The allergy

Right now, Oliver's heart hammered in his chest. He looked over his shoulder to see if there was someone else behind him that the priest was referring to, but there was no one there. He was on his own.

"Me?" asked Oliver, touching the center of his chest with a finger.

"Yes, you boy," said the man.

"I don't tolerate divided attention when talking, so can you please find for yourself a seat?" he added, his voice calm and clear.

Oliver nodded rapidly and began to scan the hall for a suitable seat. All the seats seemed to be occupied. The laser eyes of the onlookers followed his every move.

"Pist, over here," called someone a few tables away.

Oliver could see someone waving at him. As he got closer, he recognized the person at once. It was Jasper. He was grinning widely, every detail of his teeth showed clearly.

Oliver stopped to check if there was any other seat. He didn't want to sit next to Jasper. He could see the expectant eyes, waiting to see if he would go sit with him.

He was getting more uncomfortable standing up. There was no other seat he could find. He had no other option now, but to accept the offer from Jasper. He hurriedly went straight to where Jasper was. He crossed his legs over the bench, and sat down, filling up the vacant space reserved for him by Jasper.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all over the place," whispered Jasper, cautious of his voice.

"I've been in the hostel, and the shower is not working properly," replied Oliver.

Without wasting any more time, Oliver began eating his food. There was a sense of urgency and seriousness in his every move, as he dug through the baked beans, shoving spoonfuls into his mouth, non-stop.

The manner he ate did best to draw the attention of those nearby. Jasper could spot up to a dozen necks and turn towards the both of them.

"Isn't that the new kid?"

"Why is he with that loser?"

"Hay look, he eats like an animal."

Giggles.

Many other whispers from students around were heard, but Oliver didn't seem to be that bothered about them, at least for now. When he turned, they all looked away as fast as possible, pretending not to have been staring.

Jasper sat opposite him, smiling at him all the time. Oliver wondered why the boy was so interested in him. It was obvious he wanted them to be friends. Now it seemed like Oliver was starting to get along with him. He found no problem with him, and probably no clear reason why he was termed a weirdo.

"Looks like someone's got a massive appetite," teased Jasper, with a grin.

Oliver paused to swallow the food stuffed up in his mouth.

"What do you expect from someone who has been starving for over ten hours?" replied Oliver, after narrowing down the food through his gullet.

"You missed lunch?" asked Jasper, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Oliver nodded.

"Wicked!" muttered Jasper, expressing his shock.

No wonder I couldn't find you," he added, with a look of concern displayed over his wrinkled forehead.

Oliver was scanning the crowd now. He couldn't find Felicity anywhere.

The man addressing everyone spoke with exuberance. He was stating the announcement for the week, and he mentioned some interschool competitions that would be held the next month.

"Who's that man over there?" asked Oliver.

He hadn't been paying attention to the announcement. Satisfying his hunger was the most important thing to him right now.

"That's the headmaster, Father Moses," replied Jasper.

Oliver returned a stare at the man, his brows arched with doubt. Jasper noticed the doubt in Oliver's eyes. The reason was obvious, just like Oliver, any other person would doubt the same way when told that such a white-haired old man was the headmaster of the school.

Oliver continued eating his food. Jasper who was facing Oliver at the table watched him with concern and sympathy. He could imagine how hungry Oliver was at the moment.

"Oliver I have little cash on me right now, maybe we could crash at one of the convenience stores before the curfew, and grab you a few snacks," suggested Jasper.

"No no. There's no need to bother yourself, I think this should be enough for me. Save up your cash." Oliver denied the offer from Jasper.

Though he felt like taking french fries and ice cream, he was also aware that if he did so he'd have a rough sleep, plus it might also make him look like a foodie, which he wasn't.

Oliver was done with the beans by now. He decided to have a sip of the fruit juice. Though he wasn't a fan of fruit juices, the color of this one made it look so appetizing.

As the liquid entered his mouth, a quick flick of frown displayed over his face. The slight arid sensation he was perceiving within the flavoury taste, made him regret why he drank from the cup in the first place. Now he didn't know whether to swallow it or squirt it back into the cup. The nauseating taste was so unbearable.

At last, Oliver swallowed the juice, with his eyes closed tight. It was like drinking distasteful medicine.

"Tasty, is it?" asked Jasper.

Oliver took a mouthful of water.

"I hate orange juices," he admitted.

"I used to like them before, but then I quit taking them when they started adding garlic to it," said Jasper.

"Garlic?!" asked Oliver, with a serious tone.

"Who adds garlic to fruit juices?" he whispered now.

Jasper was puzzled by the way he sounded. Oliver looked around him now. He could see almost all eyes on him. Now he realized that he had sounded so loud than he should have.

Oliver was allergic to garlic, they made him nauseous, and that was how he was starting to feel