Escaping the friend zone

step one jealousy part one introducing the bait

"all right then, so i guess we've got our code names right?" Maddie asked us. "yeah" we all mumble in sync. "but i don't really get why Jake gets two code names, greedy bastard," Damien said mumbling the last part. "well then meeting adjourned!" i said grabbing my bag and heading home.

~~the next day~~

"alright guy's i'd like to introduce you all to Mary" Maddie said introducing us to a friend of hers with very long brown-black hair with bangs that covered her eyes, normal clothes consisting of pants and a big blue jacket with a unisex hat nothing to special but she seemed familiar. "'hello" she said shyly hiding behind Madeline."stop faking! you're so cool and tough around me but i introduce you to other people and you flip out? seriously?" Maddie scolded."sorry" she mumbles her face going red. i clear my throat "excuse me but what does this have to do with anything?" i ask not shaking the odd feeling in my stomach that i'd seen her before. "well she has a sort of bad relationship with Justine so we need you," she said pointing at me "to go out with her" pointing at her friend causing her blush to grow deeper and me to grow a faint one as well. "how does a cutie shy girl like her have a bad relationship with anyone?" Damien said walking closer to her winking. instead of blushing her face lost it's color and a slight look of disgust replaced her blush "the hell? you think i'd fall for you 'cause ya think 'yer so cute 'n charming? just because i don't really have a love life doesn't mean that i'm a slut and will get with anyone that asks..." she mumbled looking away. "that's my girl!" Maddie said patting her back. Mary quickly going back to her meek nature. "remind you of someone? when she's angry she gets all scary and speaks her mind freely, that's what she's really like,you better not get on her badside" Maddie states. we all looked at each other blankly. and then it fell into place. My feeling of knowing her, i walked over to her "you're the girl who told Justine she wore too much makeup all the time ,and was the only girl who could oppose her?!" i ask Mary. "oh that? yeah,but thats all in the past! now i dont care about popularity and stuff" "oppose justine in what?" Damien said looking at us. "she used to be a real cutie, and she's shy but with people she likes she shows how she's really into dude stuff" maddie said pulling off mary's hat and lifting her curtain of bangs for us to see her face jack blushed a bit, damien whistled, and jake payed no attention being in one of his moods again. underneath her veil of bangs was her light fair complexion dusted with pink,and her big innocent dark brown eyes hidden beneath her long eyelashes. 'the textbook defenition of a male heart-throb' "you mean to tell me a girl that cute and shy likes guy stuff?" damien asked questioningly, "yes just try to get her to stop rambing on about videogames, anime, and fighing" a small sparkle is seen flickering in jack's green eyes and soon the two begin talking about all sorts of things.

"hey what are all of you doing there?" i hear justine ask casually walking toward our oddball group.

maddie shoves the hat back on mary's head "welp, I think we should get going now!" She yells grabbing Mary's hand running away. " who was that?" Justine asks raising an eyebrow. " that was jack's new nerdy girlfriend" Jake blurts out randomly. All attention goes to jack who is a blushing mess, our of the corner of my eye I see Damien barely managing to keep his laughter in." really? that's so exciting I'm so happy for you jack!" Justine says happily. " oh, umm... y-yeah totally!" He says awkwardly. " we'll anyways I saw you and just wanted to say hi" she says flashing me one of cute smiles that makes my heart skip a beat. She slowly strides away from our weird group. Once she is out of earshot Damien bursts into a fit of laughter. soon after we all do even jack slightly.Mary and Madeline both step out from a wall not too far away from us. "... His... Nerdy girlfriend...?" She repeats to herself quietly. " hahahahaha! no. no. Please- I can't breathe!" Maddie says in between laughter, she doubles over clutching her stomach " my sides!" She breathed out. Mary walks over and lightly pounds on jakes chest, " you douchepickle! Why would you say that!?" Mary asks her face red. " douchepickle? I gotta use that some time," madeline pulls mary away from jake still chuckling a bit. she shoves her toward me making me nearly fall wrapping my arms around her, "see aren't they a cute couple?" all eyes fall to us mary stiffens making me release my grip on her me straightening myself as well. "we should go to let the lovebirds get to know eachother better," damien says leading the group off. as they leave mary lets out a large sigh "what the heck was all that about?" she mumbles chuckling slightly. "well your friends seem fun to say the least" she says smiling i cant help but blush a bit "so," I say stretching the 'o' "what do you like to do?" i ask awkwardly "hmm, I like the internet, anime, comics, games, reading, music, hockey, and drawing" i make a mental note of all the things she likes "you draw?"i ask. "yeah but im no good, its embarrassing..." "nah,i bet your good! how 'bout you try to draw me?" "oh uhh, ok," she pulls out a folded paper from her sleeve and a lead pencil from her front pocket she leads me to the library to sit at a table. she starts to look at the paper then at me repeatedly, i shift uncomfortably while she was focused on the paper "don't move" after a few minutes she lookes up at me with a smile "done," she passes me the paper from across the table. "woah, this is really good!" "shhhhh!" someone at another table shushes us me and mary look at eachother and start laughing a bit. "thanks," she whispers, we spend the rest of the time talking about her various interests. The bell rings signaling time to leave. " oh uh, sorry we spent the whole time talking about me. But maddie has already told me a little about you, I guess we'll see each other later at the 'the gutter' right?" Mary asks. " oh, really? She was really thorough with this plan... And yeah we'll see everybody later" i head to my last class science and wait until the end of the day.

~~after science~~

i head home pulling out some headphones from my backpack along with my phone blasting music the whole walk home. As i step on the porch i pul out my key from my pocket inserting it into the lock. I open the door as i walk in. "sup? im home" i say throwing my bag on my bed. i walk into the kitchen and grab a can of Pepsi and a small bag of chips to eat while doing homework. After I finish I wheel out my bike from the garage and its lock riding off. As I get there i text my mom telling her where I am I don't want her to worry being a single mom is hard enough. As I enter I hear someone yell and smirk knowing it is someone in our group.