I first saw her across the cafeteria
Like a typical loner, she sat in perfect solitude
                                        trying to guess at the mounds on her plate.
When she finally did take a bite, she seemed to like it a little more  
     than the other piles
And so continued to nibble at it cautiously.

No one approached her, but she didn’t seem stranger to the concept
She merely kept her eyes to herself,
               Occasionally peering over to read an open book by her tray.
Her black shoulder bag lay in the seat beside her,
                                                    Guaranteeing some type of safety.
Limited though it was, she seemed to take some kind of comfort in it.
When a pair of loud-talking jocks walked up to the table,
I saw her sink ever so slightly.

The book was holding her complete attention now…

When the jocks had run out of  sarcastic quips and comments, They left and I saw her straighten in her chair.
She held her responses inside and returned to her book
Just as they walked by my table.

I wanted to say something, but kept my mouth shut.
The last time I’d confronted one of their kind was enough for me,  
                                                                                     thank you.

                                            Yet…

She didn’t seem sad, but her eyes had a haunting quality to them-
                                  Hauntingly familiar.
It reminded me of that feeling you get when you know you’ve seen the face somewhere before,
                                  But can’t remember where.

I continued to eat my own food, looking up into the doorway occasionally to see if a friend would chance to stroll through the door.

But for the most part, my book held my attention.

As for the girl, she got up to leave the same time I did.
   When I got to the dish line, I looked across the cafeteria again only to notice the huge mirror that covered the back wall.

Odd…
          I don’t remember them installing a mirror there.