After one failed attempt to get Mrs. Lambert to dismiss us, my heart was bouncing up and down, overfilled with excitement, looking forward to the wonderful rarity which was the Altai cafeteria chicken. Sitting at the table, staring dead into Mrs. Lambert's eyes, begging for her to call on our table so that I could taste this phenomenal culinary marvel. I tried to disconnect myself from the world, from Varya annoyingly screaming “GIRL, YOU ARE SO BLESSED WITH YOUR CHEEKBONES!”, from Liron slapping me in the face with her hair. I focused all of my efforts, yet nothing worked, and my stomach grew in its whining, practically moaning, trying to anticipate what the chicken would taste like.

Suddenly I turn, and see that Mrs. Lambert is coming our way once again. Finally she reached our table and said to Tatiana and Varya “Oh you two know each other very well! You were supposed to sit with new people. I will come back another time.” I felt completely defeated, angry and annoyed. Annoyed since Varya was screaming “GIRL YOUR HAIR IS, LIKE, SO PERFECT! OMG!” Again. And again. And once again.

Most of the tables have already gone, (and especially shifty people were already getting seconds,) and I still haven’t eaten a single bite. The last of the tables were already being dismissed! The hunger was becoming unbearable, and I didn’t know if I could endure this torture much longer. All of the people at my table are becoming desperate, even the girls at my table can hardly manage an “OH MY GOD, YOUR EYELASHES ARE, LIKE, ON FLEEK!”. All of these people around me were like a giant boulder which I could barely hold above my head, so that it would not squish me.

Then through the crowd of people, next to the line, I see Mrs. Lambert coming to us. She slowly strides next to our tables and says the simple phrase “You guys can go now.” Joy fills my heart, and I just feel like the king of the world. We all stand up in an instant and rush so that we have  chance to get the chicken a couple seconds early. When I get in line I can feel butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I just stand and wait patiently, since I know the reward will be wondrous.

As we move slowly through the line I start thinking that something is wrong, because the line was not moving at all. Suddenly, I realise the painful truth, they are out of chicken. I knew that this was not the end, and that they would make more chicken, but I could not bare the thought of waiting longer. All the people were becoming furious, they all wanted chicken and they wanted it as soon as possible. Some people were entering a state of insanity, I’m pretty sure I even heard someone say, “Bring the bleach, I can’t take it any longer.” Everyone’s stomach was gurgling, and their faces were becoming angrier and angrier, I could sea there frowns growing, and their eyes squinting. People were pushing, people were arguing, they could not control themselves. Everyone there turned into savages, and it kind of reminded me of the movie “Planet of the Apes.” The reason for all of this insanity was, of course, chicken. The forbidden chicken, which all of us poor lost souls just could not reach, something that we deserved, but something we could not achieve.

Suddenly, after five minutes of nothing, a loud shriek pierces my ears “THE CHICKEN IS BACK!” Everything goes into motion, and it sounds like a stampede is coming through the line. Everyone grabs their plates and everyone rushes forward forward, destroying anything that comes in their way. The cafeteria is becoming less of a small wooden building, and more of a setting for a zombie apocalypse movie. People put countless pieces of chicken onto their plates, and eventually comes my turn. I carefully take three pieces of chicken, pour salsa on my plate and rush back to our table.

As I bite the chicken for the first time, I feel a rush of happiness.  I felt as if I just survived a medieval battle. I felt exhausted, worn out. Yet I have achieved my goal, which seemed unachievable. I ate my chicken in peace, and reflected on the journey I went through to get it. And then I hear the final words of the day.“OMG GIRL, THIS CHICKEN IS, LIKE, GOALS!”