Endsbrooke

Puppy Dog or Big Bad Wolf?

I was nervous as I walked to lunch the next day with York by my side, I had told him that I would eat lunch with him and I couldn't go back on it. I just hoped that Bea and Daphne minded their own business and stayed with Evie. Not that I didn't like Bea and Daphne, they seemed really nice, but I didn't want to get in the middle of another verbal face off.

    York guided me through the cafeteria with his arm around my shoulders. I noticed Evie was sitting at a table with Bea and Daphne and all three were staring at us as we walked, I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. As we reached the table York was aiming for he introduced me to his friends. There were quite a few people at the table and I had a hard time remembering their names. The only person at the table that I knew was Violet she nodded to me and made room for me and York to sit down.

   "Hey girl, how's it going?" She asked after taking a sip of her water.

  "It's going good." I said quietly suddenly feeling shy around all of these new people. Violet let out a breathy laugh, "Relax no one here is going to bite you. Well, except for maybe York." Everyone around the table laughed.

  "Not fair! I would only bite if she asked me too." York nudged me with his shoulder and moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively. I felt my whole face turning red with his blatant attempt at flirting.

   "Oh no lover boy! You back off of Emmy here; I like her too much for you to scare her away." Violet put her arm around me and pulled me close. I laughed, "No way can this guy scare me off." I joked.

   "You're right, he's a little puppy dog." Violet reached over and patted York on the head, he slapped her hand away.

   "Puppy dog eh? Are you kidding, you know as well as I do I'm a big bad wolf!" With that exclamation York stood up on the bench and started showing off his muscles; which I must admit were defined. The others around the table started laughing and trying to get York to sit down.

   "Oh yeah a wolf alright, a skinny little mutt," I could tell Violet was just joking with York but he had taken it as an insult. A growl seemed to emanate from York's chest, "Future beta actually, thank you very much." York's face started turning red and his arms started to shake, he was clearly upset. I placed my hand on his arm and tried to pull him back to his seat.

   "Hey chill out York, I was just joking you know I wasn't serious." I looked over at Violet as she spoke and her face had turned completely serious. I felt York's shaking slow to a stop and he let out a hard breath.

   "I know you were, sorry I shouldn't have flipped out like that." York apologized to Violet. An awkward silence fell over the table as everyone tried to avert their eyes. Trying to break the mood I said, "Hmm, on second thought maybe I should be scared of you." I put as much humor into my voice as I playfully punched him in the arm. He let out a low chuckle and punched me lightly back.

   "Naw," he said to me. "Lucky for you the one you really have to be afraid of isn't here today." Again everyone around the table laughed and I knew I was missing something.

  "Oh and who might that be?" I asked trying not to sound left out of their inside joke.

   "Forrest Hill, our high and mighty leader," Violet said jokingly, but at the same time she didn't seem like she was joking.

  "Your leader? What are you guys some sort of gang?" I asked confused as I look around the table at everyone; they all avoided my stare.

   "You could say that I guess," York explained. "We have all grown up together so we stick close together. Forrest is just a..." He stopped and tries to think of the word. "A natural born leader I guess you could say."

  "And is there a reason I should be afraid of him? Is he going to be angry I "infiltrated" your group or something?" I used air quotes around the word infiltrated. Violet snickered, "No he won't. But he can be intimidating when he wants to be." She informed me.

   "Nice to know. Where is this Forrest anyway?" I asked starting to feel a bit curious about this guy.

  "I think he is out all week. He had a meeting yesterday and today and then he is going to be out of town until the end of the week." York informed me.

   "Wow sounds like an important guy." He was in a two day meeting? Who was this guy?

   "Yeah I guess so." York laughed a little self-consciously. I looked down at my phone and saw that the bell was about to ring so I stood up and told them I had to get to class. Everyone at the table waved goodbye and York got up with me, "Do you want me to walk you to class?"

   "No thanks that's OK." I was about to turn and leave but York suddenly pulled me into a hug.

   "Hey I was serious," He mumbled in my ear. "I'll bite you whenever you ask." I blushed and pushed him away playfully.

   "You're very forward you know that?" I say over my shoulder as I walk away. He laughed and shouted after me, "But you know you love it!" I didn't respond but smiled widely.

    On my way to my next class I was stopped in the hall by Bea. "Hey Emmy did you enjoy your lunch?" she asked. She wasn't being sarcastic she seemed genuinely curious.

   "Yeah I did actually. I hope you don't mind that I didn't sit with you guys?" She waved her hand as if to say forget it.

   "Its fine, Evie seemed to miss you. You know Daphne and I would like to get to know you too. Your sister has talked a lot about you. Hey can I tell you something honestly?" Bea asked me.

  "Yeah sure go ahead." My curiosity seemed insatiable today; I just had to know what she was going to say.

    "I'm sorry about yesterday's little scene with York in the lunch room. It's just that York and his whole posse can really get under my skin." She blew out a breath.

   "Why's that?"

   "Well they don't get on well with my brother. It's kind of hard to explain but my loyalty lies with my brother." She stood up a little taller talking about her brother.

   "Your brother? I don't think I know him."

   "You wouldn't. He wasn't in school yesterday or today, you will probably see him tomorrow. He's a senior, his name is Ronan." She sounded very proud of him. "Any way, I don't want to make you choose between your friends, because I do consider you one of my friends, but I just think you should be careful around York and his little Cronies." She considered me her friend? I had only met her yesterday at lunch, but then again I had only met York and Violet yesterday as well. These people of Endsbrooke must make friends fast.

   "I appreciate you being mine and my sister's friend. It's hard to make friends when you're new to a school. But York and Violet are my friends too. I feel perfectly safe around them both, but I do hope that doesn't mean we can't be friends." I genuinely wanted to be her friend.

   "Of course I'll still be your friend. And to prove it why don't you and Evie come have a sleepover at my house Saturday with Daphne and myself." A sleepover? I hadn't had a sleepover with anyone in a long time.

   "Um yeah sure that sounds good and I'm sure Evie would want too." I said hoping that Evie really would be ok with a sleepover.

   "Great! I'll ask my parents and give you the details. It will be fun! I have to go to class but I'll talk to you later." Bea said before she ran down the hall just as the bell rang.

  "Darn it!" I said as I ran down the now empty halls, making it to class just as the teacher reached the door.