7
<
My junior year.
Our school took a group to a local college to
oversee training.
As the group leader, I had to handle food and
housing.
I went to talk to the head of the cafeteria.
And I saw Jason behind the counter, serving
food to the students.
He was wearing an apron and using a big
spoon.
I was staring at the counter for a long time.
く
The head of the cafeteria asked: “Do you
know him?”
I hesitated. “We went to high school
together.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh. That explains it.
You can’t see the difference when you’re in
school. But now, after a few years, you can
really see the difference.”
I said: “He used to be a good student, but
then…”
He laughed. “I’ve heard about him. Got his girlfriend pregnant, dropped out of school,
went to LA to get rich. But he was too young.
He didn’t know anything. Someone stole his money. He and his girlfriend had nowhere to go. Someone said he knew a student here.
0
That’s how he ended up working in the
cafeteria. It doesn’t pay much, but it gives
him free room and board so he can take care
of his kid.”
“But his girlfriend couldn’t handle it. She took
the kid back home after six months. He’s
staying here, hoping she’ll come back.”
I wasn’t surprised by Brittany’s choice.
She was used to getting everything she
wanted. She couldn’t handle being poor.
She loved Jason, but she loved his potential
even more.
Once he failed, he was nothing to her.
“Do you want to say hello?”
0
<
He sounded amused.
1 shook my head. “No thanks. I don’t want
that.”
The counter was selling freshly made hot
dogs.
