Fraternizing with the Enemy

22 // Accidental Body Spasms of Love

"SO I think I'm getting somewhere with Andrew-"

I fixed Eva with an unimpressed look. "Did he let you copy his homework?"

Eva paused, her mouth open mid-sentence as she caught my eye, but then punctuated it with a defeated sigh. "Well, technically, no but-"

"What did we agree upon? Why do you feel like you need to pursue this, I mean, why would you even give the time of day to someone who wouldn't let you copy his homework?" I asked while crunching on a baby carrot, chin resting in the palm of my hand and my elbow pressed against the lunch table.

The familiar buzz of voices from the lunchroom hummed in the background as we sat at our usual table nestled in the corner of the cafeteria, which was fortunately exactly opposite in the room of where Reese sat but, unfortunately, where Tyler sat too.

My eyes unconsciously glided over in that direction, where I could see Reese talking animatedly about something or another, probably relaying some dumb story, complete with over-dramatic hand gestures and all. Across the room our eyes met, and for a moment I was charged with his familiar amber gaze, but then I quickly looked away.

"Maybe because he's, you know, a decent guy?" Savannah suggested, a soft smile on her face as she stabbed into her salad. Her hair was pulled up and her blue eyes shot a challenge.

"Eva, is he a decent guy?" I entertained, cocking a brow at the tanned girl.

She fidgeted in her seat for a moment, her mouth pursing in thought. "Well, no, he's actually kind of an asshole. And when we were partnered up together, he asked the teacher if he could work alone. But he's a hot asshole," she admitted with a guilty grin.

I flashed a victorious, cheeky grin in Savannah's direction, who merely rolled her eyes at me. "Eva, he sounds terrible, but let me know if the homework thing works out. He's in my data management class and boy, Mrs. Robertson does not play around. She's serious about actually trying to give us a legitimate education like, Mrs. Robertson, please no," I groaned.

Savannah snorted, and I grinned, crunching another baby carrot.

Eva wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb, her brows furrowing, a frown weighing down her lips. "Well, whatever, it's not like Tyler let's you copy his Geography homework either."

I nodded. "Yes, that's because my love life has already been deemed hopeless and useless, and that's why I'm hoping for better things from you two. What are you bringing to the table, Vannah?"

Given that two-thirds of our little trio was Eva and I, and that Eva and I had one of the most pitiful love lives combined, Savannah was our designated romance friend, or rather the one who brought stories of picnics in the moonlight and adorable Starbucks coffee confessions while we brought avid listening and snacks.

She shrugged, moving around her salad with her fork. "I'm one of you now, it seems. Nothing's happening here."

Eva quickled turned her gaze to me. "Well what's up with Reese, then? You live next to him, does he have a girlfriend? Am I prettier than her? Do you think I could take her, if it came down to a fight?" Eva asked, her chin resting on the heels of her hands and her chocolate brown eyes sparkling.

I sighed. "Well, he's still evil, if that's what you want to know. Still pretty evil. Still pretty terrible."

Despite my words, the heat that used to bloom inside of me was beginning to fade with the thought of his face, that homicidal itch no longer irritating the back of my throat. I didn't want to think of what that meant in the grand scheme of things, and instead shot an innocent smile in Eva's direction.