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Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven | Trouble Schmouble

Erin

Lunch is my favorite period at school. I mean, it's the only time I have in a day that I could actually hang out with my three best friends, since Sam's got a part time job over at the music store and Theo needs to go home immediately after class.

Plus I could eat whatever I want without any restrictions or hounding from teachers, so there's that.

But, with the day I'm having right now, I can't even appreciate mom's special red pepper and bacon sandwich she's packed for me this morning.

"Hey, E. Are you okay?" Maggie said when she saw me sulking off.

"Y-You're scaring us, Erin." Theo said nervously. "You're not eating."

"She's just bummed, that's all." Sam explained, taking a big bite out of her burger. "It's not every day that your mom decides that the best thing you could do to get out of detention is having classes with the school's Black Sheep."

"What?! What happened?"

As Sam theatrically dramatizes my situation, I sighed and looked off to the right. And when I did so, I saw the Wicked Witch of the West with her army of plastic surgeoned monkeys strutting in the cafeteria.

Roxy Jarlsberg.

The greatest backstabbing liar in the history of West Morgan.

Roxy acts like she's the Queen Bee in our school but really, she isn't. As far as West Morgan High's rankings go, she doesn't even come close to the angel-sweet Amy. But does that stop Roxy from self-proclaiming and acting all high and mighty to everyone else? No.

What Roxy wants, Roxy gets.

And now she's marching towards us, looking like she got stung by a gigantic hornet.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Bottom Feeder Snoozers." She snarked while her cronies sniggered on cue. She turned her badly dyed beach blonde hair to Maggie and gives her the famous evil eye.

"Someone told me that she saw you with Jake yesterday near the mall." Roxy said, looking at my redhead friend like she's a dirt on her stilettos.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Maggie mumbled, fearfully eyeing Roxy's sharp, manicured fingernails.

Roxy scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Stop acting like an innocent little lamb, Nerd."

"Hey, watch it, onionbreath!" Sam growls at her.

Oh...wow, you could literally see smoke coming out of Blondielocks' ears. "Why you little bitc—"

I stood up, blocking myself between the two before they could pounce on each other. "What do you want, Roxanna?"

I almost wished I didn't speak, because now her vicious eyes were at me, sneering. "Look, little girlie. Why don't you take your Weirdo friend and Little Miss Goth here and buzz off? Jake. Is. Mine."

With those extremely polite parting words, Roxy and her clique thankfully skedaddled off.

And we all just sat there, dumbfounded...until Theo spoke. "Whoa. Did I just witness a catfight back there?"

The three of us scowled at him. "You were no help."

Theo raised his hands up in surrender. "What did you want me to do? Pull her hair?"

I glared at the direction where Roxy and her goons have disappeared to. "I wonder what she'll do once she finds out that the person she'd just insulted and called 'little girlie' was her prince charming's sister."

"Don't mind her." Maggie said, sighing.

"You okay?" I asked her as the school bell rang. "What's her problem, anyway? It's not like she's my brother's girlfriend or something."

She just shrugged. "She always does that to every female that comes close to her 'precious Jake'. It's not anything new."

We all move to stand up, discarding our trash on the garbage cans beside us.

I get a feeling that this doesn't just ends there.

---

With all that had happened that lunch, I completely forgot my other bigger and more serious problem.

And I had only remembered about it when Mrs. Poppins, my English lit teacher, called out the Terror's name with mine.

Wait. What's going on?

I guess I may have looked a bit bewildered and confused to her, because our teacher sighed and pointed at the two of us.

Giving us a stern face, she said, "You, and you. Sit together. You'll be partners from now on."

Well, well. Why am I not surprised?

I groaned and grumbled my way to the table Mrs. Poppins is pointing at, wailing away like a banshee until I dropped down on my seat.

Oh, what great joy.

I was like that for a couple of minutes, silently sobbing for my poor, pathetic self, until the person whom I am tied to for the rest of the year spoke to me.

"You again." He growled so harshly that I snapped my head up and stared at him in fear.

"You're the one who left the food at the hallway." Terrence Blake scowled, his blue eyes burning like hot coals at me. "You're also the one who ran out yesterday at detention."

I...I was not exactly subtle, am I? Drats.

Thankfully, to save me from being repeatedly stabbed by the Terror's eyes, Mrs. Poppins began passing around sheets of paper to everyone and told us, "This will be your first assignment together as a pair. All instructions are in it, and it's due for tomorrow. Now, any questions?"

While a random girl from class proceeded to raise her hand at our teacher, I contemplated about the situation at hand.

Point number one: We have to do this together.

Point number two: I don't have a free period this afternoon, and I doubt he has one too considering that we have the same schedule.

Point number three: We can't go over at his house to do our homework there. I mean, what if he'll lock me up on their basement to kill me?

Point number four: We can't go over my house to do our homework there. He'll probably kill me and my family.

Hmm...what should I do to prevent myself from dying?

What if I'll just do it all alone and just write his name on it? But if Mrs. Poppins asks about it tomorrow and he can't answer anything, she will murder me.

I peeked over at him through my lashes. Oh. He's frowning at me.

"D-Do you w-want to meet up at Coffee Notes after school? We c-could do our homework there...o-or something..." I offered nervously.

And instead of baring his teeth at me or whatever Terrence Blake does if he hears something ridiculous, he just nodded and growled a gruff 'yes', momentarily stunning me.

Oh...kay. That was easy.

....................

A/N: Aaaaand here's Chapter Seven!

I'm really, really sorry guys for being MIA for a long time! School had started and kept me busy. Don't worry, I'll try to update at least once a week to keep this going.

Amanda Michalka as Roxy Jarlsberg, by the way.

Share, like, and vote! Questions and suggestions are very much appreciated.

p.s. Thanks for the comments <3

xx >_< xx