really be that ignorant? Al could understand the feed the hungry approach and stance but the goat-god mishap?
She could claim it was an accident but Al found her comment to be uneducated and disrespectful. " His name is Allah." Al said under his breath. He didn't want to deal with this right now. But something told him that he needed to educate the girl. He exhaled heavily and then looked back at the girl. " Look I appreciate the offer had this been a different month I would gave gladly gobbled up your food. But, I will eat tonight. Don't worry I wont go hungry. "
Al faked a smile but he her ignorance made him want to frown. He'd actually found her attractive till she opened up her mouth. Al didn't hate her he just disliked the fact that she wasn't being considerate. Al had been around alot of ignorant people and things never went well. It had been ignorant people who had killed his mom. People just didn't understand being Muslim did not mean you were a terrorist.
Al didn't know what else to say he just sat there wanting to get up and leave. " If you have any question let me know." what had he just done? He had given her liberty to continue the conversation, he doubted she would.
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