The Ice Cream Pact

Chapter Eleven

J A K E
• • •

"There's no way this shit is edible," Max grumbled when we sat down at our usual table.

"Agreed," I mumbled, poking the slab of whatever-the-hell and cringing when it didn't move at all. I swear- the school lunches were just getting worse and worse each day.

I looked up to where Denise usually sat, and let a small grin spread on my face when I saw her. She caught my eye, and smiled back with a casual wave. I went to wave back, but then felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. My attention snapped over to it, and then trailed up to see Sara sliding into the space next to me.

My smile faltered and my brows scrunched together as she finished sitting down, keeping her hand on my shoulder and then shooting me a cheeky grin.

"Long time no see Jakey," she said, her eyes dancing around my face as she then reached up to ruffle my hair. I stopped her from doing so, but when I looked back over at Denise, she averted her gaze to her friend next to her. I had to stop myself from frowning a little.

"Hey Sara," my teammates greeted her as more of them sat down at the table, and she grinned up at them in response. I shot her another look when she wrapped her arm through mine and held onto it, but I was honestly just too confused to shrug her off of me. She usually didn't get this touchy-feely at school.

"So do you guys plan on attempting to actually win this week?" She mused at them, and they chuckled a little.

Maybe next lunch I'd point out the fact that despite them constantly taking shit, she clearly made them all a bit nervous. I could usually read people really easily anyway, but it was written all over their faces.

I finally had the sense to detach her from me, but while she did let me unwrap her arm from mine, she remained sitting practically on my lap. I glanced over at Denise's table again, not wanting her to be thinking anything of this. Luckily, she wasn't looking.

"If we do win this week, which one of us are you gonna give a prize to after the game?" James joked flirtatiously, and the others laughed, but I just held back an eye roll.

She didn't show it on her face, but I felt her slightly deflate at the question from next to me. She took the hand that she had rested on my leg just moments before back off, and rested it on her own instead.

"That's a strong if, James. You boys certainly have some improving to do on the field before that's even a question," she replied slyly, and the table responded with 'ooo's.

"You've got a big mouth for someone so small," another one of the guys came at her, but she just narrowed her eyes at him, unbothered.

"And you have a small dick for someone so arrogant," she quipped back, and the table erupted in laughter. Even I chuckled a little. Not until after I had slid a little bit away from her, though, creating some distance.

Maybe she was after me so much because I was the only guy who seemed to not make it an effort to insult her or expect anything from her. Who knows. I did feel bad for her, but she was still crazy, so I couldn't cut her too much slack.

"She'll probably be in the away team's locker room making them all feel better after their loss," James commented, and I gave him a look that said 'real mature'. She wasn't able to cover up the blow that this comment had as successfully as she had been able to with the last one, but she recovered before any of them could notice. Not that they would even care to notice.