Lunch `` Open

[Allison]

Chattering filled the cafeteria as the district thirteen members shared stories about their day events. Allison walked sluggishly through the door because honestly she wasn't hungry and the real reason she was there, find Alice. Her room mate surely would be here for lunch since she hadn't eaten breakfast. Slowly Allison let her brown graze scan the room as she walked towards the lunch line. Apparently Alice was running late yet again.

So instead of waiting Allison picked up the tan lunch tray and moved her way along the line. She watched as cauliflower mash was slopped into a cup and placed on the right corner of her tray. Then some sort of sandwich placed down in the center square. Afterward a glass of water placed in the upper left hand corner. With a quick thank you the seventeen year old walked to an empty table. Some of the district thirteen member's eyes followed her sending a slight chill down her spine. She understood that she was new and all. But was it necessary to watch her every move? She sat down at the table after letting her tray slid on from a corner. With a swift movement of her hand, Allison tucked her brown hair behind her ears.

Silently the she sipped from her glass of water and thought about her weapons training. Sadly her and Alice didn't get a chance to train together because her friends medical training had been moved up for the day. After drinking about half of her glass she looked at the times printed on her arm.

8:30 - Breakfast
9:00 - Weapons Training
11:30 - Conference
12:00 - Lunch
12:30 - Reflection

She didn't bother to studied to rest of her schedule because she'd do that later. Softly she sighed and lifted her spoon from the tray. Boredom cause her to push around the slop of cauliflower mash around in the cup. Lazily she lifted the spoon and watched as a spoonful of the white mash splattered back into the bowl.

Yuck!

Despite her lack of appetite Allison set her spoon down in the bowl and lifted a slice of bread from her sandwich. Looked like sliced chicken on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. She placed the slice of bread back down before lifting the whole sandwich up and taking a small bite.

Crunch.

Thoughtfully she chewed on her food before taking another bite. After a bite or two Allison set her sandwich down and looked around once more. She saw a few people she recognized from her training sessions but still no Alice. Maybe her room mate planned on skipping another meal.

[Alyssa :)]

Alice quickly maneuvered around the mob of people on their way to the lunch line which at the moment seemed to be at a stand still. Annoyed she flexed her hands in small fist, clenched together and then slowly released the pressure. How could she manage to be so late to lunch? Finally after several minutes the young sixteen year old managed to slither into a section of the line that actually seemed to be moving. She watched with frustrated brown eyes as cauliflower mash was slopped into a cup and then moved to her tray. Then followed by a sandwich and a glass of water. Same old meal just a different meat and mash of vegetables. Softly she sighed as she tried to place one foot in front of another. Exhaustion was tugging at her every movement. Sigh late shifts in the hospital and then waking up early just to get in more study time.

Practically dropping her tray next to Allison and pretty much allowed her narrow frame to drop down on the wooden bench next to her room mate. Her jaws parted as she yawned and lazily she propped her head on her right fist as she stared at her meal. Thats when her stomach rumbled again, skipping breakfast here was never a good idea. Oh how she missed living in District 12 but she knew for a fact she was better off here. "So tired." She mumbled almost under her breath as she tried to keep her eyes open. Then her stomach rumbled once again and lifelessly scooped up a small spoonful of cauliflower mash into her mouth.

The funny thing was, Allison also went by the nickname of Alli but spelt it differently than herself. Just dropping an l but when the nickname was spoken nobody could tell the difference. With a shaky hand Alice rubbed her eye before looking at her room mate. "How is your day going Alli?" She asked in her typical soft voice as she pushed around her mash. Despite its appearance it was not all that good and seemed to be a bit to form fitting. Maybe if they added cream or something it would give the mash more of a light but smooth texture. Slowly she tucked her bangs behind her ear before taking another bite of the mash. Oh how she missed the Hob so much. The random soup that kept that stomachs of who could afford it warm. District 12 seemed such a long ways away now as time slowly ticked by. To be honest she missed being able to sneak under the electric fence and walk through the forest. Now like most District 13 members, Alice's skin was turning to a ghostly white that stood out through the gray uniforms. Though bits of tan still hung on her arms and cheekbones but soon that would be gone as well. Maybe if she was lucky she'd be able to go out into the forest for awhile.

[Allison]

The young seventeen year old chuckled at her room mate as she dove right into the mash. Allison silently listened to Alice complain about how sleepy she was and then realized she had asked her a question. Quickly the young brunette tried to peice together an answer. "My days going by so slow I wish we had more of our shedual together." She said with a yawn. Now that she thought about it she was rather tired. Slowly she pushed her tray towards Alice before stretching her tanned arms across the table. With one slow hand she pulled her har to one side before resting her head on the table. "Take what you want from my try just don't get caught cause I don't feel like getting in trouble."

Her eye lids fell over dark brown eyes as she took slow deep breaths as she tried to listen to conversations around them. All of them seemed pretty normal but she still didn't like being the new kid in town. "I vote we take a nap during reflection cause your snoring keeps me up at night." Slowly she opened her eyes and smiled at her friend. Although she was pretty sure Alice knew she didn't snore it was worth a chance just to make fun of her a bit. Then in a smooth movement Allison lifted her head off her arm and looked at the time line that would be washed off later that night.

8:30 - Breakfast
9:00 - Weapons Training
11:30 - Conference
12:00 - Lunch
12:30 - Reflection
1:00 - Weapons Training

Hmm a half hour of sleep didn't seem like it would be long enough for an efficent nap. Maybe she could skip her second bout of training. Heck maybe if she was lucky she could convince Alice to skip what ever her task wafter reflection was. "How's your day going Ali?" She asked as she sat up and turned half way in her seat to look at the former district twelve member. Small talk and then she could try to set the trap. Hopefully they could skip their next three or four task and get a good bit of rest. After all Ali was busy studding late into the night and the light from her candle on her night stand prevented from either sleeping a full eight hours.

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza shuffled through the lunch line, putting on a polite smile for the lunch lady but dropping it immediately after she was out of view. It wasn't that Eliza was unhappy, she just wasn't super cheery at the moment. She was just going through the motions, her strict schedule keeping her pretty busy and not letting her think of anything but that.

Eliza looked around the lunchroom, not knowing where to go or who to sit by. You see, she hadn't made any friends yet. Eliza was too shy for that. So when she resumed her slow traipsing through the room, she found herself making her way over to an empty spot on the other end of the table from two dark haired girls. They looked like they were fine by themselves, so Eliza didn't want to go over and interrupt their conversation. Or at least that was her excuse.

The lonely girl sighed and took a small bite of her lunch, not even tasting it. Looking back, she wasn't sure if it was because the cauliflower mush had no taste, or if she just hadn't paid any attention to it.

What am I going to do? she asked herself. I can't stay separated from everyone else forever. That's no way to live! Yet she still found herself sitting alone at her lunch table, too passive to ask for company.

[Alyssa :)]

Alice watched as Allison slid her tray towards her. Slowly the young brunette rolled her eyes. "I don't want you food Alli." She stated and pushed the tray back. Then her eyes caught movement from the corner so she slowly turned her head. Some girl had walked past them and sat down at the opposite end of the table as far away from them as possible. Odd, Alice thought to herself before taking a sip of water. Lazily she pushed her bangs from her face before looking back at her room mate.

"This day feels like its taking forever. There is still so much to do in the hospital its not even funny. I mean most of its just cleaning but man that takes forever." She spoke so softly she wasn't even sure Alli had heard. Then her eyes focused on the girl sitting down the line from them. For some odd reason she looked familiar but Alice could not determine how. Without speaking another word the young sixteen year old got to her feet, grabbed her tray and walked away from her room mate. She had no idea why she was leaving the side of someone she knew to sit next to a stranger. Then again it was mostly because the face looked familiar.

Slowly she walked away as she rolled her feet along the ground. A few pairs of eyes were watching her but she did not even bother to turn to see who was so fiercely following her every move. Maybe Allison would take her example and sit next to the stranger as well. Without even asking if she could sit down Allison sat her tray down before allowing herself to drift onto the wooden seat. Though she felt bad and mumbled softly, "Sorry." Then with a gentle hand Alice tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear. "I'm sorry but you look really familiar and lonely at the same time." She spoke quickly and her brown gaze kept focused on the ground. Being rather shy Alice had a hard time making eye contact. "Oh sorry ummmm my name is Alice Smith, Ali for short though. I work in the hospital unless I'm needed in the field when our soldiers go out." Her gaze drifted to her tray and then she realized she was not all that hungry because her nerves were getting to her.

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza looked up with wide eyes as one of the dark-haired girls sat down in front of her. When the girl started talking, she felt slightly comforted with the realization that this girl--Ali, by the sounds of it--was probably just as shy as herself.

Eliza didn't know what to say regarding her familiarity to Alice--she didn't think she had seen this girl before. But then...there was something about those eyes...had she seen them before? It seemed like brown eyes with gray flecks wasn't all that common, so why did it seem familiar? Eliza didn't get a good look, though, because both girls barely looked each other in the eye.

When Eliza heard the Ali's last sentence, she couldn't help but whip her head up and look at the girl with surprise, a gasp escaping her slightly thin lips. "You're a soldier? Like you actually fight in the fields?" she exclaimed before darting her eyes back down to her food, cheeks flushing a slight pink. "It's just...I would never be able to do that kind of stuff..." she explained quietly, letting out a nervous laugh at the end of the sentence.

(sorry...kinda short...but i didn't know what else to say XD)

[Alyssa :)]

Alice couldn't help but chuckle at Eliza's reaction. Though to be honest she didn't fight much she was just there to help those wounded. Currently she was still training to be a full time doctor. From time to time however Alice would go to combat training just so she wouldn't be completely defenseless in battle. In a nervous way the young sixteen year old took a sip of her water before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Not really a soldier I'm studying to be a doctor that way I can help the wounded in battle when the rebellion comes around." She corrected gently.

Then she turned to glance over her shoulder for Allison and frowned when she realized her friend was gone. Probably left to get ready for her mission set for District twelve. Softly she sighed and turned back to Eliza. "Well I would have introduced you to Allison who is an actual soldier but she left all ready." There was a sense of annoyance in her voice this time but partly because she didn't get to say good-bye to her room mate. Brown eyes rolled as she took another sip of her water. "I don't think I caught your name. What was it again?"

( Sorry this is shorter than normal )

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza looked up at Alice as she talked, trying to be a little more outgoing. "Oh!" she exclaimed when she realized she hadn't said her name. "I'm Eliza Brown. Nice to meet you." She managed a small smile.

"Oh and...umm...I'm training to be a field nurse, too," Eliza remarked. "Maybe...maybe we have a session together today?" She looked down at her arm. "Actually...I have nurse training right after this."

Realizing she hadn't eaten much of her lunch, she swept her bangs away from her eyes and started shoveling cauliflower mush into her mouth, swallowing before she could get a good taste. She wrinkled her nose as a clump of hard cauliflower slid--or rather, stuck--down her throat. She snorted in disgust and took a swig of chocolate milk to help it go down.

(Gahhh my posts are so short XD)

[Alyssa :)]

So someone else was training to be a field nurse. Alice checked her schedule that has been forever and will forever be imprinted on her arm. She's been here since she was seven and still she hated the strange ink that was put on her arm daily. Slowly she frowned when she realized she had reflection next. Most people did so it was odd Eliza had something different. "I have reflection after this but I think I'm going to go to the hospital to help out." She replied.

Once more she took a sip of her water. Well she really had no idea what to talk about. Only if her friend was here to help start conversations. "How long have you been here?" She asked finally, curiosity had gotten the better of her. After all she never really paid attention to who came and went because she would only confuse herself. Specially when several of their fellow soldiers would disappear on a mission looking as good as any of district 13 but then came back in a totally different way.

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza frowned when Alice said she had reflection after this, not nurse training. Didn't most people have reflection after lunch? She checked her arm again. She did have reflection after this, she had just read her arm wrong! Eliza blushed as she realized her stupid mistake.

"Oh...I actually do have reflection after this," she corrected herself quietly. "I...um...just didn't read it right. I have nurse training after reflection, though."

She looked down at her food and stirred it around with a spoon, avoiding Ali's gaze. Eliza listened to the girl's question, then glanced up and thought for a little bit.

"I'm not sure," she said thoughtfully. "I think maybe a few months. But I can't be sure. How about you?" Eliza was slowly getting more comfortable talking to Alice, but she was still hesitant at times.

[Alyssa :)]

Alice couldn't help but smile at the small mistake Eliza made. After all everyone that wasn't born into this district made that mistake at least once. She had made that mistake so many times when she first got to this district. Now a day though her life was like clock work and she knew what most of her day would consist of. She took a sip of her water once again as she listened to the new girl speak.

Well she should have expected her question to be asked right back to her. She looked at her gray pant leg to shy to admit that she has been here for almost ten years. Her memory trailed back down her twist history to the day she was picked up out of the woods that were forbidden grounds. She could have sworn the Capitol was the one stunning her body into a motionless blob of fear. Certainly anyone could imagine the surprised look on her face when she was told they were members of District 13.

She was seven then and her whole family had died. The memory of ducking under the electric fence which had been dead of its annoying humming for hours. She remembered running as fast as she could with the fear of bullets from peacekeepers flying through the air and pelting through her back, forcing her to the ground to slowly bleed to death. Miles away from the fence she had stopped to drink water from a stream. She retied her shoe and looked up at Eliza for a second before looking at her black, scuffed shoe. "I've been here for almost 10 years. I ran away from District 12 not long after the Hunger Games when I was 7." She replied not giving up any more details of her life in which she fought so hard to forget.

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza looked at Alice curiously when she didn't answer for a while, but then darted her gaze back down at her food when the other girl glanced up at her as well. However, when Eliza heard how long Ali had been staying at District 13, she dropped her spoon in surprise, the handle unfortunately landing in the mashed cauliflower. She gazed up at Alice with wide eyes.

"10 years..." she whispered before clearing her throat--the hard bit of cauliflower was probably still lodged in there--and speaking again. "You've been here...for 10 whole years? How have you survived? I mean...uh...following nearly the same schedule everyday for that long...it just seems really hard."

To avoid Ali's gaze, Eliza plucked her spoon out of the cauliflower mash and used her napkin to clean off the handle. Then she took another bite of the mush--she must not have learned her lesson--and slowly swallowed it down. It was almost gone, and Eliza thought she might as well eat it. It was the only thing she was going to eat for the next couple hours.

[Alyssa :)]

Alice tried to fight off a laugh at how Eliza reacted. Obviously they felt the same way about the strict schedule supplied by their lovely district. Sometimes it was almost as bad as living under the control of the Capitol. Sheepishly she took a bight of her sandwich before answering. "Yeah it was crazy at first but after a couple years the life just sticks with you." She stated.

Then she took a sip of her water to help wash her meal down. "I think the word is the worst part. Although I guess I shouldn't complain. After all I'm still alive and I get fed three times a day if I show up to every meal." She commented with a slight sigh. Then she pushed her bangs out of her face. "So how do you like it around here besides the schedule of your every waking second?" She asked sarcastically.

[Alyssa :)]

Eliza glanced up at Alice through her bangs and saw that she was trying not to laugh at her reaction. She blushed, but she also let a small smile touch her lips. She did react weirdly sometimes, after all.

Eliza nodded slightly to show she understood Alice and agreed with her. She believed that she, too, would eventually get used to the schedule as Alice said she had. And Eliza couldn't complain either. She was much better off than her dead sister. She let her gaze fall to her lap and allowed her bangs to hang in her face. Eliza didn't want Ali to see her tears if they came. Which, surprisingly, they didn't. But this only puzzled and upset Eliza, for it made her feel like she was forgetting her sister. Maybe it's good to forget sometimes, she thought to herself, but that was hard to believe. Or maybe I'm not forgetting, I'm just slowly getting over it. I could never forget Emma. Eliza nodded, telling herself that this was the case. She glanced back up at Alice as she was asked a question, eyes thankfully still dry.

"I actually kind of like it," she replied quietly, smiling a little at Ali's sarcasm. "And sometimes even the schedule isn't too bad. It's nice to have order for a change." Eliza flicked her head to get her bangs out of her eyes again. They seemed to be getting longer by the minute. She would need a haircut soon.

[Alyssa :)]

Alice rubbed her forehead and continued looking at her pant leg. She hated the gray suit that everyone had to wear. Why did they have to dress the same? Honestly she missed being able to wear what ever when ever she wanted. Though those times were long an gone and just a crazy dream of semi-freedom. It was sort of like her family and sometimes she even wondered if everything she remembered about district 12 was even true. They had to be. Why would she shed tears at night if they were fake? Hastily she pushed the train of thoughts away from her mind.

She listened as Eliza spoke about what she liked. It was nice to see they thought somewhat alike. Sometimes she liked knowing what she would do but then again she had those days. "Yeah I'm with you about that. But I miss being able to talk a walk in the woods when I want. Now I'm not allowed to leave period unless I'm on a mission." She said with a sigh. "If it wasn't for medicine I think most of these people would be sick from the lack of sunlight." There were certain deficiencies that caused changes in mood and the average sleep patterns of people. Lack of vitamin d was one of the issues that most people in this district had. Bad part about studying medicine was that she learned about the scary viruses and diseases that could happen.