The lunch bell rang but this time instead of feeling a waste it felt like a victory.
I smiled. I don't know why but I smiled feeling happy knowing that the teacher will not talk for an hour anymore.
I didn't feel sad like before.
Everyone left the classroom as usual.
Have a good day, Teacher. I greeted as the teacher left the class.
I pulled out my tiffin and untied the clothes, opening it.
The same rice, fish, and 4 almonds.
It will make you smarter and bolder. My father said.
"Thanks for the food," I sighed, picking up my chopsticks.
"Hey! Xun," I felt a touch on my shoulder.
It's Taraka.
What happend? I asked.
"Let's eat what everyone is eating," Taraka said.
"Let's eat something unhealthy that has taste..." Taraka became excited.
"Taste? You sayyy." I asked.
I looked at my food again.
I started tying it again.
"Lets fucking goooo!!!"
We both ran outside during lunch.
Not for work, not for the library, but for the field...
"So what are we going to eat, Taraka?" I said, running.
"I don't knowwww!!" He said.
"What do you mean Idiot?!!" I looked at him
"Let's just follow someone from our classs!!"
"Lets goo then..."
We ran and saw everyone getting outside of the school gate.
"Taraka, should we go?!!!"
"I never went outside of school during lunch."
"Me neither!! Then lets goo!"
We passed the crowd of students, pushing everyone.
"We are outside!!" we both said.
The fresh air with more oxygen and less CO2 hit us.
Its not chemistry idiot!! Taraka shouted.
it's "Freedom" that we never had in our lives. Taraka said calmly.
Yes! It's Freedom!
The outside was filled with stalls and street foods.
"Now where to eat?" Taraka said.
"I don't know... let's see which stall has the most crowd!!" I said.
We looked around!
"This one is empty... same here..."
"Xun, that noodles shop, let's go there."
We both ran towards it.
But I accidentally pushed someone too hard.
He looked at me.
His eyes were red with anger.
"I... I am sor...sorry." I tried to say.
He didn't stop, still looking.
"Please forgive him, he is my son. I am so sorry."
"Taraka yanked me out of the crowd before the guy could turn my face into a pancake. 'You wanna die, Xun? Nobody knows us here,' he hissed."
"That's okay, but who is your son!!?" I shouted at him.
"Well... I saved you. The guy would've eaten you raw." Taraka put his hand on my shoulder.
"You could just say I am your friend, you bitch..." I argued.
"Well! What happened is just the past; see, the crowd is almost over. Let's go and eat something."
We both entered.
Someone ordered.
"1 bowl of ultra hot spicy noodles with egg."
"That would be 15 Yuan," the uncle said, giving him the bowl.
It's our turn to order.
"Hey Xun, what to order?" Taraka asked.
"I don't know, let's order that same thing." I replied.
"Uncle, 2 bowls of ultra hot spicy noodles."
"Here, 15 yuan for each of you."
I put my hands in my pockets while taking the bowl as realization hit me.
I don't get pocket money...
"Hey Taraka, can you give me 15 yuan too?" I said, poking him and whispering.
"Nope." He turned his head. Smirking like he got a girlfriend.
"Please, please, I will pay you tomorrow." I lied.
"Uhh, okay, here, but you owe me until you pay." He said
"Okay, I get it." I replied in a sigh
We both got out of the crowd.
Everyone ate sitting on the footpath beside the road.
"We guess we need to do that too," Taraka said.
"But hygiene?" I said.
"Forget that. Outside, only fun matters now. Let's sit."
"Ohh, okay." I sat on it wiping some dust.
"Wow, it's cold..." I mumbled.
"Same here... but it feels kinda nice."
The road is kind of empty now. Some motorcycles and some cars are passing occasionally.
The city of Shanghai is quieter than usual.
You call this quiet? Taraka said shouting.
Honk* Honk*
Come on don't make a traffic jam. One motorcycle driver shouted.
... "Was it really important to break my mood?" I asked.
"Well, let's eat then," Taraka said, taking the 1st bite. He didn't even reply.
He froze. No talking, just froze.
"What happened, Taraka?" I asked.
"I am amazed with the taste. Eat it; the more you eat it at once, the more you feel it."
I looked at the bowl.
"Is that so?" I took a massive amount... a hesitation hit me.
But I stuffed my mouth anyway.
I chewed the noodles anyway.
At first, it felt like nothing.
But then the taste hit.
"Uhh! What is this?? My mouth is burning."
"What is this, Taraka? It doesn't feel nice." I turned to him.
He was spitting away the food.
He spat the noodles across the road.
Then comes the face.
His eyebrows shot up on his forehead, wiggling.
Up.
Down.
Up.
Down.
"How does it taste, son?" A smug look appeared, but the wiggling didn't stop.
"Taraka, you son of a bitch!" I tried to slap him.
"Here, son, Daddy got water for you." He put a bottle in my hand.
"Who the fuck is your son?" I shouted.
"You." He said in an instant.
Realising I am pissed.
Taraka started running.
And I chased him.
"Son, don't chase your daddy!" He said turning his head.
"You motherfucker!"
I threw the bottle, aimed at his back.
Ah! That hurts you bitch.
WoW! My aim is actually good. I mumbled.
No! It was just a Fluke! Taraka argued.
Well.. that was our lunch. We couldn't eat the spicy noodles cause we can't bear the heat.
And thus we stayed hungry the whole day.
THAT'S YOUR FAULT TARAKA!! I shouted.
NO IT'S YOU BITCH!!!!