/lit/ - Literature

scottish school kids at lunch 1/2

We all sat in the dining hall, Freddo wrappers littering the table in front of us as Kenan chomped through his fifth one. David had bought M&Ms and was arranging them by color into warring factions. I sat slouched in my chair with another a few feet in front of me to rest my legs on as Kyle and Wee Patty chatted back and forth.
“Look at them…” Kyle said pointing to the learning support kids who sat up near the canteen serving area, so there wasn’t too much distance for them to walk with their hot plates. I waited for Kyle to continue, praying that the conversation wasn’t going to go down the gutter.
“They’ve been here since the beginning eh? No’ worried about being up town or the troubles of the land and gentry. Solid lads.”
Wee Patty chuckled but he wasn’t really paying attention, he pulled apart the first of his three cafeteria cheeseburgers like a surgeon setting about his first patient of the day, excited yet nervous as a life hung in the balance: his own. Would he survive the cafeteria cooking for another day? Only time would tell. As he squirted the ketchup all over the burger and reassembled it Kyle continued talking.
“They’re the guardians of the cafe, the three wise men of the lunch hall. Coming to eat under the vision of baby Jesus in the stained glass.” Kyle motioned towards the window on the left hand side of the hall stained with religious iconography, I burst out laughing almost drowning on the Coke I was sipping at.
“What are you talking about Kyle? The three wise men? It’s just wee Stuart, Patch and their mate eating lunch.”
“That’s Balthazar - Paul. He went to my primary school.” Kyle replied quickly. “He used to wear this head protector that looked like a crown. He likes a high five does auld Balthazar.”
I stared at Kyle in disbelief. Looking around the table I wanted to see if anyone else was hearing this or if I was in some abstract fantasy inside Kyle’s head.
David was down to the Red and Green M&Ms though he had been distracted by Kenan who had got up and started to ‘Boax’ him. Wee Patty was now three cheeseburgers deep. I was alone, awash in the sea of Kyle’s insanity.
“Y’know Mike, it’s no’ a bad wee life they’ve got. Peace and quiet to study, company without the social awkwardness of making friends. Other than us a whole lunch hall to themselves. Bar the disability, it must be an alright existence. This is their holy land, their Babylon!”
Before I could reply, Kyle was up off his seat and marching towards the learning support table. I looked on curiously, wondering what had possessed him. After a few seconds the blonde haired boy, the one Kyle had nicknamed Balthazar was on his feet giving Kyle a high five. Christ, what had he said?