*if (interrogatebully =true)
	*set jessy_name "Jessy Stewart"
My previous experience with lunchrooms hadn't exactly been pleasant. Back when I was a grunt among grunts, those who held our leash considered feeding us to be an irritating responsibility and treated it as dispassionately as one would any monotonous task. With horrendous food that only barely covered our nutritional needs enough to make sure we didn't collapse and less than five minutes to force it down, nobody was particularly talkative during feeding time.

Despite my disdain for lunchrooms, food was fairly high on the short list of things I enjoy, and unlike my previous handlers Daniel puts a lot of effort in making sure the entire nutritional spectrum is completely covered in my daily meals. So I have that to look forward to as soon as I can work up the courage to attempt navigating the room in front of me.

According to my schedule, the students of this facility have fifty minutes to consume their daily intake of vitamins, a fact that the students are clearly very much aware of. Nobody treats their food with any form of respect and every individual appears to be attempting to speak louder than everyone else in the room, creating an insufferable mess of noises ringing through the air and making it difficult to focus. A firefight comes to mind, and thinking back I try to remember the tactics I used in those instances to keep focused.

The important thing to keep from being overwhelmed by the sensory input was to focus on a single objective and block out everything irrelevant to its completion. Continue shooting, find cover, kill target, anything worked as long as it was simple and could be understood without any additional thought.

Luckily, it doesn't seem I'll have to worry too much about figuring out my next move.

*page_break Next

As soon as we've entered the room I see Toby scanning the area carefully, looking for something specific. I know he's found it when his face beams and exclaims, "There they are!"

I see where he's leading us and see a collection of individuals who have a distinctly different air about them than most of the other students in the room. There's a genuine enthusiasm to them, like they're actually happy to see one another. Though I can't make out their actual words over the tempest of voices that surround me as I walk through them, their exaggerated movements and excited faces tells me that at the very least, the young optimist isn't alone.

Each of them welcome Toby into their ranks, and he in turn welcomes me. "Everyone, this is ${firstname}! We met this morning!" As he's speaking, he's already taking his seat and gesturing to the one next to him, evidently indicating my spot. 
*if ((york =true) or (travel =true))
	"How do you do?" I supply the appropriate social greeting. 

	In return I receive several of the standard replies. Three 'Hey there,' one 'great, how are you?' and one 'Hi.'

*if ((terrorist =true) or (no =true))
	Toby seems perfectly fine with introducing me himself, so I do not see any reason for me to speak up.

"These are my friends," Toby addresses me as he continues. Gesturing to different individuals as he names them. "Here we have Jason Jennings, Milford Cubicle, Patty Saint-Jermain, Austin Winston, and Penny Arcadia."

After the initial introductions it is the girl identified as Patty Saint-Jermain who opens up the next stage of communication. "Nice to welcome a new face, it's been awhile since the group had a mix-up!" She exclaims, "So, what is it you do for fun?"

"I...exercise. And read."

"You don't say," says a fit young lad who was previously identified by Toby as Austin Winston. "I know a pretty good gym, maybe we could go together sometime. They give discounts to people who are invited by current members."

"Austin here is our resident athlete, you two should have plenty of things to talk about," says Toby, who seems to just be enjoying watching two groups of friends getting along.
*page_break Next

"What kind of training do you do?" Austin Winson seems determined to continue this line of dialog.

"...Self defense."

"So, like Krav Maga? CQC?"

"...Something like that."

He seems thoughtful, "That explains why you don't have much of a build. That doesn't really make you strong. Lethal, but not strong. I highly recommend the gym deal."

"I like your accent," says Penny Arcadia. "It's really tough and no-nonsense. Where are you from?"

*if (york =true)
	"I think you said you were from New York, right?" Toby asks me, which coincidentally answers Penny Arcadia's question.

	"You don't say! My uncle Davey is from New York!"

	Of the group, Milford Cubicle is the only one who seems skepticle. "Don't mean to pry, but that doesn't really sound like any New Yorker accent I've ever heard."

	"Well there's no typical New Yorker, Milford," says Patty Saint-Jermain.

*if (travel =true)
	"I think you said you've traveled around a lot, right?" Toby asks me, rhetorically. "I guess it would just be kind of stitched together from a lot of different places."

	"Ever been to New York?" Penny Arcadia follows up, "I have an uncle in New York!"

	Now I have several individuals asking me if I've been to some place where they have a relative or used to live. "What about Canada? Actually, have you ever been out of the country?"

*if ((no =true) or (terrorist =true))
	"Just a place out of country," I explain. "You wouldn't have heard of it."

	"Well I like it," Penny Arcadia echoes herself, "So I guess you've traveled around a lot, huh?"

	"Have you ever been to New York?" Penny Arcadia follows up, "I have an uncle in New York!"

	Now I have several individuals asking me if I've been to some place where they have a relative or used to live.

"Guys, I think that's enough of the questions," says Toby, "Can't you see we're starting to crowd?"

Jason Jennings looks at me apologetically, "Right. Sorry about that. I guess we have a habit of getting carried away."
*page_break Next
I'm not asked any more trivia about my past after that. As the conversation goes on, I'm allowed to fill the roll of an observer to their energy and comraderie. Not a complete observer, of course. Toby makes sure to make me feel included.

For the most part though, that's more or less how the rest of lunch went. It's not until that period of time that I start to really look at the people I am seated with. They're disorderly, rambunctious, nobody seems to want to sit still for too long. Talkative, too. By the last stretch, only two of them have actually finished their food. They clearly aren't in any kind of hurry. There's nobody forcing them along, no fear of being too late or of making a mistake. I wouldn't say they're at peace, that's not the word I would describe them with. Carefree.

I think that's the moment that it really became clear to me.

I don't belong here.

All these people are just living their lives, completely unaware of how bad it could be. There's more than just geography separating them from the world I came from. They may have an academic knowledge, but they don't actually believe in it. For them, this is their entire world. This freedom and belonging. They worry about all the petty little details of their lives because they can. There's nobody who's trying to stop them or control them or kill them.

Now I know what the other kids were talking about when they wanted to get away. They were looking for this.
*page_break ...
[i]They were trying to get away...
*page_break ...
[i]They were trying to get away...to this...
*page_break "Hey, are you alright?"
There's a hand on my shoulder.

For a moment there's panic until I trace the arm and see Toby's face. He's concerned. What was I doing?

"Are you okay?" He asks again, "You looked like you were in a trance. The bell rang a few minutes ago."

"...I see." There are four minutes in passing period. I've spent most of them. "I should go."

"Alright, I guess." He says, though the concern in his voice makes me think he is not as 'alright' with the situation as he claims. "Just take care of yourself. I'm really glad you decided to eat with us, it was great getting to know you!"

I don't know how to respond to that. So I don't.

We part ways after the exchange. To our own classes. Separate.

But for some reason, I feel a lot less alone.
*page_break Sixth hour...
*goto_scene 1-10sixth-1