How To Be Straight

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CHAPTER 35

        [ Derek ]

"Ten bucks says I can get that girl's number," Mike announced to the whole lunch table for no reason in particular.

I couldn't help but smile at his sudden outburst as I reluctantly turned my head to follow Mike's gaze. The girl in question was a blue-eyed brunette wearing a pair of tight jeans that quite obviously accentuated her ass. To make a long story short, she was way, way, way out of Mike's league.

Maya scoffed from beside me. "Yeah, right."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you doubting me, Maya?"

Maya flipped her long, jet black hair over her shoulder and let out a dry, humorless laugh in preparation for her retaliating snide remark, "It's not doubt, because doubt is expressing uncertainty. I am absolutely certain that you won't get her number."

Mike's mouth fell agape as he processed what to say next. Obviously out of responses, he growled and slammed his hands on the table. "I'm going to get her number," he told us as he rose to his feet, "and when I do, you guys owe me twenty bucks."

I nodded in agreement and silently watched as Mike stalked his way to the brunette at the other end of the cafeteria. He grabbed her attention by tapping her on the shoulder and they talked for a little while. It was hard to tell what words were being exchanged, but I did catch a glimpse of a slight smile on the brunette's face. He said something to her and she nodded in response just as she pulled out a pen from her backpack.

"Oh, no," Maya voiced. "I don't have ten bucks."

I bit down on my bottom lip in anxiety, still keeping my eyes on him. It was safe to say that I didn't expect him to get her number, so I had nothing but complete and utter respect for the guy when he made his way back to us with a strip of paper clutched tightly in his hands.

"What did I tell you?" He questioned with a triumphant smirk on his face. "I've got game. Now pay up."

Rolling my eyes at him, I reached into my back pocket to pull out my wallet. Just as I began to fish through for a ten dollar bill, Maya grabbed onto my wrist to stop me. "What?" I asked her.

She narrowed her gaze at Mike. "Show me the number."

All of the color drained from Mike's face. "W-what?"

"The number," Maya repeated as she held out an expectant hand, "show me."

His clear blue eyes flicked to me, as though he was desperately asking for help. There was no way Mike would be this hesitant when he had just scored a hot girl's number, which made me buy in to Maya's suspicions. "Let's see the number," I said.

His fingers enclosed around the strip of paper, like he was protecting it. "No, I don't want you guys to-" Growing pretty irritated with his inability to comply, I stood abruptly from my seat and snatched the paper from his hands. He tried to reach for it again, but I smacked his hand away. "Hey, come on!" he cried.

I unfolded the paper and read over its contents. There, in red ink, were the words:

Fuck you.

I lifted my gaze to look at Mike. His lips were sewn shut and his hands fell at his sides as he took on a statue-like state. Even when Maya grabbed the paper from my hands and exploded into laughter, his body became more stiff. I wanted to join in her laughter, but there was something oddly uncomfortable about the way Mike was looking at me.