What It's Like To Be Liked

4. T.O.M. Problems

"See, popularity is complicated. You have to spend a lot of time thinking about liking; you have to really like being liked, and also sorta like being disliked." -John Green

Chapter Four- T.O.M. Problems

 I looked up at the gold and black gates of the school I would be going to for the next four years. The building looked quite old, to be frank, at least a century old. The architecture was simple, with the walls made of bricks and the standard vertical rectangular windows. In front of the entrance stood a fountain with a statue of Lady Rose Walden, Stratonville's first mayor, in whose honor this school was built.

Jake was still at my right, silently walking with his hands in his pockets, his signature smirk gracing his face. But  he didn't look happy.

There were many people entering the school along with us and I noticed quite a few heads turn in our direction.

No, wait.

There were at least a dozen people staring at us. Well, at Jake mostly.

Geez, guys! It's just Jacob South, not Harry Styles! Seriously, he's just another human being. Oh wait, they're probably wondering why the 'new girl' is hanging out with Jake.

I pulled him behind a bush. The stares were getting pretty creepy and I had to get away from them, but at the same time, ridiculously enough, I kind of was enjoying the attention. I spun around to face Jake's perfectly shaped face and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Okay, let's get this straight. You don't want to be seen with me, nor do I wanna be seen with you. So this is going to be our last meeting until I die. Got it?" I said sternly. This was kind of my 'Mean Girl' tone. People actually listened when I spoke like this.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, babe," he chuckled, "until death do we meet.". He did not just call me 'babe'. I had used my Mean Girl tone, he should have wet his pants and gone crying to his mommy. Just kidding, but a simple 'okay' would have been fine too.

"Don't you ever call me that," I scowled and raised my index finger, "goodbye, South." I turned around feeling proud of my bold move.

I was about to walk towards the school gate when he caught my arm, making me look back at him. At his gorgeous light brown eyes. Um, I mean, at his irises that looked like mud. Dirty, dirty mud.

"Hey, listen, I did not mean to be rude or anything. Don't hate me, babe," he faked a pout. I'm like one hundred percent sure that he said it just to annoy me. And how dare he even try to flirt with me after what he had said only a few minutes ago. The nerve. I swear, if we weren't in front of the younger population of Stratonville, I would slap the jerk. Ugh, I couldn't wait to get out of here.

I rolled my eyes and got out of his grip only to come face to face with Her Highness.

"What do you want, Ariana?" I spat at her. She hadn't left a good impression so neither was I going to.

"Oh, I just wanted to know what you were doing behind a bush with my boyfriend," she bit back, "making out, maybe?" Ariana added, hand on her hip. Wow. She really thought that I would be 'doing something' with Jake, behind a bush. This is so cliché

"Not everyone wants to have Jacob South's tongue down their throat. I'm not you, Ariana." Saying that, I walked around her. The thought of kissing Jake made me feel like puking. Ew. Even if he were the last person on this planet I wouldn't kiss that Jerkface.

***

"So wittle Lee Lee has been hanging out with Jake, huh?" Tyler smirked at me. It was our last class before lunch. I had Ariana and Jacob in this class. I was so relieved when I heard that Tyler was in this class too.