A Promise To Nadia

Chapter 3

Nadia's Point Of View
Chapter 3 - What Kind Of Feelings Are These?
***

"Nadia? Whatcha thinking about?" Alex asks, bringing my train of thoughts to a stop.

"Oh uhm. Nothing." I'm 99.9% sure my face is a bright red again.

I was thinking about what happened this morning in the hallway. Ryder shocked me no doubt. He kissed me! Okay not like a kiss on the lips but he did kiss my cheek. That counts for something doesn't it?

"Nadia!" Alex groans. "I've been trying to get your attention all throughout class. What's up?"

I duck my head in embarrassment. "Sorry Alex."

I just couldn't stop thinking about Ryder's hands on my waist. Our hearts beating faster as time goes on. Or was that only mine? His plush, light pink lips on my cheek. So close to my own lips. His full-hearted laugh. His full smile. Not a smirk. Not a grin. A smile. And a real one at that.

I hear Alex mutter from beside. He muttered something that sounded like "I give up."

Oops? I should probably pay attention to the teacher. Not my thoughts about Ryder or about Alex trying to get my attention.

Ding!

Too late, the bell rung. My favorite time of the day other than the end of the day. Lunch.

Jax has a free class the class before our lunch. So he normally goes and gets us food.

⏺⏺⏺

"Nadia!" Andrea screeches from our lunch table. Looks like I was the last one to make it to lunch. Even Alex is there. He must have ran through the halls.

I roll my eyes at the thought. He's such a rule breaker. All of my brothers and guy friends are.

I'm not even sitting in between Alex and Kyle, my normal seat, before I'm being bombarded with questions.

"Is it true?"

"Are you and Ryder dating?"

"Yeah Nadia. Are you and Ryder dating?"

"Is. It. True?! You broke Beth's nose?"

"Omg omg! I so totally ship #Ryia! Ryia better be a thing. If not, I'm going to kill you Nadia!"

Everyone stops asking their questions to stare at Willow who said the last one. The one about Ryia aka Ryder's and mine ship name.

I just stare at her in shock. I don't remember breathing either. I just stared.

"What? Ryia is my otp. Just saying, gosh."

I let out a laugh.

Now everyone just stares at me. Like I'm a crazy manic. Which of course, I mostly likely am.

Willow soon joins me and begins to laugh. Which soons gets the entire table laughing.

"Where's Jax?" I ask my brothers.

I just now noticed that my one older brother isn't here with us. He missed the scene in the hallway this morning, as did Alex, Kyle, Wesley, Tyler and the three girls. Willow, Claire, and Andrea.

"He's over there," replies Chase. I follow to where he was pointing. Daxton's table?

"Why is he over there?"

"We have no idea! But I hate it. He just glared at us and then walked over there. With our food!" comes Matthew's reply.

With hearing my brother's reply, I stand up and head over to Daxton's table. Once I get there, I can feel everyone's eyes watching me. Following my every move. I honestly don't care at this point. I normally did, I hate being the center of attention.

"Jax?" I ask sternly.

He ignores me.

"Jax Lee Embers!" I yell, finally able to get his attention.

He glares at me. "What do you want Nadia?" he asks harshly.

"Mom said to come home right after school."

"Oh and uh. Daxton?"

"Yes princess?" Daxton responds, I can see the hope in his eyes.

"Ethan also asked me to football game tomorrow. And sorry to break it to you both, I'm going to cheer on Justin. You know, Justin Dallas? The quarterback."

Once the words leave my mouth, I'm already walking back to my table. Swaying my hips back and forth, on purpose. I knew that they would stare and that always gets Jax riled up.

I cast a small smile at them over my shoulder once I sit down.

Turning I see that most of the cafeteria was still staring. Ryder and his friends were also staring. As was my table.

Well then, guess I caught more people's attention than I thought.

Tyler is the first one to break the deadly silence. He laughs almost exactly like a hyena and ends up falling off his chair. Which causes the rest of us to laugh.

Throwing my head back, I let out a full hearted laugh and smile a real for once.

Willow also thinks it's extremely funny and ends up falling on top of Tyler. Which just makes us laugh even more. So much that Claire and I actually snort. I know that my face is a bright red and that I don't have the most attractive laugh. I also know that the entire cafeteria is staring again. But we couldn't care any more about it.

We found the entire thing hysterical. Why? I don't know. I got my sass from our mom. And my brothers always find it funny when I use it in the most unexpected times.

Once we finally calm down, I find Chase staring at something behind me so I turn around in my seat to see what was happening.

Jax had Daxton and Ethan pinned down. Daxton against the wall and Ethan face down on the floor. I knew that Daxton was scared, his face gave it away. No one made a move to stop Jax either.

No one ever crosses Jax without getting a scratch or a black and blue eye or sometimes even a broken nose. You never ever get in between a fight that Jax is in.

"I think I'm going to go," I tell everyone once Ethan yells in pain. Serves him right.

They all nod and look at me with sad eyes.

Alex looks like he's going to get up and come with me so I hang my arms loosely around his neck and peck his cheek.

"I'll be fine," I tell him. Begging him with my eyes to not follow me.

I just want to be alone.

I need to clear my mind.

I don't want anyone to see the tears rolling off my face.

I don't want to be judged.

I just want to be invisible for now.