Rue

4. Crushes

"Romantic." Kate teases.

Rue nudged Kate's shoulder in reply.

"What?" Kate fakes innocence, making everyone laugh.

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New chapter

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"How were they? You were kind of quiet just now, huh?" Kate skips along to match Rue's steps, both of them eager to reach the cafeteria for lunch.

"They're nice, I guess..." Rue gives a vague answer, thinking of her own growling stomach's needs more than the question.

"Can you not walk that fast? I can't keep up, and we as girls should take care and be "sweatless" at all times." Kate huffs.

"Okay, okay, I'm just so hungry you know." Rue selects an unoccupied table and put down her belongings as they reach the cafeteria.

"Nothing too oily for me!" Kate calls after Rue as she goes to line up to buy their food, leaving Kate to take care of their things.

"Alright!!"

Soon Rue came back with two plates of lasagne. As they dig in, Rue couldn't help but notice that some people are staring at them. It has been two weeks now and Rue thinks that it might have something to do with the presence of Kate for she was the type of hot girl that attracts people's attention. 'Or maybe something about The Suicider... I do wonder what happened at that time. Poor Kate.'thought Rue.

"You're zoning out." Kate waves in front of her eyes. "What were you thinking about?"

"Well, what else except the fact that a huge amount of people stares at us everywhere we go?" Rue just states the truth. She couldn't lie anyway. "What is wrong actually?"

"Not now." Kate replies and digs into her food.

Rue eyes her with a skeptical look. "Okay." But when? She asks with her eyes.

Kate pretends that she didn't see the look that Rue gave her.

"Anyway, this lasagne is great. I didn't know it before. Thanks for picking the right choice."

Kate smiles at Rue sincerely, although she just changed the topic. Rue shakes her head and continues eating.

"I think you like Chaol, don't you?" Kate started a new topic again, relieving the silence.

"What makes you think I do?"

"Well, the very first sentence you said to me in the library was a question about him, and you were not even answering when James asked if we want to go to out on Saturday, busy staring at him."

"Hey, is being curious wrong?" Rue defends herself.

"That's being too observant, Rue." Kate winks.

"Two things aren't enough to judge me." 'He just looks good, that's all.' Rue speaks innerly.

"Oh? And both of you even agreed that Paris is great. At the same time!" Kate gives her a look thats says she knows it all.

"That's a coincidence!" Rue fought back.

"Aww now... why are you so bent on denying? It just means you do."

Rue's cheeks warmed.

"Why?" She doesn't know exactly how to reply now.

"Just admit it. You're falling for a sophomore, who would've thought? Well it's okay, you're new here anyway." Kate continues her teasing.

"Wait, what? He's younger than us? Does that mean James is younger too?" 'No wonder he looks so cute. But his build doesn't show his age. Nor that bored face of his.' Rue is surprised.

"Yes. No. Chaol is. James isn't. Now admit it." Kate pouts. "You're really tight-capped."

"I'm really tightly capped." Rue repeats. "There you go. I admitted it. Happy?"

Kate laughs. "Come on! I've never been so close to digging your secret."

"No. Maybe I like him. But James is hot too."

"Aww... falling for both of them?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't deny it."

Rue shrugs. "I can't fight you."

"Hurray!! Rue finally admits that she likes Chaol!" Kate puts her hands together in a praying stance. "God bless you and Chaol." Kate pauses, "or you and James!"

Rue laughs. "Youre incredibly crazy."

"I ship Chaol.. Charue." Kate grins. "It's going to be hard though. They are popular guys and you're just a no-body, plus Chaol is younger. But I'm giving you my full support!!"

'Insane friend. I didn't say I want to date him.' Rue just smiles at Kate's cute talking. She doesn't mind it at all. 'If I get him I'll be lucky, but that's just absurd.' She wasn't even going to try. Popular guys are always playboys. She had had enough of them during high school.

"Confess to him someday, when you like him enough. I promise I'll be there to help! I knew that you would like him." Kate left the table with Rue, still chattering non-stop.

"What about you? No guys you like?" Rue interrupted.

"Um... Laurent, but you don't know him anyway." Kate blushed. "But he won't date me. He's too dumb. "

"I will know him, soon. And we'll see."

***

That's their cafeteria in the picture above :)

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