Jayden & Astrid [On Hold]

CHAPTER SIX - SHALL WE KEY HER CAR?

🎶Break up with your girlfriend - Ariana Grande🎶

"Sexy Tat Guy!" Astrid exclaimed.

Both Jayden and Sexy Tat Guy turned to Astrid with a questioning glance.

"Sorry. That's what I call you in my head. You never told me your name."

"You guys have met before?" Jayden asked, hoping to ward off the conversation he knew was coming.

"Yes, we have." Sexy Tat Guy answered. "I'll tell you about it later. Don't try to change the subject." He warned. Then his expression lightened as he turned to Astrid. "Ryder Kekoa."

"Astrid Johnson."

Ryder stared at Astrid for a while, then turned to Jayden. "Wait, she's Astrid?"

"You guys have been talking about me?"

"Yes, we have. I will also tell you about it later. Right now, Jayden and I have something very important to discuss." Then he extended his hand towards the cafeteria and stepped aside so that they could go in before him. "After you."

Astrid bounded in happily at the prospect of food. Jayden walked sluggishly behind her, trying to delay the inevitable. Ryder's steps were more disorganized, a mixture of long strides that suddenly slowed down when Jayden started to fall too far behind.

They got their lunches, then the three of them sat at a table furthest away from the hubbub of the cafeteria. Jayden pretended to be engrossed in his meal. He poked at the spaghetti and shifted the meatballs around his plate, silently sighing all the while. From across the table, Ryder glared at Jayden. His slice of apple pie had been pulverized to an almost mushy consistency as he continued to jam his fork into it. Astrid observed the two boys, waiting for one of them to break the silence at their table. But when neither of them showed any signs of striking up a conversation, she started to take loud sips through the straws in her orange soda to fill the silence.

Finally, Jayden rolled a few strands of spaghetti onto his fork and brought it to his lips. Ryder reached across the table and smacked the fork out of his hands. It skid several feet across the floor and came to rest in a perfect location for an unsuspecting victim to slip on it and fall on their ass.

Jayden exhaled. "That's littering." He pointed out.

"I'll pick it up later." Ryder steepled his hands like he had seen his father do when about to make a serious statement. "You've been avoiding me."

"No, I haven't." Jayden countered. He wasn't a very good liar; Astrid could see that much.

"Yes, you have. You haven't replied to any of my texts. You let all my calls go to voicemail. You literally ran away when I called your name at the end of biology class." Ryder claimed as he counted Jayden's transgressions on his fingers. "That sounds like Avoiding 101."

"The only reason I hurried out of class was because I had to find Astrid." He made no mention of the unanswered texts or calls he let go to voicemail. He had no proper excuses for them.

"Okay. Fine. You've found her. Good for you. Right now, we have to talk about Evelyn."

Astrid's brow furrowed in confusion. Where had she heard that name before? Then it came to her. "Evelyn your girlfriend? The one that was involved in the accident? What about her? Is she alright?"

Both boys remained silent. Jayden looked like he would rather not be having the conversation.

"What's with that look?"

"There was no accident." Jayden mumbled.

"You lied? It's pretty morbid to lie about someone getting into an accident to get out of things." She flashed a false smile. "You could have just told my dad that you didn't want to see me and never showed up at all."