Bad Habits *SLOWLY EDITING*

Chapter 2: Lunch

Third-wheeling with Adam and Melissa isn't fun, especially when my only other friend- Penelope- is doing extra-curriculum subjects, making her miss out on the first twenty minutes of lunch.The snow from yesterday had calmed nearing Christmas about two months in advance. Well, it wasn't too far away. Even though the snow stopped and it was cold breeze still made me shiver and rub my hands up and down my arms in an attempt to warm me up.I am wearing ripped black jeans with a dark emerald green short sleeve top and simple black flats. Melissa is clinging onto Adams' arm as they lead me to the cafeteria where a growing noise erupts down the hall. As much as I love Melissa, I have a tiny crush on her boyfriend, Adam. Although being honest, they aren't the best of couples. We enter the cafeteria, and I spot our usual table, which I make no move to go. It's engaging to watch people, although it sounds weird and stalkerish, it is enjoyable. Seeing how people live their life. One person catches my attention, his dark brown hair flows back and forth, a visible packet of cigarettes shoved in his jacket pocket. His gaze turns towards me as I get up and walk over to the small group of boys.I know all these people, not well, they are more Adams old friends than mine. I still remember them by name. Charlie, who is the youngest of the group with light brown/dirty blonde hair and gleaming brown eyes. Reece, who is always the life of the party with dashing blue eyes and untamed brown hair. Hamish, oldest who has greenish-blue eyes, towers over everyone and has dark brown hair. And last but not least, Matt, who I know the least out of the small group, he has light brown eyes and matching hair, taller than me by a few inches and strikingly attractive."Hello, mind if I sit with you?" I ask politely. Seeming my role in the school as a popular -which once again, I have no idea how I earned the title- they all seem a bit confused about my question but still move to let me sit down anyways. I sit in between Matt and Hamish, who seem to be side glancing at me while their eyes widen to their giddy friends.Charlie is the first to speak up, "not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here?" Honestly, I don't know, somehow I ended up here after looking over at the group. I sit in silence."Awkward third-wheeling," I say, pointing towards the table behind me which is occupied by Adam and Melissa. All eyes turn to the table. A few nods spread over the group as I start to rub my arms again as a small gust of wind passes, making my hair whip around."Are you cold?" Hamish asks. I awkwardly stare at him before registering what he said. I shake my head to make myself concentrate."Yeah, it is just the breeze," he immediately takes his jacket off and puts it around my shoulders. I look down and catch a glimpse of the packet of cigarettes before he stashes them in his jeans pocket, pulling his shirt down, so the hem covers the top. Seeming the small group of boys has started their conversation about a topic I am not interested in, it seemed like a good idea for my mind to trail off.I think about Melissa and Adam and how Adam is known for being a player and never keeping the same girl for more than a month or two. The record for the longest any girl has been with Adam was 2 and a half months, held by former student Aubrey Daniels, who moved after the breakup and the mortifying humiliation she was put through with a public breakup, poor Aubrey.Melissa is the next victim of Adams player ways, everyone knows, but she seems oblivious to the idea. Reece tries to join me into the conversation a few times, but I keep drifting back into my thoughts after a few seconds. The wind blows again, and I pull Hamish's jumper tighter around my shoulders, blocking out the harsh breeze.The bell rings, and I stand immediately and start walking away from the group to join walking with Penelope, who is finally back. Penny and I have science together now so after I gather my books we walk off down the hallway and into the empty science room. We are always the first in the classroom; Penny is very diligent. If she is more than thirty seconds late for a class, she will start freaking out majorly, although that had only happened once when she wasn't my friend and got bullied, she would be blocked off in the hallways and lightly beat.It was never too serious, but it was still uncalled for. I felt bad for her, not so much pity but because I was a variation of Penelope when I was younger, it was more name-calling than beating, but I had a general idea of what it feels like to get picked on. After Melissa and I partly adopted her, she was left alone, no one messed with Melissa, she was feisty and scared people off.