The Popularity Alliance

-02- On Awkward Small Talk and Masks

On Awkward Small Talk and Masks

"First week, huh? Exciting," said Hunter, and let out a forced chuckle, trying to get the conversation started. The rest of us but Jordan looked up from our phones and Jessica smirked at Hunter, but he didn't notice, neither he noticed the amused glances between Sylvie-the girl from Herman Melville High-and me.

This is the most popular kid in MH?, Jordan texted me, referring to Hunter's school.

I thought for a second and replied, He is Danny Greene's brother.

Yeah, but still, Jordan wrote, it's like he's trying to make us not like him.

I snorted at his text and everyone stared at me. "Just this funny meme on Instagram," I told them, and Jordan smiled at me. How could I have noticed Hunter's smile when I had Jordan's to admire?

"Okay, that's it," said Hunter few seconds after. "According to what my letter said, this is a serious thing. And you're just looking at things on Instagram? C'mon! Let's discuss stuff!"

"Alright, new guy," said Sylvie, "what kind of stuff do you want to discuss?"

Red tinted Hunter's cheeks. "I don't know. You said it yourself, I'm new here." He looked at his lap and I almost felt bad for him.

Almost. Honestly, he just didn't belong with us. The Popularity Alliance wasn't just based on people liking you, it was also based on grades and athletic skills and many other factors. And I don't think he had what it took to be part of our group.

Hell, I didn't believe people even liked him!

But if he was here, it had to mean something. Seeing none of the other members was willing to help him, I took a risk and tried to give him a hand. So I put on my best smile and said, "just relax, Hunter. It's the first week of school, nothing big has happened yet." I took a sip of the frappuccino Hunter himself had served me. "Or has it?"

I looked at the rest and some of them shook their heads. Others just shrugged. When my eyes looked back at Hunter, his arms were crossed and he was looking at Natalie, then at me, then back at Natalie. "Tell her what happened!" He gestured towards me. "Things can happen in a week. I thought you were experts at this or something."

We laughed. "And we are. But if things actually got bad, we're just teenagers. It's not like we're solving problems for the sake of the schools. We're popular, remember? If there are problems, the attention leaves us," said Sam.

"And we don't want that," Jessica seconded him. Their fingers were laced naturally, like they were meant to be like that. Her pale hand just looked right in his dark-skinned hand. I wished Jordan and I were like that...

Wait.

Had they just said what I thought they had said? That we only solved problems to focus the attention on us?

Yeah, being popular was so much fun, and I loved having the eyes on me, but I liked having the students happy. There was a better ambient and I enjoyed school so much more. And I think they did too.

But Jessica and Sam's motives were purely selfish. I'm selfish, and I don't regret it, but they used their power over the area to draw attention to themselves without anyone noticing how they were manipulating the situations.

Even I knew that was wrong.

Anyway, I didn't focus on that for a lot of time. Instead, I remembered Hunter saying that something had happened, and I stared at him for a few seconds, without taking the initiative because, well, I didn't want Jordan and the rest to think I wanted to start a conversation with him.

The moment he noticed my eyes looking at him, his face turned into a frown. "What do you want?" he asked in a low voice so the rest couldn't hear us. "Are you done embarrassing me already? Because if you are, I think I'll go over there and see if there are more customers waiting. I am in charge of the Café you know."

"No, don't leave," I commanded in a low voice too.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" That was a trick that normally worked when someone didn't want to do what I said in school, but it didn't work with Hunter, because he shook his head with a smile, looking at his lap again.

"That's not going to work on me, queen bee. I can't be pushed around that easily," said Hunter.

I rolled my eyes at his nickname for me. "It sure seemed like it when you were trying to talk to the group."

"You wouldn't understand, Mia. Everything's easy for you. You're popular. I'm not. You get what you want and they listen to you when you speak." He nodded his head towards the rest. "They don't listen to me. I don't even know them. I don't even know you. Mia, I saw how you were with Jordan. You like him, and he likes you back. But you've already seen how Natalie interacts with me."

"She doesn't," I said. I was kind of weirded out for what he said about not being popular. He clearly was. But I let it go.

"Exactly," he acknowledged. "She hasn't spoken to me yet, we have a few classes together and there's this, so it's kind of sad. I've heard she was one of my brother's one night stands, and people say she thought it was more than that. She hates him. She hates me too for that."

"Sorry," I said. Without meaning it though. If he was here, his life couldn't be so bad. He was popular. He was hanging out with us, and that was the dream of pretty much every teen in the area.

"'s okay. It's not like it's your fault anyways." He shrugged. A customer entered the Café. "I'm going to go over there."

And sliding his hand on the counter, he approached the woman.

He was confusing. It was like when he was with the others he wore this mask and tried to act funny and failed miserably, but with me he was who he really was, yet being mysterious. Yep, he definitely confused me.

After five minutes during which I felt the cold of the door opening, I suddenly remembered what I wanted to ask Hunter. What had happened at Maple High? "Hunter, I..." I turned around to see Bridget instead of him. "Bridget! Weren't you with your sister?"

"I was, hun, but I came back a while ago," said Bridget while handing a milkshake to a young girl. "Why, were you looking for Hunter instead of me? Were you dissapointed to see me instead of that boy?" She smiled and put her hand on her hip. "I'm just as good lookin', aren't I?"

"Of course you are, Bridget," I said, shaking my head as I giggled.

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Here's Bridget, guys! Even though Mia can be kind of annoying, I hope you're enjoying her story so far. Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and if you liked it, vote! I love seeing that you like my writing.

Serenity C. Williams