It was the start of the school year, and I had just finished getting my tray. I was scanning the cafeteria for a seat when I noticed someone else doing the same.
A girl. Ponytail. Frowning like she was solving the world's hardest math problem.
She looked around, muttering under her breath. Then, her eyes locked onto an empty seat—the same one I was about to sit in.
We both moved toward it at the same time.
I reached for the chair.
She reached for the chair.
Our hands bumped.
We froze.
Then, at the exact same time—
"I saw it first," we both said.
There was a brief silence.
Then she narrowed her eyes. "No way. I totally saw it first."
I raised an eyebrow. "You literally just walked past it. If you saw it first, why didn't you sit down?"
"I was checking if my friends were here," she shot back. "And guess what? They're not. Which means I need that seat."
"That's not how seat claiming works," I said. "I was here first."
"Just because you're fast doesn't mean you win."
"...That's exactly what it means."
She gasped. "You're so selfish!"
I scoffed. "You're the one trying to steal my seat."
The argument continued for a full minute.
By the time we realized how ridiculous we sounded, the seat had already been taken by someone else.
We both turned to look at it.
Then, at the same time—
"This is your fault," we both said again.
I sighed. "Great. Now I have nowhere to sit."
"Same," she muttered. Then she sighed too. "Okay, you know what? Truce. Let's just find another table."
I hesitated.
Then, for some reason, I nodded. "Fine."
And that's how I ended up sitting with a complete stranger for lunch.