dinnertime conversations, open! i need some people to talk to here

[ophelia isabelle burke]

Ophelia gripped the sides of her plastic tray, making the diet coke, 5 carrots, 3 peas and 4 saltines rattle around. She was mentally calculating the calories in this meal, hopefully it was enough to keep her under 200 for the day but enough to keep her from passing out.

She spotted some girls sitting at a table near a bright open window but she noticed that they were chatting amongst themselves...but they were the only ones with an open table, she trudged over to them, hoping they wouldn't openly laugh in her face.

"Hello, i was um...wondering if i could...you know, uh, sit here...i don't uh...really know anyone...

[julia rochester]

The Charles Anthon dining hall looks a lot like you would expect it to. At first glance, there are tables and students, eating. What the average onlooker can't see though, is the system of organization that exists beneath the surface. Certain tables are out of reach to certain other people. White roses as a rule occupy one end, and red roses the other. The leader cliques of each have tables of their own, tables no one with any sense of self preservance would just walk up to without good reason.

Julia was sitting in her usual seat, which provided a good view of the whole dining hall. She lived by the philosophy of any good cop, cops being known for how they at cafés and such must have a seat with their back against the wall. Everyone hates the feeling they might be snuck up on. And so Julia and her crew resided at a corner table. Jules was carrying on a conversation with Gabbie, and at the same time picking at the food on her plate.

Julia was not a food-person. She ran on air sometimes it seemed, always managing on little sleep and very picky with what she ate. She was naturally petite, sure, and had never needed much food to keep her going. She more often than not skipped breakfast on weekdays, having no appetite that early. As a voice interrupted her conversation with Gabbie, she looked up.

"Hello, i was um...wondering if i could...you know, uh, sit here...i don't uh...really know anyone..."

There was a long pause. Was she joking? Seriously, did she think she was allowed to sit, here? Julia almost laughed out loud, but stopped just in time. Casting an insinuating glance at Gabbie, she smiled a falsely sweet smile, and said to the girl. "Sure, why not." Maybe they could have some fun.

[ophelia isabelle burke]

Ophelia stared at her feet while she waited through the long silence, these girls didn;t want her to site here...that much was clear as they exchanged glances...to her surprise they said yes...but there was a glint in their eyes, an...evil plot bubbling in their minds, clearly this table was closed for business.

"Oh, why thank you" she murmured to the girls "I'm Ophelia, Ophelia Burke, freshman... how about you guys?" she asked innocently as she pulled out a heavy oak chair and lightly sat down in it

while she waited for an answer, images of tucker...her and tucker...raced through her mind...she must've sighed out loud because the girls sitting around her laughed, she turned pink and pushed her peas around the plate... she quietly scanned the room for some way to get out of this awkward situation...but there was no esacpe, she couldn;t claim homework...and she couldn;t just go shack up with tucker...he was busy talking so some older looking guys.

[gabrielle parker]

Gabbie rocked her chair back and forth a little as she munched away on a baguette held in one hand. She had one foot up on the chair next to hers while conversing with Julia about something or other. Unlike her best friend, Gabbie loved food and ate whatever she wanted, healthy or not. Despite this, her figure never seemed to get any larger, which was very lucky for her. As usual, she wasn't paying very much attention to her surroundings, choosing instead to concentrate on the people around her who she actually cared about.

She swallowed and was about to let out a laugh at something Julia had said when a girl came walking up to their table. Widening her eyes in astonishment, Gabbie simply sat there for a second. Who was this little loser, and who on earth did she think she was? Letting Julia handle the talk, expecting her to tell the girl to shove off, Gabbie took another big bite of her sandwich and continued to slouch in her chair.

Julia surprised her, however, by allowing the skinny little brunette to sit down at their table. Rolling her eyes at her friend, Gabbie sent this Ophelia person a silent nod. She couldn't help but snort out loud at the freshman's next question, however. How obvious it was that Ophelia was completely new here. She seemed to have quite a useless sense of intuition, as well, couldn't she sense the aura of elitism around that very table? "I'm Gabbie, kid. This is Julia. And you don't have to tell us you're a freshman, it's quite noticeable." she said, and smiled down at her sandwich before continuing her meal.

[ophelia isabelle burke]

'Oh..eh...well, i-i'm sorry." she mumbled to no one in particular as she stabbed a pea. her face was burning, her blood boiling, she wanted out of here, bad...like NOW! but she couldn't let these girls get to her...she was here to make friends...or enemies, she didn't care. these girls were intimidating, they were staring at her, wating for her to implode, or run away in fear, she smiled quaintly at them as she felt her phone buzz against her thigh.

"Tuck" read the little screen as she inconspicuously pulled her phone out.

Hey, what's up fee, do you want me to come spring you...you're squirming in your seat :] it was like he could read her mind.

the girls, Gabbie and Julia were staring at her as she raised her head from her phone...

[julia rochester]

The girl sat down, and mumbled an introduction. Julia stifled a chuckle as the girl asked who they were. Yes, she was definitively a freshman, and it was evident even without the girl saying it -- Julia seconded Gabbie's words in her head. Gabbie seemed a tad annoyed that Julia let the girl sit there, but it could be just the thing to save a mundane afternoon.

Julia watched the girl cringe in her seat, apologizing to no one in particular, it seemed. The girl was stabbing at her peas, her plate containing even less food than Julia's. A rare case, considering Julia as a rule didn't like food.

Taking another forkful out of her sallad though, Julia continued to watch the girl, who discreetly drew out her phone which had been buzzing in her pocket. "You should probably just ignore that", Julia said lightly, giving no motivation. She carried an air that let people know she wasn't about to be disobeyed, and that was usually enough reason for anyone. Especially those who actually knew who she was. As the girl seemed to be casting glances across the room, Julia had a pretty good idea what the message was about, and she wasn't about to be deprived of her fun. No one ever just got up and left this table, when they'd against all odds had been allowed to sit down. And doing such would probably have worse consequences than enduring sitting there throughout lunch.

[ophelia isabelle burke]

Clearly these girls didn't want her here, they were...elite in a sense. not welcoming.

she texted tucker back swiftly even though Julia told her to ignore it.

"SAVE ME. NOW. who are these girls anyway?"

she pushed her peas around waiting for tucker to respond...she had heard some rumors about White and Red Roses...some secret societies on campus, rivals...they apparently HATED each other after some drama last year.

BZZ BZZ, went her phone again, Gabbie sent her a scathing glance, "It's my...uh...mom...she want's to know how school's going." she lied through clenched teeth.

The screen read
"They are white roses...the guy i am sitting with, is a red rose...they hate each other, very elitist, you should ask about it... and i'll be right over sweetie :]"

Ophelia was relieved that she was finally getting out of this hell... to be with him, finally! She looked up to some wondering glances and an outstretched hand, obviously wanting her phone, they knew it wasn't her mother she was texting.

[tucker madison]

Tucker was busy with his buddies, throwing chips at each other and stuffing handfuls upon handfulls of food in their moths between stories of their weekends. his phone sat on the table next to him, and vibrated violently knocking into his glass of coke.
The little screen read Fee, he slid the phone open and read the message printed across the phone.

SAVE ME. NOW. who are these girls anyway?"

he laughed to himself, thrugh she was clearly miserable, he found it enteratining. he knew some of the guys he was sitting near were part of theose secret society things, he didn't care much, they were all pretty laid black it seemed right now.

he replied

"They are white roses...some of the guys i am sitting with, are red roses...they hate each other, very elitist, you should ask about it... and i'll be right over sweetie :]"

he sighed, kind of angry at her lack of self confidence, couldn't she just get up and leave or something!