The Battle of The Bad Boys (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 6: Paint-balling

One Month Later...

Me, Sam and the rest of our group walk to lunch. Yeah, I guess you would call us a 'group' now - we've had lunch together and hung out after school every day for the past month. I must admit that it's pretty fun having some friends other than Sam. Don't get me wrong, I love her, it's just that the boys are such a laugh. And what's more, The Kittens hate it which makes our friendship even better. Sure, Hunter still sees Amy sometimes but, to be honest, I think he's only in it for the sex - she never sits with him at lunch and the only time I see them together is when they go into his house...

"Yo, Leila," Chase's voice brings me back to reality.

"What?" I ask with a slight sigh; I already know it's gonna be something stupid - Chase is like the annoying brother that I never had.

"I'm not a photographer, but I can picture us together!". I groan in response. He has tested out his pick up lines on me for the past week and I'm really starting to wonder how much longer he can keep it up.

"Chase..."

"Oh c'mon that was better than yesterday's!" he protests. I punch him lightly on the arm.

"Any pick up line is better than - 'There are eight planets in the Universe, but only seven after I destroy Uranus'!" I shudder.

"You remembered, that's progress," Chase replies, laughing again at his joke. We grab our food and sit down at our table in the middle of the cafeteria. Out of the corner of my eye I see Tara and Jessica glaring at me and Sam, their eyes narrowing into slits as Tyler and Hunter sit down on either side of me and Chase slings his arm across Sam's shoulders. Amy has been off school for the past few days 'ill'. And by 'ill' I mean taking time off to go to London Fashion Week with her Mom. Spoilt cow.

Chase has seemed to have a thing for Sam ever since we first had lunch with them. I asked Sam about it and she denied it and said that she wasn't interested in him anyway. It's a shame really - I think they'd make such a cute couple. Actually, thinking about it, I don't know who Sam likes at the moment. It's weird - Sam always has a crush or boyfriend who she talks about but recently she hasn't mentioned any boys.

Across the table, Jordan and Derek are in the middle of a Chubby Bunny competition using grapes and Derek is looking like he is going to lose.

"Twenty!" Jordan says, rather attempts to say, as he stuffs yet another grape into his mouth. Derek's eyes harden with determination as he picks up his twentieth grape and prepares to cram it into his mouth. Without warning, I am pelted by wet little balls as Derek fails in his efforts and spits the grapes out of his mouth.

"EW Derek!" I exclaim, half joking, half angry and scowling as I see Hunter laughing his ass off as he watches me. Next to me Tyler is also attempting to hide a smile, but at least he has the decency to pass me a tissue to wipe my face.

"Thank you Tyler," I say, pointedly looking at Hunter who shrugs helplessly, still in fits of laughter.

"Sorry Leila," Derek apologises, once he has controlled himself. "But that was pretty damn funny - it was like you were being shot by fruity bullets!"

"That's the best idea," Jordan exclaims, finally done laughing himself.

"What being pelted by saliva-covered fruit?" I ask, sarcastically.

"No- paint-balling!" This is followed by a round of whoops from the table. Tyler sees my slightly concerned expression and squeezes my hand. Sparks travel across my skin where he touches it.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just I've never been paint-balling before," just as I finish saying this I am cut off by Hunter.