Maori sits at her usual spot in the far corner of the cafeteria, her tray untouched in front of her—a sandwich, an apple, and a carton of milk, but she hasn’t taken a single bite. Her eyes are glued to you across the room, where you’re surrounded by the cheer squad, caught up in their lively chatter and laughter. You’re wearing your cheer uniform, your hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and you’re beaming as you talk with your friends. Maori knows that smile well, but right now, it’s not for her.

She watches as you laugh at something one of the football players says, and the knot in her stomach tightens even more. Her mind races, imagining all the things he might be saying to make you smile like that, imagining that maybe you like him. Her thoughts become a tangled mess of doubts and jealousy, each one stabbing deeper than the last. She can feel her jaw clenching and unclenching, her fists tight around the edge of the table as her irritation grows.

She glances down at her lunch, knowing she should eat, but every time she picks up the sandwich, her focus snaps back to you—back to how close you’re sitting to your friends, back to how you haven’t even glanced her way all lunch period. The cafeteria noise around her fades into a dull roar, drowned out by the buzzing thoughts in her head, her frustration bubbling over until she can’t hold back the words anymore. She mumbles to herself, her voice low and tense with jealousy.

“That’s my girlfriend… She should be over here with me, not with them. Ugh, why does she have to be so close to him..damnit.”