The Devil's Order ||ON HOLD||

Chapter 15

"Hey man!" Jason cried when we met each other at school. "How are you doing?"

"I'm cool," I say and throw my bag into my locker. "What about you?"

"I'm fine. "Jason folds his arms. "I've been calling your phone man."

"Uh, my phone's busted," I say. Should I tell Jason about The Devil's Order? After all, he was my best friend.

No, I should keep this shit to myself.

"Are you going to the founders day dance?" I ask Jason.

A wide grin spread across his face. "Yeah, man!!"

I fake a laugh. "Wow, so who are you going with?"

"Maya Saunders." He said.

"Maya?" I goggled. "The hot girl from Phys. Ed?"

Jason's grin grew wider. "Yes, man!"

I let out a small laugh. "How did this happen, man? I mean. . .did you ask her or--"

Jason shook his head. "No dude, she just texted me last night and straight up asked me out!! Turns out she's had an eye on me since our freshman year."

"Oh my God!" I cry.

"I know right, that's why I was trying to call you last night," Jason said.

I scratch my head. "Wow,"

"What about you?" Jason asks. "Do you have someone you plan on asking out for the dance?"

"Madison?"

"Yes," Jason says. "This could be your big break dude!!"

I smile. For a moment, I forgot about The Devil's Order all because I was with Jason, my best bud.

"I plan on asking her today, I don't think--"

"Hi, Chad!!" A very familiar voice called. I turned around to see Phoebe standing behind me grinning.

"Hey, Phoebe what's up?" I say.

"I'm cool," I reply to her, not knowing what to say.

"Hi Phoebe," said Jason.

"Hey Jason," she said and turned to look at me. "So Chad I was thinking about the dance. . ."

"Oh! Uh, I'm staying at home that day." I say.

Phoebe looks at me perplexed. "I thought you said you were gonna come."

"No, you guys told me to come," I say.

"Well," Phoebe said. "I was thinking if we could go together to the dance?" Her cheeks turn red when she asks me.

I sigh. I didn't want to go out with Phoebe. And I didn't want to break her heart.

"Look, Phoebe, it's a No. I have plans--"
Phoebe cuts me short. "It's okay Chad. I guess I'll look for a guy who wants to go out with me " She walks away with a disappointed and sad look on her face.

Jason slaps my back. "Dude? What the fuck was that?"

I pull out my math textbook from my locker. "What man?"

"A girl just asked you out for the dance?" said Jason. "And you straight up said no?"

"Yeah," I say. "Because I want to ask Madison out."

Jason scratches his head. "I don't know man, what if she says no, huh? Just like the way you told Phoebe no?"

"I don't know. Maybe I won't go for the dance."

Jason opened his mouth to talk, but Maya Saunders bounded over.

"Hey Jason," she waved to him and passed me like I was the invisible Man.

"Hey," Jason waved back to her. "Bernie's at eight?"

"Sure," she said and blew him a kiss.

When she left, Jason was still grinning like a fool.

"Wait, I thought she just asked you out for the dance," I say. "When did you guys start dating?"

"A few hours ago," Jason grinned.

"How do you do it, man?" I ask Jason.

Jason looked at me, a bit confused. "Do what?"

"Talk to women," I lean on my locker. "I mean you're so courageous when you're with them. And I fuck up whenever I'm near one."

Jason nodded slowly. "You're a shy dude. And it's cool."

"How's being shy cool?" I ask him. "Girls don't dig shy guys. I mean you're the funniest guy in class, girls should be totally into you."

Jason laughs. "Yeah, but I'm not the Justin Bieber of this school."

"Come on man, you're popular," I say. "Maybe not the most popular."

Jason nods. "Look man, you want girls to be into you right?"

I nod my head.

"Then why don't you try talking to them? I mean relate with them."

How am I going to do that? I thought. I don't even relate with a lot of boys.

"That's going to be very difficult," I say. "I'm a nerd. . ."

Jason silences me. "That's your edge man. You can use your nerd power to win girls, teach them science and stuff, help them during tests."

At this point, I was very sure that Jason was giving me pretty useless advice.

"Look Jason," I say. "Nothing's going to work."

Jason pats me on the shoulder. "Dude you should be happy, a girl likes you."

I laugh. "Not a popular girl."

"It's that what you want then?" Jason looks. "A popular girl? So that everyone in school is always talking to her and it'll get to a point where you won't be able to have a walk with her without someone bumping into your conversation?"

I sigh. He was right.

"Look," Jason pointed behind me. I turn around and see Madison in the middle of a group of boys. She was smiling and talking to them and they were laughing hard.

"Is that what you want?" Jason asks. "A girlfriend who's always talking to everyone like she's everyone's friend?"

The bell rang. "No," I said but my voice was drowned by the shrill sound of the bell.

Madison left the group of boys telling them goodbye and walked towards me. My heartbeat accelerated and my throat clogged up.

"Hi guys," she said to us.

Jason replied, but I still stared at her frozen on the spot.

"Chad?" Madison looks at me."You okay?"

I finally found my voice. "Oh yeah, good evening-- I mean Night--"

"What he means to say is a good morning," Jason rescues me.

"Okay," she said and walked away.

"Smooth," Jason tells me and I jab in the ribs. He laughs.

"I don't understand," I say. "Last night, I hung out with Madison and her friends at Bernie's and I talked to her, I wasn't scared or anything."

"Wait you hung out with Madison?"

I nod.

Jason frowns. "Why didn't you tell me, man?"

"That doesn't matter now," I say.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" A stern and monotone voice asks. I turn round to admit Vice-principal Damien. His eyes bored into my soul.

"Yes sir," Jason said and we both turn and hurry to the first period.

I turn round to see Vice-principal Damien smiling with his hands in his pocket.

He caught my stare and nodded at me very slowly.