The Nerd and The Jock - LT Fanfic

4: When Bae Winks At You

4: When Bae Winks At You

"Forreal. Are you gonna hook me up with Beast, or what?"

That was Candice. I already heard this question before. But since I waved her off when she asked me the first time, she didn't get an answer. I realize only now how stupid that had been. Because, right now, she was bugging me when I was trying to eat lunch. Granted, our cafeteria food was gross and I'd rather eat Gumbo--and that was saying something, because Gumbo was the nastiest, most awful soul food I'd ever had--but that didn't mean I wanted her to be annoying. Her light green eyes were piercing and trained on me, willing--no, forcing--me to say yes.

I lifted the greasy slab of meatloaf from my tray and stared at it, twirling it around on my plastic white fork.

"If I say no?" I wondered, looking past the meatloaf in front of my face, at her.

Candice sucked in a breath, as if shocked that I would consider anything other than her obvious wishes. "Then I'm not your friend anymore."

"You lyin'." Sharon said to her, and then gently scratched at her scalp. It shocked me that after doing so, her pretty, tight ponytail still remained tight and pretty. "We're all friends forever. We pledged."

Candice seemed annoyed that Sharon brought that up. "Whose side are you on?" she demanded.

"Nobody's."

"Then don't butt in." Sharon mocked hurt at that and Candice continued, unfazed, "Temara, you have to help me get at Beast."

I sighed. "How? I barely even know Nicolas. How could I get his brother to like you, out of all people? He talks to people less than Blaze sometimes."

"It's only a matter of time," Candice said, confident. She narrowed her eyes at me knowingly. "You have a class with him. And he thinks you're pretty, so..."

I put my fork down, mouth open. "Wait, you heard about that? About him being in my English class?"

"Uh, yeah, Mara. Everybody knows."

"But how?"

"You should know this more than anybody else," Sharon thrust herself in the conversation. "Anything Blaze does is the talk of the school."

I had to agree with that. You know how anyone Blaze talks to is automatically liked? Well, that's been happening. For me. After English class, Nicolas told me goodbye and then some kids, who I didn't even know, started talking to me. This girl who I swore never looked at me twice last year complimented my shirt. Another kid even wanted to help me get open my brand new locker, and I didn't know him, either. The effects that Blaze had on people were...amazing.

But, unfortunately, not always pleasant.

Candice and Sharon were facing me at our purple cafeteria table (purple, because North High was the home of the purple and gold Knights), and from behind their shoulders, I saw two mean-looking girls glaring at me. A blonde and a dark-haired girl didn't try to hide their hatred of me. They stared daggers. They held nothing back.

All because, what? I talked to Blaze, once? Twice?

"They're staring, again," I told my friends.

"Don't give them any attention," Sharon said just as Candice said, "Who cares?"

"I do!" I hissed, frustrated. I was a nerd--not a fighter! I didn't want to have enemies just because an attractive, popular guy liked to talk to me. It made no sense why he did, but I shouldn't have enemies because of it. And on the very first day of school, for God's sake.