Forever Yours

chapter six

The next day at lunchtime, I'm out in the courtyard with Joel. Mia—yet again—is sitting with Hank. Joel and I are dissecting the movie we saw last night. We're always disagreeing on things. This movie, for example, is one of them.

"They were obviously in love from the start," Joel says defending the couple.

"He was! But she definitely wanted nothing to do with him," I contradict.

"Maybe so, but he ended up luring her in with his amazing personality and dashing good looks," Joel says, puffing his chest out.

I laugh at his silly display then say, "In his dreams!" I can't help thinking this is totally what's happening between Joel and me. The way he's looking at me tells me he's thinking the same thing. Then we're stuck looking into each other's eyes. It's not as awkward as I feared it would be. But then he's making I want to kiss you eyes again. I try to tear my gaze away, but I can't. He smiles and I smile back. He leans across the table and puts his hand on top of my hand. I shy away from his touch, pulling my hand away. But our eyes are still locked.

That is until Brooke saunters up to our table with her posse. "Hi Joel!" she says and then comes a "Hi Joel" from the rest of Brooke's posse. All of them place a hand on his shoulder as they crowd the table.

I roll my eyes at how awful and annoying they are. Of course Brooke would intervene in my time with Joel.

Then she finally acknowledges my existence and exclaims, "Move!"

I give her an incredulous look and say, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, whore, move!" She spits back. All five girls in her posse are glaring at me. The nerve of this bitch, I swear.

I cross my arms and glare back at her. "Make me!" I can't believe she's acting like this. Wait, I can believe it, I just wish she wasn't acting like this. I look over at Joel; he's giving me a sad look, as if saying, I'm so sorry. I give him a sad look back.

I look back up at Brooke. She's smiling now. "I'm glad you said that."

"Brooke don't!" Joel finally speaks up.

She totally ignores him and gives her posse a look that I can't quite figure out. Two of the posse girls crowd around me and push me off my chair. I fall ass first onto the cold, hard concrete. Then I lose my balance and fall back completely, hitting my head. A rush of pain fills my head.

"Willow!" I hear from both Joel and Mia from across the courtyard. They both come to my rescue. Picking me up off the ground. When I finally stand, I feel my head pounding even more with pain. I clutch the back of my head, hoping that will relieve some of the pain. It doesn't. Brooke and her posse take a seat where Joel and I were just sitting.

"That was seriously messed up Brooke," Joel shakes his head at her.

She glares at him, "Whatever Joel! We are so done!"

He laughs at her, which makes her cower in shame. "We never even began," he spits back. Her mouth drops open like she can't believe he just said that to her. Mia and I laugh at her along with Joel. Joel grabs his and my backpack from where the girls shoved them on the ground. Joel and Mia try to help me walk. My head is a little foggy. But before I let them, I walk up next to Brooke, lift her tray of food up and onto her lap. Completely covering her in soda and a Caesar salad.

She gasps and screams as loud as I've ever heard her scream, "You bitch!"

She looks like she's about to push me over again, but she just glares at me. I give her an evil smile and walk away.