Chapter 17 - The Golden Spot

Vera's POV

I looked up and knew her right away. It was the girl from the other day. Queen.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Hi."

"You're going to the cafeteria, right?"

"Yes."

Before I could say anything else, she slipped her arm through mine and locked our hands together. "Let's go together."

A small laugh escaped me. "Okay."

She grinned and practically pulled me toward the door. We walked out of the classroom together and joined the crowd of students moving through the hallway.

The corridor buzzed with noise. Students talked loudly, some stood in little groups by the lockers while others hurried past with food already on their minds.

I quietly followed Queen's lead. I hadn't been to the cafeteria since I started school.

As we walked, I noticed students glancing at me. Some whispered, ohers just stared.

I ignored them as I was already used to it.

We were almost at the big doors at the end of the hallway when Queen suddenly pointed at a group of girls pretending not to look at me. "You get a lot of stares."

I shrugged. "I don't mind. They can stare all they want."

Queen giggled, her eyes still on me. "I like you."

"Friends?"

"Yes." She tilted her head. "Or you don't want to?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that."

She waited.

I smiled. "Yeah. We should be friends."

The grin that spread across her face was so bright I couldn't help laughing. She laughed too, and the sound echoed through the hallway. A few students turned to look at us but neither of us cared.

A moment later, we pushed through the cafeteria doors.

The second I stepped inside, I froze. This was nothing like any school cafeteria I had ever seen. The room was huge. Sunlight poured through tall glass windows and spread across the shiny floors. Round tables filled the space neatly. The chairs looked soft and comfortable, not the hard plastic ones I had expected. Big hanging lights decorated the ceiling. Plants sat in pretty pots around the room, making the place feel fresh and alive.

The air smelled amazing, fresh bread, grilled meat, spices, sweet desserts, all mixed together. My stomach made a low noise.

Students sat everywhere, eating and talking. The room buzzed with noise, but somehow it still felt calm and organized.

My eyes moved upward. A second floor looked down over the whole cafeteria, separated by a wide glass wall. A few students sat up there. The mood up there felt completely different. Quiet and the students that sat there looked aloof.

We walked toward the food counter. I stared at the endless choices, different kinds of rice, pasta, salads, soups, grilled meats, fresh fruit, and desserts lined up neatly behind glass.

And surprisingly, there was no line. Students just walked up and took their food.

“Wo…” I quickly stopped myself from exclaiming in surprise.

Queen grabbed a tray first, and I followed behind her. She filled her plate fast. When it was my turn, I looked through the choices before picking grilled chicken breast with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a colorful salad. The chicken looked perfectly cooked. Everything looked far too good for normal school food.

I picked up my tray, then Queen looked at my plate and nodded with approval. "Good choice."

"I know right.”

We left the counter. "Let's get a seat," she said.

I followed her, but my eyes drifted toward the stairs leading to the upper floor. Without thinking, I started walking that way.

"Wait." Queen grabbed my arm.

I stopped. "What?"

"The stairs." She pointed up. "That isn't for us regular students."

I frowned, my eyebrows pulling together. I looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What do you mean, regular students?"

‘Weren't we all students here?’

Queen sighed dramatically. "There is a hierarchy in this school, Vera."

She led me to an empty table. We sat across from each other with Queen facing the entrance and me facing the rest of the cafeteria.

She leaned forward a little. "Up there is for students whose parents donate a lot of money to the school."

I blinked.

She kept going. "And the richer your parents are, the more power you have."

My eyes drifted back to the glass floor above. The students up there sat in small groups, barely talking, unlike everyone downstairs. Their movements were slow and careful. They ate like every bite was planned.

"There's a hierarchy up there too," Queen added.

I looked at her again. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She pointed up. "That place is called the Golden Spot."

"The Golden Spot?"

She nodded. "To get in, you need a card."

As if the world wanted to prove her right, a student walked up to the glass door upstairs and pulled out a card. A scanner beeped, then the door slid open and the student walked in.

Something clicked in my head. That card. It looked very familiar.

Slowly, I reached into the pocket of my skirt. My fingers found the card the Principal had given me earlier. I pulled it out and held it up.

Queen's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"You have a card for the Golden Spot." Her mouth stayed open as she looked from the card to me, then back to the card, then back to me. "Your parents are seriously rich."

I almost choked.

Parents? If only she knew.

"That's probably why Mr. Brooks didn't scold us about the broken apparatus."

A nervous laugh slipped out of me. "Oh… right."

Of course. Paul Hayworth was rich enough to own this school, only the heavens knows how much he actually has.

Queen studied me with fresh interest. "So…" She pointed upstairs. "Are you going up there to eat now?"

I looked at the card, then at her, then at the card again. A few seconds later, I slid it back into my pocket. "No."

Queen blinked. "No?"

I smiled. "I made a new friend, and I'm staying down here to eat with you."

A huge smile broke across her face, the kind nobody could fake. "I'm glad."

Something warm settled in my chest. It felt nice, having a friend in my new school.

I picked up my fork and finally tasted the chicken. My eyes widened right away. The meat was so tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned. It didn't taste like regular cafeteria food that was cooked in a rush. I chewed slowly. "Oh wow."

I took another bite. "This is amazing."

"I told you," Queen laughed.

I shook my head. "No, seriously." I pointed my fork at her. "This is the best cafeteria food I've ever tasted."

Before she could answer, her face changed. Her eyes shifted to something behind me. "Oh wow."

I frowned. "What?"

Her eyes stayed fixed on whatever it was. I turned around.

The moment I saw who had walked in, my stomach tightened.

Liam and Sarah.

They walked into the cafeteria side by side. They weren't holding hands. They weren't touching. But they didn't need to be. The sight alone said enough.

Heads turned immediately. Whispers spread through the room and students stared openly. I found myself staring too.

"Are they back together?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

Queen looked thoughtful. "No one really knows." She shrugged. "It's only certain if he drives her home after school, or she kisses him before they leave separately."

I didn't answer. My eyes just followed them. Sarah stayed close to him, close enough for everyone to notice, close enough for people to start guessing, close enough to make my chest feel oddly tight.

"The chatroom is going wild." Queen laughed softly, scrolling on her phone. "I think Team They Won't Get Back Together is about to lose their money."

"What do you mean?"

She held her phone toward me. I looked at the screen, then at her, confused. "You're not on the school chatroom?"

"Nope."

Her jaw dropped. "You are missing so much."

I said dryly. "Apparently."

"There's enough gossip in there to keep you busy for years."

"Oh."

She grinned as she stretched her phone in front of me. "Give me your number."

I typed it into her phone. Less than a minute later, my own phone buzzed. "Done," she said.

I glanced at my screen. A link was sent by an unknown number which apparently is for Queen. I clicked it, and within seconds I was inside the chatroom. Messages flew across the screen so fast it was hard to read them, pictures, memes, rumors, arguments. These students clearly had too much free time.

"Students made a bet about Liam and Sarah's relationship."

I looked up. "A real bet?"

"A real one."

"With money?"

"Lots of money."

I stared at her. "Why?"

Queen laughed. "They've been dating for who knows how long." She leaned back in her chair. "They break up and get back together almost everything. It's like a cycle for them.”

"That sounds exhausting."

"It probably is," she snorted. "But that's basically their whole relationship."

I glanced upstairs. They had already made it to the Golden Spot. I could see them clearly through the glass, sitting so close. Sarah kept leaning into him, talking, smiling, touching his arm now and then.

"What was the fight about?"

Queen shrugged. "We don't know."

"Nobody knows?"

"Nope." She stabbed a piece of food with her fork. "Nobody even cares about the details anymore. They fight too much for anyone to keep up."

"Hmm." I looked upstairs again. Sarah laughed at something as Liam glanced down at her.

Then, suddenly, his eyes moved. Straight toward me.

My breath caught. Our eyes locked instantly. The noise of the cafeteria seemed to fade into the background. People kept talking around me, forks scraped against plates, chairs shiftee… but all I could see was him.

His face didn't change. Neither did mine. For a moment, neither of us looked away.

Then Queen's voice cut through the silence. "Vera, let's eat fast before the bell rings."

I blinked, then I tore my eyes away from his, my face suddenly warm. I lowered my head and shoved another bite of chicken into my mouth.

Queen kept eating, completely unaware. I chewed slowly, trying hard not to look upstairs again. Trying hard not to think about the fact that he had been staring right back at me.

After a few quiet moments, I finally spoke. "What's the deal with everyone being so concerned about Liam?"

Queen looked up.

"I got a lot of stares on my first day just because he drove me to school."

Her eyes widened slightly. "You don't know?"

I frowned. "Know what?”