We all go through these giant challenges throughout life many, many times, and I had just about the largest one ever right in front of me. It all started out on this fateful afternoon during lunch and I experienced a craving for something more than the usual pizza, fries, and lemonade for lunch. So, I sat around at the round table sitting in the flimsy plastic chair and thought and thought and then took a sip of lemonade and then thought some more when an idea hit me in the head(fyi, big ideas hurt when they hit you so stay out of their paths if you see them flying through the air near you). First, I had to go through the checks to make sure this idea would work. There is a vending machine near the lunch room. Check. There are 3 musketeers in the machine. Check. I have money. Check. Wait, whoa where is my money! Holy crap where is… oh never mind here it is. Check for real this time. Then I am ready to go and get some food, except I need to wait for the bell to ring to leave. For this dangerous journey to the machine of food, I decided that a partner was needed, so I went and talked to my friend Mike. “Hey Mike, how’s it going?” I asked.
“Good.” he replied.
“Soooooo, want to come to the vending machine with me?”
“Where is it?”
“Right next to the cafeteria doors.”
“Okay, ya I’ll go with you, why not.” After he agreed to go with me and I was able to finish, for sure, the check list.
As we waited we started to talk about our usual things, “Will you be able to get onto Xbox tonight to play some Battlefield?” I asked.
“No I can’t dude, I have tennis tonight.” Which is the usual reply.
“Okay then.” And I went and waited by the doors.

Ding! At 12:24 the bell rang and off we rushed down the hall. Too soon though did I lose Mike on the journey in the sea of people as he got swallowed up and I knew that he would want me to go on without him. I trudged on through the flowing crowd, trying to get past into the almost empty left side of the hallway. The current of people however was too strong for me to go through, so I had had to join them, and followed the flow for a few feet until a decent gap opened up and I lunged through this one chance to make it, the feel of freedom creeping up on me. One. Final. Step...and I burst out triumphantly. Now it’s time to go onto the vending machine containing the prize.

I start to slowly approach it, taking my money out of my right front pocket, careful not to get hit by a door that occasionally opens. The front of the machine gradually appears into my line of sight on my left, right beside the red pop machine, and I acquire where the 3 muskateers is in the machine. At that exact moment, Mike comes dashing out of the crowd behind me, a giant smile on his face for making it out of the treacherous no mans land. We had started to converse as I put the one dollar bill into the machine.
“I thought that you had decided not to come with me and just go straight to Mr. Tower’s room,” I remarked.
“Nah, I had just lost you in the crowd”
“Okay.” While we were talking for that short time and as you always do after putting the money into the machine(you can’t deny that you don’t so this), I made sure that the number I was about to type in was for sure the correct one. After double, triple, and quadruple checking, I felt satisfied I knew it and started to type in the number. My finger inched towards 1, pressed it just slightly and watched in confirmation as the number appeared on the digital number thingy. Next, I went to press the second number, 5, and watched as it appeared next to 1. But then, I was betrayed, Mike swung his arm across the machine as I was about to press the final number, 4. As he was moving towards the button I exclaim “What the heck are you doing?” and all I get in return is a few giggles as I try to intercept his move. Alas, he was faster than me and pressed the number 1, and it appeared next to the 15. I frantically tried to press the 4, but to no prevail and watched in horrible defeat as the funyuns fell from the top left row. I fell to the ground screaming, acknowledging my defeat and unable to believe what happened. Mike was now standing over me laughing in his accomplishment and at my imminent doom. I lay, flopping on the ground, unable to accept that I was stuck with the funyuns. When, all of a sudden, the food god appeared before me saying that everything was alright and would work out in the end, but only after a hard journey.

Now motivated by this revelation, I stood up triumphantly, bent over and picked up the funyuns. I was determined to achieve my goal of getting a rare 3 musketeer and nothing would stand in my way. My path ahead was filled with much sadness and disappointment as each person I asked if they wanted to buy the funyuns for half price rejected my offer. I trudged on though, believing in the advice from the food god, and to not give up. The path I walked brought me to the crossroads, where I would have to pick which direction to go. Fortunately, this I already knew and took a right into the 160’s hall. I quickly approach the end of the hall, barely noticing the creepy version of the Mona Lisa with Nicolas Cage’s face in place of hers. I near room 163 and walk in. I march to my desk, which is towards the middle of the room, and place down my backpack, funyuns still in hand. I start to converse with my friends about this unfortunate event, seeing if any like them and would buy them for half price. All violently denied the offer. My hope had been diminished down to a small little sliver. I began to panic, what will I eat? I’m going to starve. There’s no way I can make it throughout the rest of the hour without food, let alone sixth hour or worse the rest of the day! There had to be another person that I had not asked yet.
“You should go ask Mr. Tower” said Mike. Now normally I wouldn’t do this, just cause, but I was getting desperate. So I figured I would give it a try, seeing no other way.
“Hey Mr. Tower, uhm, would you like to buy these, uhm, funyuns for fifty cents?”
“Sorry, but I would not like to,” he replied or something along those lines. “Okay.” Now there was only one last option to receive the fifty cents, my friend Shane.
“So Shane,” I pleaded, “Would you like to buy these funyuns from me for fifty cents, Mike over there had typed in the wrong number into the machine whilst I was typing it in?”
“Well I don’t know, but sure, I guess.” Finally, my mission was a success, I thought as he was grabbing the 2 quarters out of his wallet and I handed him the funyuns. Although I had some difficult moments, scratch that, an uncountable amount of difficult moments to be a bit more precise. All that stood in my way now was the walk to the machine again after fifth hour was done. This as well was a challenge that made me second guess whether or not it was worth it, the walk to the machine just seemed so far away, like a whole extra 200 steps. I don’t know about you but ain't nobody got time for that and like 200 steps. I mean who in their right mind walks for 200 steps without stopping for a break. No one, which is exactly my point. At this time, you’re probably wondering why I’m rambling on about this so I’ll cut straight to the ending and spoil the rest of the story for you.
I eventually made it to the vending machine, got the 3 musketeers, and to my next class in time. This event has a great impact on my life, for example now whenever I get candy or pop from a vending machine, I check for people around me, once, twice, then quickly type in the number, trusting no one in these important matters.