During lunchtime, the cafeteria was usually packed to its top. All the tables for three were literally occupied.

Knowing that there's still a couple of minutes before all the tables were filled up, ken headed off to the
cafeteria, but Lola stopped him on the way.

"Uhm... huh, excuse me, you must be kenny, right? Could we talk for a second?" Requested Lola.

"Uhum, huh... Sure, what is it?" answered Ken.

"Thanks...uhmm.. The reason I stopped you is that you and Vivian seem really close."

"Uhmm. well, I wouldn't stay. We are that close."

"Really? But you are the only person in school that she talks to ever. It's my goal to become friends with everyone at school, so I asked Vivian for her phone number and if we could be friends, but she turned me down. She said that she doesn't want to be friends with anyone." Lola said disappointedly.

"Well, I guess that's just how she is." ken assured her.

"But I still want to be friends with Vivian. In spite of all of that, please will you help me with that?" insisted
Lola.

"Help you, I don't know...." said Ken.

"You mean you won't?" Lamented Lola sympathetically.

It was in ken to object, but Lola was so persistent that he had no option but to accept. So they went through the plan on how to approach Vivian.

*****

"Ahh, uhm.. Can I sit here?" Ken asked Vivian.

"Why of all people would you come here?" Vivian asked him scornfully.

"First of all, the tables are all filled up. Secondly, it's not a good thing being all by yourself. Furthermore, this is
a table of three after all. Moreover, you seem quite lonely." Ken said brightly.

"That's true, but I, for one, prefer to be alone. You can sit but don't get too acquainted. In fact, you are so weird,
you are not very good at interacting with people, no conversation skills." said Vivian disapprovelingly.

"Yeah, I know, but you don't seem to be much better than I am." Pointed out Ken as he sat down.

"That's true, but I..." Before she could finish specking, Lola appeared and interrupted her.

"Uhh... Vivian! What a coincidence and Ken too wow. You guys seem to be close friends, " said Lola brightly and sat down next to Vivian.

"No, we are just getting to know each other." Commented Ken.

"Oh really, that's cool. Well, I am here by myself. I guess I will just have to join you guys." pointed out Lola so
excitedly.

"I'm leaving," said Vivian, pulling up a long face as she stood up.

"You are? But you literally just sat down, and you barely touched your food." Said Ken.

"But Lola is here now. So I suppose you don't need me to stay, do you?" said Vivian, looking straight in Ken's
eyes.

"I guess not, but Lola and I are just classmates. We don't know each other that much."

"And how's that any different from what you and I are? On top of that_ something seems fishy here, and I
don't like it." Vivian said, turning her head to look at Lola.

Lola hesitated for some time then said, "What?... Uhh, no, it's just a coincidence."

'Nice try, but the best answer would have been what does that suppose to mean.'  Ken thought to himself.

"I came here immediately after class. After a couple of minutes, you showed up, and then she followed along.
You both knew that the tables get filled up so fast, why then did you both have to wait and took so long to come chance a table, could that be a coincidence or you were just waiting for all the tables to be filled up so that you can come and join me, huh?, that doesn't just make sense." Vivian narrated to them disappointedly.


© Susan phiri