Chapter 4 (That laughter)

Suddenly the innocent looking canteen turned into a fish market. Alice was right. They all did look like zombies; tired and starving. There were 7 counters serving food but still it was evident that they were not enough. Even the thought of having to line up behind so many people made her hunger go away, at least she thought so before it growled. She thanked god because she was very sure no one heard it because of the loud chatting and screaming of people.

God what are they talking about looking all desperate and in need of spilling out everything.

Jasmine was busy with her thoughts when all of a sudden, Alice took the hold of her hand and started running. She was shocked when her body was suddenly pulled but she knew that they should go and line up before the line gets longer.

They stood in counter 7's line. It seemed like it had one person less than the other counters. That was the time she noticed, there was another counter serving food but it had no counter number and it had only two to three people lining-up.

"Why isn’t anyone going in that counter to line-up? That one surely does have a smaller queue than this one, unless everyone here is into some kind of exercise these days", Jasmine spoke turning back to Alice.

"That one is not for us. They're for the high post employees", she said sighing.

"Discrimination everywhere", Jasmine whispered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing I was just thinking when our turn will come. I hope it comes before the aliens capture the Earth. I don't want to die empty stomach you know, " Jasmine was more and more annoyed because of the hunger that was growing in a rapid pace after smelling the delicious aroma of the canteen.

'Good god. Finally the time's here when I'll be making my order.'

"A small size mixed pizza please" she said with all excitement left in her body and gave her canteen card that she had received in the morning from Alice.

"Sorry lady but that's finished already. Anything else you'd like to order?" the man at his late forty said with a sad expression.

Seriously, it's finished? Don't you people know that you've to cook a lot of it because there're going to people who will be working hard and would at least want to have their favorite lunch? Gosh these cooks and their dishes... She wanted to say it out loud but she trapped her feelings in her mind only.

"Yup... then chicken burger please... if you HAVE one left that is," she emphasized the last part.

"Sure beautiful."

'Okay is he really complimenting me or did he say that just because he felt sorry that I didn't get to have my first order? Either way he said the truth. People say I'm a bit self-obsessed kind of girl though I prefer to call it self-love and appreciating yourself for the way you are.'

Alice ordered the same since they weren't left with much choice because they were probably from the last batch of people to order. One lesson Jasmine learned today was to not go to the washroom when it's lunch time.

They were walking through the place searching empty seats to sit in peace and eat what god had planned for them.

As she was walking by she heard a familiar male voice.

"Hey Jazz!"

She stopped and looked behind.

‘Good Jesus how did I even forget about him. Well what else were you expecting then Jazz, that's what happens when you're used to seeing a lot of good looking guys on your path but eventually you forget about them because at the end of the day they were just passersby.’

"Hey... Stefen right?" she tried to look as normal as she could though she felt like she shouldn't have used the word 'right' at the end.

"Yup that would be me," he replied in a normal tone.

‘I guess he isn’t hurt.’ She relaxed her brain.

"Where were you? I tried finding you in your department but you weren't there so I thought you might have come to the canteen already but I guess you JUST came here,” he said it in one go.

"Well actually we came here around 500 seconds ago but the queue was a hurdle.”

Stefen nodded understanding her because even he had faced those days.

Jack and Alice were there like an uninvited and uninterested audience.

"Why don't you join us?... I mean both of you." Stefen offered them the two empty seats in the table.

"Are you sure?" Jasmine asked sounding a bit awkward seeing another guy seated opposite to Stefen.

Stefen understood what she meant and looked towards Jack hinting him to speak.

"Yes of course," Jack said getting the hint.

Jasmine sat on the chair closest to her facing Stefen in the opposite direction, while Alice sat beside him.

"Hey I'm Jack but not Dawson,” Jack winked and spoke in a very husky way.

"I'm Jasmine but not the flower,” she simply replied and gave a sarcastic smile.

"And I am Alice but not from Wonderland." Alice spoke, rolling her eyes at Jack.

"Come on Alice, stop trying to fool me, we both know you are MADLY in love with me. Just admit it," Jack tried to mock her.

"Yeah, isn't that your only wish in life... to see ME love YOU? Sorry to dissapoint you but ain't happening in this life."

"I am glad," Jack rolled his eyes as he stuffed his food in his mouth.

Stefen laughed hearing them. Gosh that laugh was music to Jasmine's ear.

One thing was very clear to Jasmine that day; Alice and Jack were not in good terms.

"You like burgers huh?" Stefen asked looking at Jasmine’s plate, trying to initiate a conversation between them.

"Not really. I was thinking of having mixed pizza but it was finished till the time I reached to make the order... Now I know why it finished so fast,” she said looking at his plate with a sad expression since he had mixed pizza on his plate.

He laughed again hearing her.

‘That laughter again... Is he planning to kill my heart at this young age?’ Jasmine could not control her lose thoughts that dropped anytime anywhere.

"That's not a problem then. You can have mine,” saying that he switched their plates. "I've already eaten two slices but I hope you wouldn't mind it," he said with a gentle and the most innocent smile one could have.

If her heart survived his laughter back then, then now it was probably dead with this gesture of his.