Through the point of view of Beatrix
After the sufficiently awkward situation in the lunchroom this morning, I'm glad to have a distraction in the form of my classes.
The first half of the day goes by quickly, and by the time lunch rolls around I'm grateful to get a short break and eat something.
Today I decide to go with a salad, some strawberries and a small bottle of water.
I look over at the tables and couches in the lunchroom, shamelessly scanning the area for the only familiar face I know.
I spot Anthony at the table we had been at during breakfast, laughing amongst a group of people. A girl at his table whispers something in his ear, causing him to look right at me.
Almost immediately, our eyes meet, and I quickly turn my back to him .. my cheeks warming with embarrassment at being caught staring.
Resuming my selection, I put some cucumbers on my plate and get ready to head back to my dorm. I push the lunchroom doors open and walk out into the hallway.
It's refreshingly quiet and I don't waste any time in getting back to my room before rush hour begins. Once I've dropped my backpack, I place my tray onto my coffee table and go to my kitchen sink to wash my hands.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
I sigh and dry my hands off on my pants, wondering who could be knocking on my door during this hour.
When I finally do open the door, I'm greeted with a huge grin and a huge tray of food .. and Anthony of course, standing in my doorway.
"I saw you leaving the lunchroom, so I assumed you were coming back up to your dorm to eat lunch. Can I .. come in? I come bearing fruit." He says while holding up the tray of food, and I can't help but laugh at his stupidity.
I open the door for him to come in and shut it behind him once he enters my dorm. As he takes off his backpack, I sit down at my kitchen table.
"About this morning .." I purse my lips nervously as Anthony takes a seat across from me.
I shake my head and take a strawberry from off of his plate, earning me a dramatic gasp in return.
"It's not your fault. I just .. my social anxiety is really bad. I should've told you." I explain to him as he takes a bite of a sandwich on his plate. He puts it down and chews for a couple seconds, before speaking again.
"Have you always had social anxiety?" Anthony inquires, picking at a fruit on his plate.
I can tell he's worried that the question might upset me because after asking, his brown eyes scan my face worriedly and his expression grows worried.
"No. I used to be really social in high school. Slowly, I started to get nervous when I was out in public, or even talking to people in general. Once it started to really affect other areas of my life, I went to see someone." I pause and I pick at the food on my plate as the once buried memories come rushing back while I recount the situation to Anthony.
"Next thing I know, I'm told that I have General Anxiety Disorder." My lips purse into a tight-lipped smile, and I look over at Anthony, nervous for his reaction.
His expression is solemn one, and he nods understandingly for me to go on as I recount the story to him.
"Ever since then, it's been difficult to talk to people or even be in public without feeling like everyone is judging me." Anthony says nothing but he stares at me as I look down at the food on my plate, my nerves now at an all-time high.
"I get it." He says, his voice soft and comforting.
I look up at him.
"My sister ... she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when we were younger, and I always helped her with her panic attacks when my moms weren't there. So .. I get it, I do." He voices assurance in gentle, yet sympathetic tone as he speaks.
"Moms? As in .. plural?" I ask, unable to hide my curiosity.
Anthony laughs at my change in attitude at the mention of his parents.
"Yeah, I'm uh, adopted .. I guess." He tells me, and I notice that he seems a bit bashful as he talks to me about his family.
It's cute.
"What are your moms like?" I question, my curiosity now getting the better of me and my manners.
Anthony takes a deep breath as he folds his hands over his chest, he sits back in his chair, and I watch as a small smile grows on his lips as he seems to remember his family fondly.
"Well, one of my mothers was really into sports, her name is Anna. She grew up an athlete and is really competitive .. even with her own son." He adds, making me laugh as I picture Anthony and his mother being competitive.
"My other mom, Genoveva .. she's really into art. Painting, sketching, music and everything else that requires any amount of creative effort." He notes, taking a piece of pineapple off of my plate.
I playfully glare at him and earn myself a mischievous smile from Anthony in return.
"They sound like absolutely amazing women. I'd love to meet them one day," Anthony seems surprised at my words, and I take his momentary distractedness to snag another piece of fruit off of his plate.
"So that I can tell them how much their son delights in my annoyance." I finish, taking a bite of the honeydew, I had taken off of his plate with my fork.
Anthony chuckles at my joke and there's a bit of silence between us before he speaks once more.
"What about you B? What's your family like?" He asks inquisitively, and I straighten up in my chair to answer the question.
"Well-"
BRIIIIING!
The tolling of the bell signals the end of our lunch period, and I can't help the frown that makes it way onto my lips at being interrupted.
Begrudgingly, I start cleaning up and collecting my tray.
"We are so finishing this in Spanish." Anthony says to me, and I smile with obvious agreement. We both collect our things and leave my dorm in a couple minutes.
"I'll take your tray down to the cafeteria. See you in Spanish?" He asks.
"See you in Spanish." I agree.
With those words exchanged, we go our separate ways.