Star Students

Part 2

September 28th

They say seeing is believing, but even though I can see perfectly well what's going on, I still can't believe it.

Ethan is laughing with all of his star student friends... and Paisley? She's doing a whole lot more than just laughing. Her perfect ass is planted in Ethan's wheelchair, right on Ethan's lap. Fingers intertwined around the back of his neck, her lips brush against his.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Jayla slams her locker closed.

Nodding my head in agreement, we turn away from the PDA and walk towards the side entrance leading to the student parking lot. "I thought Paisley was still with Liam." If Jayla doesn't catch the misery in my voice, she's not the genius best friend I've always taken her for. I've never come out and told her how I feel about Ethan. I don't have to: she's known as long as I have.

"They broke up for, like, the fifth time last week." She pats my shoulder. "Sorry."

We head to Café Coco where Jayla vehemently insists we'll be studying for our AP Chemistry test. I might have to put in a couple hours of review time, but Jayla had that test aced before school even began. She doesn't need to study, but she does need to stare at Liam Goodwin's well-defined backside as he pulls espresso shots during his afternoon shift.

"So, he's single again?" If Paisley broke it off with him last week, he easily could be onto his next conquest by now. Liam isn't one to turn down a willing girl, and with those dimples plus the aforementioned backside, there are plenty who have the will.

"He went out with Sophie Grant last Friday, but get this: Sophie found out he didn't have the star tattoo so she told him she didn't want to see him again."

"He doesn't have the tattoo?" That's an interesting development. "How do you know all of this?"

She shrugs. "Word gets around."

"Yeah, it does... when you're a stalker."

She sips her cappuccino. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

We continue fake studying until a lull in customers sends Mr. Chemistry himself over to us.

"Ladies, I trust your coffee drinks are to your liking."

"Did you know that caffeine is comprised of crystals 0.00016th of an inch long?"

Man, I love Jayla. She's not afraid to go total science geek even around her dumb as a rock crush.

Liam stares at Jayla's coffee like he expects tiny chandeliers to appear out of the froth.

"So how come every popular kid at Westfield has decided to brand themselves with a blue star except for you?" I ask. "You allergic to ink?"

Liam raises an eyebrow. "No, it's just... Paisley. It's why I broke up with her. She became weird after getting hers."

I sit up. "What do you mean? Paisley's the antonym for weird."

"No, yeah... I mean weird for Paisley. She was such a bitch. Then she gets that tattoo and suddenly she's... nice."

"You dumped her because she's nice?"

"She kept telling me it wasn't my fault for how 'horrible I always behaved' -- her words, not mine. She said I could be saved. Whatever that means. It was creepy."