Her Secrets

Chapter 3: This means WAR!!

It was lunchtime and I met up with my friends, Amaya and Lydia. We were basically the "quote on quote" popular girls at our school. The smart girls are always the pretty girls here. We all were at our same table (center stage to all the drama and closest to the food). We were able to see everyone who came in, which was a big plus for me because I really wanted to see him again.

When I would just gaze into his beautiful, soft light brown eyes, I felt like I was falling into a dark and empty room with just me and him. Just looking at anything on his body would make a girl spaz. Like damn boy! Where did you come from? I waited and waited until I could see him, but just when I was about to give up on acting like I really wanted this cafeteria food, he appeared. But to my surprise, he was with Nick. Nick of all people. I wondered how he became friends with Nick so quickly. Oh! Wait, are they cousins? But everyone knows Nick doesn't let just anyone in his circle. Even if you were cool, you have to be his cup of tea, and that guy is freaking picky.

As Chris walked in, he looked around as though he was looking for something or someone, and me, like the idiot I am, tried to avoid eye contact when really I wanted to literally stand up in my chair and yell, "Hey, I'm over here!!" But I just stayed low and acted like I wasn't paying him any mind.

"Helllooo Jazmin? Are you even listening?" said Amaya.

"Yeah, I'm listening," I said.

"You are not listening to me. If you are, then tell me what I just said."

"You said that there's a new guy and I saw him in the hallway when I was in class..."

"Well, I guess you did hear me then, but you're not showing any enthusiasm!"

"Well, Maya, I kind of met him already."

"YOU WHAT!! OMG, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious."

"Ok then, what's his name?" said Lydia.

"His name is Chris and he's a pretty nice guy too."

"OMG, I can't believe you met him! He's like the best-looking guy in this school right now," said Amaya.

"I know he is, guys, but he's not all that, you know."

"Girl, stop lying to yourself. You know when you saw him your mouth was watering. Girl, why you be lying..." said Amaya.

"I'm not lying. He is cute, but I rather see what he's about before I consider him."

"Whatever... but I think he's cute and he can get my number any day!" said Amaya.

"You would date any guy that walks your way," I said while laughing with Lydia. Amaya started to look at us with an angry face that looked like a child huffing and puffing because they couldn't get their way.

As we laughed and joked around, Nick started to approach us with his crew, but this time with Chris. I instantly started to get nervous and sweat. When I get nervous, I tend to start sweating or get some type of tongue-tie.

"Hey y'all! What's funny? I wanna laugh too," Nick said with a grin, scoffingly.

As we all just rolled our eyes at him, Jessy said, "How are you today?"

Before Khadija could respond, Nick grabbed a fry from Lydia's tray and popped it into his mouth with a wink. "Just trying to enjoy our lunch in peace," Lydia replied coolly, though a hint of a smile tugged at her lips.

"Peace, huh?" Nick laughed. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"

The banter continued, and I couldn't help but notice Chris standing a little way off, his eyes still fixed on her. He hadn't said a word since they arrived, just stood there, watching. It was unnerving and intriguing at the same time.

Finally, Nick seemed to notice Chris's silence. "Hey cuz," he called out, "why so quiet?"

Chris blinked, as if coming out of a trance. He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Just observing," he said simply.

Nick raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he turned his attention back to Khadija. "So, Khadija, you going to the game tonight?"

She shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Maybe. Haven't decided yet."

"You should come," Nick said, his tone unusually sincere. "It'll be fun."

I exchanged a quick glance with Lydia and Amaya, who both gave her subtle nods of encouragement. "Alright," she said finally. "I'll be there."

"Great," Nick said, his smile widening. "See you there."

As Nick and his crew finally moved on to another table, Lydia leaned in close to me. "Looks like someone's got an admirer," she whispered, glancing over at Chris.

My heart heart fluttered again, but she forced herself to stay calm. "We'll see," she said, though she couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. Tonight's game was shaping up to be more interesting than she'd anticipated.

I couldn't help but steal glances at Chris, who was sitting a few tables away with Nick and his crew. As we chatted, I noticed a group of girls approaching Chris's table, giggling and flipping their hair, clearly trying to get his attention. My stomach tightened with a mix of irritation and jealousy. One of the girls, a cheerleader named Ariel, leaned over Chris, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. She said something that made him laugh, and I felt a sharp pang in my chest.

Lydia noticed her friend's discomfort and nudged her gently. "Hey, you okay?" I forced a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess." Amaya wasn't convinced. "Don't let them get to you, Jazmin. Those girls are just desperate for attention. Chris doesn't seem like the type to fall for that kind of act." As if sensing her thoughts, Chris glanced in her direction. For a moment, their eyes met, and Jazmin felt a rush of warmth. He gave her a small, reassuring smile before turning back to his conversation. When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of lunch, I felt a mix of relief and frustration. I gathered my things and stood up, ready to head to my next class. As she walked past Chris's table, he caught her eye again. "Hey, Jazmin," he called out. "Are you going to the game tonight?" She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe. I haven't decided yet." Chris smiled, "Cool. It'd be nice to see you there." As Jazmin walked away, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe Amaya and Lydia were right. Maybe she had nothing to worry about but it doesn't mean she isn't going to have a war on her hands as she saw Ariel looking at her with a stank face.