Perfect Student

Chapter 4

(A/N Trinity at top) 

When lunch time came around, Trinity and I walked to the cafeteria with matching smiles.

"Okay, art is definitely my favorite class so far!" she said, grabbing my arm and squeezing it. I laughed and linked her arm with mine, nodding in agreement.

"Mrs. Mariposa is so sweet even though she is wearing way too much jewelry!" I replied, picturing the sound it had made as her chunky bracelets slid up and down her arms as she spoke. We both laughed and walked into the cafeteria, avoiding the line for food to head to our table.

Although there were so many groups of people at Robinson High, our table was definitely considered desirable. It was in the farthest back corner of the cafeteria where we basically couldn't be seen by teachers, and the people who sat there had to be invited. 

I remembered the day in my freshman year when a junior girl on the cheerleading team invited me over to sit beside them, officially marking me as one of the cool kids before I had decided who or what to become. I had met Hunter at this table, too. He was talking to the senior members of the football team who predicted that he would become the quarterback when they were gone. He caught my eye across the table and gave me a look as if questioning why we were allowed to be there, making me laugh. 

We weren't friends for very long before we started touching each other's legs under the table and meeting up between classes and after school. Halfway into our sophomore year he asked me to wear his jersey at the football game and raced over to kiss me when he threw the winning touchdown. As the school celebrated his success, his eyes were laser focused on me, softening when I told him how amazing he was.

He waved us over to our usual seats now, tapping the large opening beside himself on the center bench and forcing his friend to scoot over so Trinity could sit beside me.

"Well, if it isn't hot and hotter," Hunter said, winking at me as we sat.

"Hunter, not in front of your girlfriend!" Trinity teased with a gasp, making us all laugh.

"How's your day going so far?" I asked him, chest rising with excitement as I sensed his good mood.

"Amazing. We did conditioning in the morning for football and coach is predicting big things for me this year," he said, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"What kind of big things?" Trinity asked, popping a chip into her mouth.

"Quarterback getting a scholarship from a well-known college kind of things," he replied proudly, chest puffing up as he imagined it.

"I'm so proud of you!" I said, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Now all we have to do is get you a nerd scholarship and we'll be in the same place together," he said, grinning at me mischievously. I nudged his shoulder with mine and unwrapped my sandwich, taking a small bite from the corner as I thought. As much as we pictured it, I knew Hunter and I wouldn't be going to the same college. I didn't have the money to afford the kind of school he would probably attend. Trinity must've seen the worried look cross my face because she spoke up, angling her head to the side sweetly.

"Hey, what is it you always say to me? Don't worry until you know what's up?" she asked, not realizing that she butchered the phrase. I giggled, making her beam.

"You're right," I responded with excitement, knowing that at the very least, the year ahead of me was going to be great.