Dinner (Yumyum!)

[Nah, it's cool.]

Serenity stared at where the girl had been. What an oddball, leaving like that. "So, what do you all think of Justin Timberlake?!"

Kelsi walked in talking with another Hufflepuff girl with blond pigtails- Hannah was her name. "... Then it died," Kelsi finished her story. Hannah stared at Kelsi funny, then smiled anxiously. "That's cool! I guess," she said.

"Cool? Are you even listening? It's not cool, it's tragic! It's horrible loosing a pet goldfish! I mean, have YOU lost a pet goldfish?"

"I'm more of a rodent person..."

"Is that why you're part rat?"

"What?"

"Nevermind..." Kelsi sighed. Everyone in her common room was so BLAND. There was no excitement anywhere. How was she supposed to make friends when it was like talking to cardboard? There had to be someone in this school who had at least a drop of fun in them! Kelsi settled down at the Hufflepuff table, to depressed to eat anything. She just sat there, and some older Hufflepuff sixth year looked at her pitifully, and placed a breadroll on her plate. "Tough times, bein' a firstie, isn't it? Don't worry. Just eat up or else you'll be even more miserable tonight."

Kelsi shrugged, and began to poke the bread roll with her knife. Then, deciding she was hungry after all, began to eat it, and whilst eating it, placed a dallop of steamed vegetables on her plate. She was in the mood for healthy greens.

"I... don't know who that is," Lena admitted as another loud outbreak of laughter erupted from the louder Gryffindor kids. "I'm sorry. I'm culturally deprived, I know."

"You don't know who Justin Timberlake is!? What about.. N Sync? The Backstreet Boys? New Kids On the Block?"

Lena shook her head embarressedly, wishing she hadn't said anything. How ironic it was that the first time she had actually willingly contributed to aconversation, she had said the wrong thing. She half-hoped that Serenity would recognize her discomfort or change the subject.

"I got a hangnail in Herbology today!" proclaimed Mél, bringing in that much-needed subject change.

Rachel sat down at her usually spot, at the end of the Ravenclaw table heavily, looking thoroughly depressed. School had been going for at least a week now, and she had hardly made any friends besides that Amanda character who was very kind, though not the crowd she would usually want to hang out with. And there was Toby of course, and he was nice too, but he was a bit geeky, like Amanda.

Were all Ravenclaws this nerdy? Maybe that's why she wasn't making too many friends, she didn't really fit the house qualifications.

Or maybe it was just because people didn't like her...

The Lord helps those who help themselves, eh?

That's what the Bible said anyway.

Rachel stood up on her feet, and grabbed a BLT sandwich in her hand, and she began to march out of the Great Hall furiously chomping on her sandwich. If no one wanted to be her friend, she was going to set off and make them herself.

"I'm sorry; that sounds painful," Lena winced on Mél's behalf.

"It does!" she said with a nod. "And then I chewed it off, but that only made it worse. It's a fun class, though! Really fun." Mél had little empathy when it came to boredom; as such, she didn't know when to stop talking. Then, something dawned. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Lena... Lena Anthes."
Lena was starting to feel less overwhelmed by all the chatter and socializing. It was funny; you could get used to anything.