Youth Group Popularity

Chapter 16 - A Slice of Jealousy

We arrived at the pizzeria and took a seat next to Preston. We had decided, for Danny's last night here, that we'd all go out for dinner. And by all, I mean me, Danny, Preston, Amanda, and Parker said he wanted to come. And then we decided we'd ride in Danny's truck to the lake where we'd have a bonfire and all that. Good thing I got permission from my Mom this time...

Amanda walked in minutes later wearing a dress. That's pretty unusual for her since I thought'd she'd probably be wearing shorts or something. She glanced at me, sending me a secret message with her eyes that was probably about Preston, and then flicked her eyes towards him for half a millisecond. She sat across from Preston and avoided eye contact with him.

I whipped out my phone and began to type a text to Amanda, "You haven't told him yet?"

She looked down to her phone and read the screen quickly. Her nails clicked the glass as she typed back.

"No... I was planning to at the lake..."

I made sure Danny or Preston wasn't looking at the screen and messaged back, "So that's why you're so dressed up?"

She rolled her eyes discreetly and ignored my message. Preston seemed totally oblivious to our silent conversation and didn't seem to suspect anything was wrong. Thank goodness for that.

Seconds later, Parker came and joined us at out table and sat next to Amanda. I smiled towards him and was about to say 'Hi' before someone else sat down at our table.

"I hope you don't mind I brought Lucas...." Parker said, pointing a finger towards my ex-boyfriend.

"No, it's fine. Sorry I didn't think about inviting you though I should have," I apologized to Lucas though the real reason is because Danny would murder me if I did.

I looked to Danny, who didn't seem too happy. Agh he's mad. Again. He needs to calm down because all he's going to do is sit there and eat.

I sent Amanda a warning glance which she recognized immediately. She could just take one look a me and know I was worried.

"So if I get a personal pan cheese pizza with mushrooms that would be $6.87 but with the extra cost of the mushrooms it would be a total of $7.00 even plus a drink which would add up to $8.25," Parker finished his rambling and I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't even looking at the menu so I knew this all came from his head.

"So you weren't kidding when you told me you're some sort of genius?"

"Genius? That was kiddie math. I just know how to do it really fast. If you want to see me really work, then listen to this," He smirked and I gave him a confused look. Everyone was waiting for him to start but he was taking a moment to think.

"If I get a personal pan pizza, which has a three and a half in radius, and 1 inch in height, then...." He traced some invisible numbers in the air and looked up to the ceiling. "Then it will fill %86 of my stomach. But with the drink, it will be at %100 and continue to expand."

"How'd you figure that out so fast?"

He smiled and gestured me to come closer. He leaned over the table, like he was going to tell me some sort of secret and I got closer to him. Then, with a devious smirk and a normal tone, he said, "I didn't. I was kidding."

I frowned while everyone else laughed at his prank. I seriously believed he did all that! I sat there, giving him the evil eye and then laughed along with everyone else.

"But I am smart. I can't lie about that. I get straight A's, I already have a scholarship to TSU, and I once won state champion for the Spelling Bee."