If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them // Kendall Vertes

Chapter 4 - Secrets and School

I walked through the double doors beside Maddie. Paige was on her other side. The gazes people gave; the open stares and the loud whispers, the double takes and the pointing. Of course. Why'd the perfects pick her?

"Because they LIKE me!" I wanted to scream. We got our timetables, and I have form with Maddie. We head off to form.

"Hey Kendall!" Julia, a girl in my group called out. She patted the seat beside her. I looked at Maddie, who smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Sorry." I smiled at her lightly and say with Maddie. She tossed her auburn curls and huffed. Kelly, also from my group- old group, I mean- came in and they sat together, staring and whispering like the rest of the class.

"Attention, class. I'm Ms. Davids. I'm your form teacher and your French teacher- if you take French." Maddie and I groaned- we both take French. She didn't seem exactly nice, either.

~

"Kendall!" I heard a voice. Not another one. I turned around. It was Dara, from my old group. She too gestured to my usual place on the grass.

"Sorry, Dara. I'm sitting with Mads and Paigey." I turned away, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"KK! Cafeteria, pronto!" Paige dragged me there, where we met Maddie, who was staring intently at the tater tots.

"Those sell tater tots are full of transfats," was what Maddie said, skipping greeting us.

"Yuck!" Paige made a gross face, somehow still being gorgeous.

"Like I'm touching THAT." I said acidly. Maddie and Paige agreed and we ordered Caesar salads.

"So, Paigey." Maddie said sweetly.

"What?" She asked, examining a lettuce leaf. Then she hit her forehead and sighed.

"Yes. You can date him!" She sighed.

"I like Josh." Maddie confirmed to me.

"I remember." I smiled.

"Oooh, there he is!" Maddie had spotted Josh.

"How do I look?" She asks, but, not waiting for an answer, she hurries over to meet him. Paige and I stared for a second or two.

"So Kendie, who're you gonna date?" Paige turned to me. I almost sprayed my low-fat, calcuim-enriched milkshake.

"Eh..." I say vaguely.

"C'mon!"

"I don't like anyone." I said. It was true.

"Oh puh-lease. You just wait till the end of the week." Paige said.

"Wanna make a bet?" I challenged.

Paige giggled. "I bet my Gucci wallet. And I want that totally cute Versace top!"

"You're on." We shook on it.

"Hey Kendall." A cute guy winked at me as he passed. This was going to be harder than I thought.

~

I have successfully made it through two days without developing a crush. Lie.

Oliver Brinklow. The hottie that just moved to Pittsburgh. I guess I owe Paige that top.

"So. Crush yet?" Paige asked as Maddie, herself, and me sat down in the cafeteria.

"Uhhhhh..." Oliver was walking past our table.

"Hey, Vertes." He winked and smiled and I died. Not really. I just smiled back and said "Hey, Brinklow."

"Oh my gosh. Kendall, he's a hottie out of ten." Maddie said, jaw dropping.

"So?" I asked her, deliberately ignoring Paige who was giggling.

"So he likes you!" Maddie explained, like it was obvious.

"And you totally have a crush on him! I get that top!" Paige cheered and giggled.

"Shut up!" I whisper.

"Kay, we are getting you guys together. I am having a pool party this Friday, remember? Bikini shopping at the mall after school? I have some friends who do custom Bikinis." Maddie proposed.

"But it's Wednesday. Will they be done by Friday?" Paige asked.

"Yup. You guys in?"

"I'm in." Paige clacked her nails.

"Of course!" I agree. I text my mom and tell her.

After school, we drive to the mall and head straight to Seafolly. We spent ages in there, and eventually we found the perfect bikinis for the party where Oliver was supposedly going to fall for me.