Everyone But Us

Five // Nicole

Nicole (Queen B)

Gabe wanted me. I knew it. He was just acting like he didn't to be cool, or because he was a guy and they don't know how to show their feelings. Duh. I had to come up with a plan to make him realize that he wanted me, to make him take action, so I decided I would make him jealous by flirting with the new guy on the bus, Jarrah. It's not like that would have been hard anyway. Jarrah was gorgeous. He had the perfect black hair and grey-blue eyes with lean muscles to accompany his tall frame. I think he was a footballer or something, but either way, he could have been a model.

I still definitely rathered Gabe, so it was time to put my plan into action. I hitched my dress up a little and stepped onto the bus.

"Good morning, Nicole," the bus driver said. How did he know my name? Creep. I ignored him and strutted up the aisle, faltering when Jarrah was looking over at the nerd opposite him, smiling like a dork.

Did he like her?

No, surely not.

What did I care anyway? I didn't like him. I just needed to use him. I took my seat in front and turned on the side to look at him, but then he did the weirdest thing I'd ever seen someone do. He talked to the mute.

"What are you reading, Harlow?"

Every single one of us went dead quiet, trying to see if the would talk. If she could talk anymore.

She looked more surprised than the rest of us, her green eyes wide with shock. She just held up the her book so that he could see the front cover.

Oh. My. God. Was she... Communicating?

My eyes caught Theo's and he looked just as surprised. I also thought he was jealous. He'd always had a soft spot for that loser. I don't know why. She had bigger boobs than I did but she wasn't even that pretty. I didn't get why Theo liked her, or why someone like Jarrah would want to talk to her?

He inspected the front cover like the other three of us did in silence. It was of a closed glass jar with a butterfly on the inside of it, but the background was this weird grey colour. She hid the cover before I could read the title. Probably something lame.

"Huh. Is it good?" He persisted, head cocked to one side.

She kind of smiled, nodded, then turned back to her book, putting her earphone back in. Why people read was beyond me. Why anyone would be interested in someone who read was even more of a mystery.

"Um. Like, what just happened?" I asked, voicing everyone's confusion. I think Landon Parks, the year twelve, was even a bit interested.

"What did you just do?" Gabe asked, pushing his hair off his forehead. He was too hot.

Theo kept quiet.

"I'm just trying to include her in conversation. There's no harm in that." He was purposefully flippant as his eyes flicked across the aisle. He was going to be harder to help make Gabe jealous than I thought.

"There might be," Gabe muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. The guys weren't too pleased with that but I found it hilarious. I would have laughed, but I was trying to make him jealous. That means I had to give him the cold shoulder for a while.

"That's so sweet of you," I said to Jarrah instead, batting my eyelashes. My eyes flicked to Gabe who raised his eyebrow at me as if to say really? Him?

With a tiny nod of my head I turned my attention back to Jarrah.

"Naw, not really. I just think everyone should be included."

I was starting to see why Gabe hated him so much. He was such a typically nice guy. It was annoying.