Stuck in a Film [Emma]

Emma had been hesitant to return to the dining hall since her last visit had not gone so well. But she was stuck here for now and she did need to eat. Although, there had been a few times when she hadn’t had food, or it was cut to one meal a day. Everything wasn’t all perfect at the orphanage, and she had long ago accepted that.

The brunette placed her hands over her grumbling stomach, as if it would somehow silence it. She adjusted her sunglasses before taking a deep breath and entered the cafeteria. Everything seemed fine, and the students that had caused her some trouble last time were nowhere to be seen. Emma swiftly got a tray and some food and managed to grab a seat at an empty table without any complications. She bowed her head and inwardly began to say grace before eating when she was interrupted by a boy standing on top of one of the tables and chucking his entire tray across the room while someone else shouted: “Food fight.”

Emma’s grey eyes were wide with a mix of shock and fear. Shock, because she honestly couldn’t believe that these would actually be happening in a university with grown children. Fear, because she was beginning to think each trip she took to the dining hall would result in her getting hit with food. She felt frozen in the moment as she watched as students mercilessly threw their food indifferently across the room.

Part of her wanted to get under the table to hide, the other part eyed the door and just wanted to get out as quickly as possible. She picked up her muffin and abandoned the rest of her food. As she tried making her way through the chaos when someone jumped in front of her and saved her from impact with a flying hamburger. She couldn’t help but let out a tiny shriek. “Uh, t-thank you. Um, yes, I, uh. In my experience yes.” She said voice shaky. The whole room looked different with a tinted view behind her sunglasses.

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Kristen Norewood

Emma stood frozen like a statue. She honestly couldn’t believe she was in this situation again. There had been one food fight back at the orphanage and it was the last food fight to ever occur. No one messed with the nuns, and the fools that started the mess learned that the hard way. It seemed as though at this place discipline and structure was lacking. She heard the girl speak, but it was kind of hard to focus with the chaos that was going on. Her grey eyes jumped from side to side watching kids diving all over the place and covered in food. All she had wanted to do was eat. She looked at the muffin in her hand and before she could even blink it had been knocked out with a peace of flying debris. She watched -- in what felt like slow motion – her beloved muffin go crashing to the dirty dining hall floor.

She felt as though she wanted to cry, but before she could the girl who had saved her was talking again. Something about leaving. Emma was on board. She took the girl’s hand and waited until the count of three. They made a beeline dash to the exit but before they could make it to the door she heard someone shout behind them: “Prisoner’s escaping! Get them.” And before Emma could even turn back to look at who was saying it a large majority of the student’s in the cafeteria turned to face their new targets.

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Kristen Norewood

Emma hadn’t realized that she had stopped. The girl’s voice snapped her out of her head as she was pushed in front to take the lead. The girl was swatting food away and for the most part – with a few exceptions – they had seemed to make it to the door with not much of a mess on them. She was relieved when they made it outside of the cafeteria. Emma looked down at her shaking hands, why had this girl been so kind to help her out when there were so many others that she could have chosen?

The brunette gave a small nod, “Mhmm.” She said still tried to compose herself. She wasn’t made for this. Whatever this was. She missed her routine. It was certain. This was so…uncertain. She rubbed one of her arms and looked over at the girl when she mentioned teacher. “O-O-Okay.” She was not about to get in trouble for something she was merely a victim of.

She started to walk away from the dining hall and gave a faint smile to the girl, “Emma. T-thanks again.” She felt her stomach grumbling and she wrapped her hands immediately on her belly. “So much wasted food.” She mumbled to herself. Now what was she going to eat?

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Kristen Norewood

Emma felt herself crumbling on the inside. She didn’t want to be here anymore. Even if there was a handful of kind people. What was she supposed to do? Avoid going to the dining hall for the rest of her time here (however long that is)? How was she supposed to eat? Not to mention, she was sure she’d see these troublemakers elsewhere.

The brunette gave a small nod in response to Kristen’s comment. They were a bunch of idiots. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were friends with the either group that had caused her trouble the other day. It would make sense if they were.

Emma’s grey eyes went wide hidden behind her oversized sunglasses. Leave? Leave and go to town? Anything Kristen said after that went unheard by the timorous girl. “Um uh, I-I-I don’t, um. I really don’t, uh, think, uh, I should leave. Um, yeah.” She said, voice shaky and she was trying to make a coherent sentence. She could wait until tomorrow for food. Right? Yeah she’s done that before. She was barely comfortable with leaving her dorm to wander about campus, let alone leave campus to wander the town below.

She watched as a handful of university staff rushed passed them. She had a feeling she knew where they were going.

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Kristen Norewood

Emma didn't move as the teachers ran by them, she didn't move as Kristen kept talking. The girl seemed to be trying to comfort her, relax her even. She knew she needed to shower and wash her food stained clothes, but she didn't really care much about that right now.

The brunette nodded each time Kristen spoke, she agreed, she knew she should, she just wasn't quite sure if she was actually going to. She wanted to thank the girl more than she did, but she couldn't seem to find the right words to say. Emma had wanted to blend in, not be seen, and she has manage to do the complete opposite of that.

Emma started walking slowly, getting further away from the scene of the crime. She kept her head down and her arms wrapped around her. "T-That would be, uh, nice." She said, wondering if there would ever be a day where the dining hall would be just for eating, and not throwing food. It was so...wasteful. "Is there...um. Somewhere else on campus we can get food?" She asked, her voice was starting to even out. Her hands fell to her stomach as she felt it grumble again.

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Kristen Norewood