My Savior | First Love Series

Chapter 22

"Nolan! Nolan- oh, sweet baby corn, slow down!"

I turn around with a grin, my best friend cursing the skies as she makes her way to me. She latches onto my arm when she's close enough- her body slagging like she's about to die. Maybe she should join the drama club. I laugh when Madaline sighs loudly, half of the student body sparing glances at her.

"Maddy, get off me," I laugh out while trying to shake her off my arm.

She clutches on tighter, saying I'm her life support. Something else about if I wanted her to die, then drive the knife in her heart myself. Her exact words were, 'just betray me and kill me yourself. drive the knife in my heart, beast, if you don't want to be my life support.' It went on like that the entire time we walked to class. She dropped the act when we made it into class, but our laughs didn't cease until Mr. Fredricks started class.

Remembering what Julie said at lunch, I lean over to Madaline. "Have you stayed behind before, for Mr. Fredricks class?"

"No," Madaline sends a disgusted look my way with a noticeable shudder, "he tried to give me detention once but it wasn't even a valid reason. I went home to my bed."

Mr. Fredricks shushes us upon hearing his name, his back turned to us while he scrapes chalk against the creaky board. A few of us cringe from the screeching noise and attempt to drown it out by covering our ears. That sound should be illegal.

Madaline ignores his warning and scoots her desk closer to mine, so we can attempt to whisper. We lay our notebooks in front of us and keep our pencils in our hand, but the items are doing minimal work. They barely move, only scribbling when Mr. Fredricks peeks above his glasses to assess the classroom.

"You never texted me back, what were you doing?" Madaline asks while drawing small doodles on the corner of her paper.

I tap my pencil on my notebook in a weird beat, barely noticing the way my best friend looked at me with knowing eyes. "I was with Scarlette after school."

"Oh?" she questions, almost teasingly, "and what were you two doing?"

I look up from the movement of my pencil with my eyes squinted. Madaline grins at me and I can't help but grin back. "We had a date at her house. Movies, snacks, talking and laughing. I met her family and they already knew about me."

Madaline claps happily, her squeals quiet so we don't get in trouble. I smile while trying to dodge her jabbing hands. We talk about how the date went and what I thought of it. Madaline is convinced Scarlette and I are going to become a "thing" soon. I mentally jump around with joy at the thought. Being together with Scarlette. Holding her hand when I wanted, and hugging her in general. Small kisses and the secret touches. More dates and cute nicknames. I could have it all if we were together.

Who wouldn't want that? Who wouldn't want that with Scarlette? They'd have to be crazy to deny that. Madaline tapping my shoulder along with the shrill of the bell brings me out of my thoughts. I pack up my things in under a minute, and leave the classroom with Maddy attached to my arm. We flow around the crowded halls with ease until we're pushed into the lunch room. From the entrance I can see all of our friends seated at a table.

"My mom packed me lunch. What about you?" I turn to Madaline who's already digging around in her bag.

"Mine too. They must've had a mom meeting," she jokes.

We avoid the lunch line and walk over to where our friends are sitting. Jackson sees us first and nods over at us. I nod back with a small smile while Madaline gives him her biggest smile. Scarlette notices us next and smiles over at me as she pats an empty spot next to her. Julie waves to the both of us with a pretzel hanging out of her mouth. I laugh at the sight and sit next to Scarlette who grins happily. Madaline plops down next to Jackson and we all scoot closer together.