"You have a boyfriend?" I asked.
"Oh sure," Sally said. "Ian Montgomery. Stacey set us up in April." That made sense. Ian was athletic and Blonde and agreeable and would fit in with Stacey's idea of who her friends should date. For one thing, she'd never wanted to date him. Anyone she dated was off the menu for everyone else.
Sally peeled off to join Stacey and her Glare Of Death in the line for salad, and I hesitantly went over to Jake's table. See, this is why Andy should be there. She'd know exactly who to sit with and how. And if she wanted to spend lunch time reading her book, he wouldn't mind. But of course she had to sit with Jake, right? A girlfriend would normally sit with her boyfriend. That was the normal thing to do.
She set her lunch bag down on the table, opposite him, and he immediatly reached out and grabbed it.
"Hey," she said, "Eat your own lunch."
"Sit next to me," he whispered frantically. "Or else she will."
Anna looked up and saw Stacey heading purposefully their way. She scooted quickly around the end of the table and managed to sit down next to Jake just before Stacey plunked her tray down on the table making a few salad leafs fly on the table.
"Oh Jakey," Stacey said, ignoring Anna, "I saw you playing tennis when I went by the courts earlier. You are so talented."
"Thanks," Jake said, opening Anna's Lunch. "Wow, Anna, your mom really likes carrot sticks, doesn't she?" Jake said holding a plastic bag full of them.
"We suspect she owns stock in them or something," Anna joked. jake laughed; Stacey didn't.
"Not to mention," Stacey went on as if they hadn't spoken, "you look so hot in athletic pants. Not every guy can pull off that look- right, Anna? It must be so hard for you to concentrate with your boyfriend right there looking that hot."
"Oh we're in two different classes," Anna said awkwardly.
"So which celebritys do you like, Anna?" Stacey asked. "Any guys as cute as Jake? Don't worry, I'm sure he won't be jealous. Tell me your deep dark secret crush."
Yeah, that would be... Jake.
"Umm... I dont know," Anna mumbled. "Maybe Jake Gyllenhaal, or Jake T Austin."
Stacey rolled her eyes. "Like we haven't all heard that one before," she said.
"Wow Anna, you really have a thing for people with the first name Jake." Sally giggled.
"Here, Anna," Jake said, and she realized he was saying her name a lot more than usual, and she loved it. He broke his cookie in half and handed her the bigger portion. "To make up for all those carrot sticks."
"Haha." Anna said sarcastically.
Jake motioned for her to take the half of the cookie.
"Really?" Anna said. Shed met his beautiful blue eyes as he handed her the cookie. He looked so worried, she couldn't stop herself from smiling at him.
"That is so cute," Sally said, sliding onto the bench, next to Stacey. "Ian totally refuses to share his food with me. I once ate a french fry off his plate when he had clearly finished eating, and he, like, didn't speak to me for the rest of the weekend."
"He's probably helping you watch your weight," Stacey said nastily. "I'd say he's doing you a favor."
Sally looked hurt. She stared down at her pizza, poking it with her plastic fork but not eating.
"Hey," Anna said feeling a surge of anger at Stacey for treating Sally so horridly.
"What?" Stacey asked in her icy tone immediatly making Anna back down.
YOU ARE READING
Rules of Attraction
Teen Fiction"Okay, here are the rules of Pretend Dating Anna," she said. "You need to stop comparing me to a giant gorilla." "What are the other rules?" Jake asked. "That's the only one," she said. Was her voice shaking? Could he tell? "So far. I'll...
