Chapter 5 The School Cafeteria

• Haley stretched her arms, still feeling the weight of the long day already pressing down on her. The first lecture was exhausting, and all she could think about was food.
• “You look tired,” Sandra observed with a hint of sympathy, noticing how sluggish Haley seemed.
• “I am tired, I don’t only look tired, I feel it too. And I’m hungry,” Haley admitted, rubbing her stomach in frustration.
• Sandra chuckled. “The first day I came to school, I was acting just like you—tired and cranky,” she said, offering a playful grin.
• Haley smiled faintly, appreciating the honesty. “You’re not new?” she asked, curious.
• Sandra shook her head. “No, I’ve been here since last week. I came for the tutorials before everything really kicked off. There were only a few of us, so it was kind of chill,” she explained.
• “I wish I’d been able to do that,” Haley muttered, sinking into her chair. “I’m tired of university already.”
• They both laughed at that, the stress of the day starting to lift just a little with the shared frustration.
• Sandra glanced over her shoulder, noticing Philip still chatting with the boys at the back of the classroom.
• “Did you come together?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Haley, waiting for her answer.
• Haley followed Sandra’s gaze, then sighed. “Yes, we came together,” she said, her voice tinged with indifference. She wasn’t sure why she felt irritated by his presence, but it was clear to her that she wasn’t ready to talk about him.
• Sandra looked at her, a curious glint in her eyes. “Who is he? Your boyfriend?” she asked, half-joking.
• Haley burst out laughing sarcastically. “Never. He’s nobody, just forget about him,” she said quickly, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. Sandra took a final glance at Philip, who was now looking at them, his eyes locking with hers for a brief moment before he winked at her.
• Sandra quickly turned away, slightly flustered. She heard the group of boys behind them laughing.
• “Can’t we grab something around here? I’m starving,” Haley said, her stomach growling audibly.
• Sandra smiled, standing up. “We can. The next class doesn’t start for another thirty minutes. We should have enough time to grab a quick bite.”
• Haley followed her, relieved by the prospect of food and a much-needed break from the drama of the day.
• As Haley and Sandra made their way out of the classroom, the guys in the back couldn’t help but stare, their eyes lingering on Haley’s every move.
• “Your sister is damn hot,” Papa said, leaning over to Philip, who was still sitting with his friends. Philip’s eyes narrowed immediately, a flash of annoyance crossing his face.
• “She’s my step sister, not sister, dummy,” Philip corrected, his tone sharp. Papa shrugged nonchalantly, clearly unfazed by Philip's irritation.
• “It’s the same thing, Philip,” he said, his voice dripping with a teasing undertone.
• Philip shook his head, pulling out his phone as he tried to ignore the conversation. He didn’t have time for this right now.
• “Do you mind if I hit on her?” Papa asked, raising an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
• Philip gave him a cold look. “It’s none of my business. The lady hasn’t even spoken to me yet,” he muttered, distracted by his phone.
• “She will. Calm down,” Papa responded with a smirk, clearly not taking Philip seriously.
• “Can I have her number? Your sister’s?” Papa pressed, already pushing the boundaries.
• Philip’s eyes darkened with anger. “Do I look like someone who has her digits?” he snapped. “If you want it, go get it from her yourself.”
• Papa let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re just so annoying, dude. I like her, but I can’t get her number easily because she won’t take me seriously—and that’s probably because I’m your friend,” he ranted, clearly frustrated. Before Philip could respond, a familiar voice interrupted.
• “Hey,” Theresa’s voice came from behind them, and both guys looked up to see her standing there, a soft smile on her face.
• “Hey. I was waiting for your text,” Philip said, his expression lighting up as he stood, clearly pleased to see her. Theresa pouted a little, her lips forming a playful frown.
• “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting,” she said, apologizing as she stepped closer. “I just finished receiving lectures, and the lecturer is kind of strict.”
• Philip nodded understandingly. “I get it. So, where can we talk?” he asked, eager to get some time alone with her.
• Papa, who had been watching them, cleared his throat loudly in a way that was clearly meant to get under Philip’s skin. Philip ignored him, focusing solely on Theresa.
• “Anywhere, but I’m starving,” Theresa said, rubbing her stomach. Philip smiled.
• “Well then, we’ll eat first,” he said, following her lead as she started to walk away. As they left the classroom, Philip’s eyes couldn’t help but follow her, his gaze lingering on her backside. Papa, still watching, let out a quiet giggle.
• “Be careful, Philip,” Papa called after him in a whisper.
• Philip shot him the middle finger, clearly irritated, before striding out of the classroom to catch up with Theresa.
• ***
• “…this should be enough. I don’t need much,” Haley said, holding the bag of snacks, and Sandra smiled in response.
• “I, on the other hand, eat a lot,” Sandra replied, carrying her own bag, and Haley chuckled.
• “I could tell. You’ve got quite the lunch there,” Haley teased, and Sandra laughed.
• “Shall we eat here before heading to class, or do you have other plans?” Sandra asked, looking up at Haley.
• “Yes, sure,” Haley agreed, and they both took a seat at one of the empty tables.
• As they started eating and drinking, Haley’s attention shifted when she saw Philip walk into the restaurant, holding a lady’s hand.
• “Please don’t tell me you just met her,” Haley thought, her eyes narrowing as she watched them walk toward the counter.
• Sandra noticed Haley’s focus and turned to see where she was looking. When she realized it was the same guy from earlier, she commented, “You seem pretty concerned about him.”
• “Concerned? No way,” Haley quickly denied, looking away, but Sandra simply smiled, her gaze still on them.
• Haley kept her eyes on Philip and the girl, trying not to make it obvious to Sandra. As she watched them, she saw Philip’s hands around the girl’s waist, pulling her in close.
• “What the…” Haley muttered under her breath, barely able to believe what she was seeing. Sandra turned to look at her.
• “What’s wrong?” Sandra asked, noticing her reaction.
• Haley quickly smiled, shaking her head. “It’s nothing,” she replied, and Sandra, sensing she didn’t want to talk about it, nodded and turned her attention back to her food.
• Meanwhile,
• “Can we go somewhere more private?” Philip asked Theresa, his voice low as soon as they finished eating.
• She nodded, blushing deeply.
• “We need to head to class now,” Sandra said, glancing at her watch. Haley nodded in agreement.
• “I’ll catch up with you later. You can go on ahead,” Haley said to Sandra, who gave a small nod before standing up and walking out of the restaurant, leaving Haley behind.
• Haley stayed seated, her eyes never leaving Philip and Theresa as they prepared to leave.
• “Let’s see what you’re really up to, big brother,” she thought, watching them closely.