With A Cherry On Top

Chapter One: As obvious as Plankton trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula

Song: New Rules by Dua Lipa

Chapter One: As obvious as Plankton trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula

"Do you think he saw me looking? Oh my God, nooooo!" She whined as she not-so-casually rested her head on the table.

It was lunch time and Leyla was, as usual, staring at Axel Brown, the captain of the football team, my supposed childhood friend and the jerk that leaves one house down from mine.

He was rude, cocky and so full of himself that I sometimes wonder what happened to sweet little Ax who was my childhood sweetheart. Good thing that crush ended in 7th grade when I realized how much of a jerk he was. But Leyla, dear Leyla started crushing on him in 10th grade and Axel never once acknowledged her. And you'd think it'd end there, but she seems to like him more every passing second.

I'd say who could blame her because of his good looks, but I knew better. Sure his golden hair was always styled perfectly and his eyes were the perfect shade of green and his smile was....... Ok you get the point, but I'm so over him. Poor Leyla hasn't gotten that same achievement.

Anyways, I was sitting at the table with my best friends, Xander, Leyla, Zahra and Kai.

"Oh, Leyla. Leyla. Leyla. The whole school saw you looking. You're not particularly subtle." Zahra said as she patted her back.

"You're as obvious as Plankton trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula." I added with a laugh.

"No I'm not. I'm very subtle. In fact, I'm as subtle as the most subtle person in the world. I'm the queen of subtlety. My level of subtleness is very high. I'm......."

Xander cut her off. "We get it!"

Since I was sitting opposite Leyla, I had to crane my neck to see the table at the centre of the cafeteria. Unlucky for me, that was the moment Axel decided to raise his head. Once I caught his eyes, I turned too fast for that to be casual. Urghhhh!!! Now he'll think I was staring at him. Could my day get any worse?

"Leyla, looks like your prince charming is on his way here." Kai said with too much enthusiasm for my liking.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Leyla was saying it out loud as I literally screamed it in my head.

I heard his voice at the exact moment he sat down next to me, right in between me and Xander.

"Hello beautiful. You couldn't take your eyes off me, could you?"

I guess my day could get worse.

"He called me beautiful." Leyla repeated over and over again under her breath. Okay, he could be talking to her. I mean, who knew?

I was staring at my water bottle. The intensity alone was enough to vaporize all the water inside. Lucky for it, and unlucky for me, Axel nudged my shoulder with his, breaking my staring contest with it. One I was clearly winning.

"What?" I snapped. It wasn't exactly intentional, but it didn't matter anyways because the smile on his face didn't even falter.

"I said 'Hello beautiful. You couldn't stop staring at me, could you?'"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Leyla's head drop.

"Actually you said 'You couldn't take your eyes off me' not 'You couldn't stop staring'." I accidentally blurted out, while still trying to keep my cool.

"Ah! So you were listening."

"I never said I wasn't, we all were. I just didn't know you were talking to me."

"Who else would I be talking to? You were the only one staring at me."

I was about to point out Leyla was, but that would have been embarrassing for her. So I just went with what was easiest, straight out denial. "I don't know what you're talking about." I said as I bit out of my apple, aware of the five pairs of eyes on me. Okay, maybe that wasn't straight out denial, but pretence, but it's not like I was actually staring at him, I just glanced.