Bully

Chapter 3

Chapter Three
Enjoy :)
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Within the first few moments that I'd stepped into the Cedora Hills Cafeteria, I'd flagged it as a place I'd attempt to avoid as much as possible. It was just too big, too noisy and way too crowded. But Sera seems to like it.

She squeezes my hand, dragging my gaze away from a chaotic encounter on the other side of the room to the back of her head. I realize that we've come to a stop infront of a table of about five girls all heavily immersed in conversation. Sera clears her throat and their eyes shoot to us.

"Guys, this is Isa, the new girl I was telling you all about!"

"Hi, It's nice to meet you all!"

The girls are named Alice, Gracie, Brooke and Catherine. They are all welcoming for the most part, offering friendly greetings and wide smiles. Although Catherine seems to spend a long time looking me up and down and it's a bit uncomfortable.

During the beginning of the conversation, I offer a lot.
I tell them how I'm adjusting to my new life at Cedora Hills and respond to their questions about my old school which I would have rather not talked about.

About fifteen minutes later however, when the topics seem to dial back to what seemed like an average, everyday conversation in the friend group, I find myself zoning out.

What I really am is hungry. I had forgotten to pack lunch this morning, there is a long lineup for  food on the other side of the cafeteria and unlike the dishes from my previous school, these ones actually seemed to smell good.

Sera's loud voice has stopped ringing out beside me for a long time, but I am only becoming conscious now, of the unnatural silence that has invaded the table.

Shit was I supposed to say something?

I glance up, prepared to utter an apology,  but all four girls seem to be frozen in shock staring not at me but at something behind me.

"Um Isa?" Sera croaks hoarsely, urging me with her head to look as well.

I am flabbergasted at what I see.

Clyde Anderson's ridiculously tall figure stands over me. His hands are in his pocket and when my eyes travel up to his, they are already staring right back down at me. "Isa," He says with a smile.

Clyde has prominent dimples that decorate both sides of his cheeks and warm brown eyes that disappear into crescents when he smiles. It's a dangerous combination on him and my mind is slowly turning to mush.

I'm not sure who it is that lets out a deadly cough from behind me, making me suddenly aware of Sera eye's boring into my side profile. Clyde is still smiling and I realise I have not spoken a word since I turned around to look at him.

"Oh-" My whole body flushes with boiling heat. I'm forgetting how to speak again. "Hi Clyde."

Clyde takes a small step back, so now I can properly look at him without having to crane my neck so hard. "I just want to make sure we're still good for tomorrow." He says. "After school right?"

"Tomorrow..." My mind is blanking out and then I remember the tutoring sessions. "Oh yes...right. We are definitely still good for tomorrow."

Clyde reaches into his pocket but my eyes are still on his face. His hair looks nice today and I can only imagine what running a hand through it would feel like. His eyelashes are long, cast downwards as he swipes through his phone.