Big Bad Hannah

Chapter Five

"Who was that?" Hannah asked Molly as they headed to the cafeteria.

"Who?" Molly turned to view the person Hannah was referring to, then turned back. "Oh that's Clark. Class president. Sort of the golden boy in school."

"He's a prick." Hannah dropped bluntly.

Molly laughed lightly. "He's handsome and popular." She said. "Who wouldn't be?"

They didn't talk about Clark again, till they grabbed their food from the cafeteria's counter, and Molly led Hannah to a table, already occupied by four other students.

"Hannah," Molly began the introductions. "this is Pete," She pointed at a round chubby boy on glasses. "Tasha," A regular looking girl with purple highlights on her otherwise jet black hair. "Ron," This one looked like a vampire, with his pale skin, black eyeliner and black lips. "and Cypher." Cypher was cute, and had curly brown hair. "Ron and Tasha are twins."

That explained the two's similar Gothic appearance.

"Everyone this is Hannah." Molly finished.

The table exchange “Hi's”, and Molly and Hannah settled down with their trays. As soon as they'd sat down, repeated clinking sounds vibrated through the cafeteria. Hannah located the source of the sounds to be the table at the center of the cafeteria. A handsome boy, skin like cocoa, smile like a ray of sunshine, hit his metal spoon on a glass cup, earning the attention of the entire cafeteria. At his table were three other boys. Annoyingly, Clark was one of them.

"Welcome! To yet another round... of the Midday Games." The boy said.

"What's a Midday Games?" Hannah whispered.

"It's held every Monday, during lunch break. Everyone enjoys playing." Molly answered her.

Hannah looked around at the excited faces - everyone really did enjoy playing.

"I, your beloved host, Donald of table 0, will be taking you through the Craziest Challenge."

"Our table is table 37 by the way." Tasha told Hannah.

"In this game, I ask on something you've done, and tables take turns in saying the craziest you've ever done it. Each table has ten seconds to think of something, and if they don't come up with anything, they'll be skipped. The prize is front row seats at the soccer team's game this Saturday. Let the game... begin!"

"Craziest flavors you've ever mixed." Donald read out the first question from the paper he was holding.

Hannah watched as tables mentioned revolting flavor combinations that could make even diabetic patients puke. Once it reached table 37's turn to speak, Pete took the stage.

"Um... Garlic, tomato juice, drops of bitter lemon, ginger, broccoli, sour milk, and papaya."

The hall fell silent.

"What'd you put it in, men?" Donald asked, apparently stunned.

"C-cake. It w-was actually quite delicious." Pete nervously answered.

Donald kissed his teeth and shook his head. "I've heard a lot yucky flavors today. But yours, it just ain't it. Table 37 wins!!!"

Molly and the rest of the table jubilated, but Hannah couldn't find the excitement to do so. She couldn't see what was the big deal about the game.

Donald read out the second question. "Craziest lie you've ever told."

Hannah's table didn't win this one. Cypher narrated a bland joke of him telling his mother his pet rabbit died, and that's why he couldn't make it to her engagement party. He didn't have a pet rabbit, and he's mother grounded him, not for lying, but for being so damn uncreative.

"Craziest place you've ever gotten drunk."

This was a tough one. Most tables mentioned a party, or some 18+ club. One table came up with something different, when a member mentioned a meeting with the school principal, himself, and his parent, but that was it. For Hannah, she had so many options to choose from. She impulsively picked the craziest.

"The police station."

By the time Hannah realized she had just implicated herself, the cafeteria was filled with gasps and murmurs.

"I mean, I was delivering dinner to my uncle who is a cop, and kinda took the alcohol out of the lunch box and got myself drunk." She desperately tried to redeem herself.

The real story, however, went more like... Hannah had just gotten detained for getting into a street fight, and the policemen had failed to search her properly. When she discovered a bottle of whiskey in her coat pocket, she gulped it down while waiting for Janice to bail her out. Hannah had tried her best to convince the cops that she wasn't drunk, but they weren't stupid. She got out anyway, but with two charges : disturbing the peace and underaged drinking.

"I doubt anyone can beat that. The win goes to table 37! As table 37 has the most win points, they get the front row seats! Congratulations! Good job everyone!" Donald announced, clapped for the winners, and was joined by the rest of the cafeteria.

The bell indicating the end of lunch break came all too soon, and Hannah made her way to her locker. Before she could open it, someone said “Hey”, and she turned to see Donald, smiling brightly at her.

"Hannah right? I'm Donald." He said.

"I know. You introduced yourself to the whole cafeteria." Hannah joked.

He smiled even brighter. Hannah loved his smile. It was not infuriating like Clark's, but sweet, and it made his black eyes sparkle.

"Yah. I doubt that was necessary. I say it every Midday Game, they'd know it by now." Donald said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I say you should continue, in case new comers like me are in the crowd."

"Sure. No problem. Anyway, I came to tell you that that police stuff... Dope."

Hannah snorted. "Not really. When it happened, my sister went all... ‘Off with her head!’. "

"Well next time it happens, come to me and I'll put a crown on it, princess."

Donald and Hannah gazed at each other, neither talking. Hannah mentally added Donald to the list of people she would get along just fine with.

Teaser : Hannah and Clark make trouble in the next class, which they have together.