Taking Life Seriously

-6-

The food court was unusually quiet for that time of day. The five crouched behind the Pot-o-Noodles stall and watched Gordon eating his lunch. He was reading a newspaper. He wasn't sitting at their usual table.

So that was why. Everyone knew which was The Pack's table. It was the only six seat table next to the window in the food court and if anyone even looked as if they were going to attempt to approach it between one and one thirty in the afternoon the entire food court staff stepped in to intervene. 'I don't care who you have to beat up, just don't let Gordon get started', was the motto taught to anyone hired at the food court. This was a result of that time when that one tourist and his family sat down to eat on that fateful day in 2005 and refused to leave even after Gordon asked nicely, and even though they were only five people. The result was... messy, sticky even. Veteran food court employees remember that day as the 27 hour shift. The Pack had sat at that table every day since 2004. but now Gordon was sitting at a two seat table, next to the wall. The food court employees working talked in whispers, prayed for the shift to be over.

'He shaved!' said Rajesh.

'No he bloody didn't,' said Dylan, 'let me see.' he pushed Rajesh down and peered over his head to look. He gasped. Dylan collapsed on the floor. He said: 'I don't want to live on this planet any more.'

'come on,' said Anita, 'it's not that bad. Let's go talk to him.' she picked Dylan up and dragged him towards Gordon's table. The others followed behind them.

They arrived at the table. Gordon was reading the paper. Anita nudged Dylan and he looked at her. She was pointing at Gordon's head and gesturing. Dylan said: 'nice haircut.'

Gordon looked up and smiled 'thanks.'

'you're welcome.'

Gordon stood up. Dylan jumped backwards, 'what are you doing?'

'well, we can't all talk here, we better go to our table. Do you want anything to eat?'

Dylan sniffed in the air and said: 'I'd like one of those pancake thingies please, with cream.'