Bittersweet

Chapter 16

"So, you all know your tasks now. Thank you. I'll see you all again." I conclude the meeting with the other members of the editorial board of our newsletter with a sigh of relief. I get out of the conference room quickly, eager to catch up on some filling lunch. On the way out, I clumsily bump into a boy, my paperwork almost falling on the floor.

"Watch it," he says with an angry tone.

"I'm sorry, I--- Nash!" I say when I take a look at his face. Then I punch the side of his arm. "How dare you talk like that to me! Who do you think you are, huh?"

He laughs. "Chill out, Ms. Editor-In-Chief," he says. "It's---"

"Is this guy bothering you?" says Cameron, cutting in. He looks at me with concern and then at Nash, with a little bit of irritation, and then at me again.

Nope. Not now. No. Not again.

"No, Cameron," I say calmly. "We just---"

"Okay, good," Cameron says. He looks at Nash. "Is this girl bothering you?" he says, the annoyed look in his face replaced by a smug one.

What did he just say? I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out.

"Nah," Nash says. Then they chuckle and high-five each other.

I stare at them in awe, open-mouthed.

"What? Aren't you happy we've made up?" asks Nash.

"That sounds so girly, man." says Cameron. He whispers something to Nash, then the two of them laugh.

"You silly lads," I say. "Go away." I walk away from them, smiling a little, glad that they are finally in good terms with each other.

Amy and Sarah are probably done eating now. I don't even think I still have time to eat. But anyway, I am still going to check.

"Jessica, you dropped your pen," a girl's voice says.

I look behind me, and see her holding my pen out. She has short hair and fair skin. She is a little taller than me, but her face is young like a freshman girl's. I walk towards her.

"Thank you," I say. I put my pen back in the small pocket of my skirt. "You are?"

"Dane," the girl says. I notice that she is somehow pretty. "I... I know you. Your name is everywhere. Sort of." She smiles at me. "The brainy girl of the juniors. The girlfriend of Cameron Herras."

I laugh. "I am not his girlfriend. But, thank you, Dane." I glance at the cafeteria and see Amy and Sarah about to go. I have officially missed lunch time. But it seems that I'm not that hungry anymore, so it's alright.

"You are a freshman, aren't you?" I ask Dane.

She chuckles, and looks down for a second. "I am a classmate of Cameron himself."

"A senior?" I ask, a little doubtful. "How come I never knew?" Yes, indeed; how come I don't know her? It's impossible---there are only a few students in this school. How come I don't recognize her face?

She smiles. "A busy girl like you won't ever notice small and shy people like me. I'm new here."

"Jessica, we got you some fries and a brownie, better it eat fastly," says Amy, approaching with Sarah. "Oh, hi Dane!"

I look at Amy. "You know Dane?"

"Yeah, of course, we do," says Sarah. "Wait, you don't know Dane?

"I... I guess I don't," I say.

"You've been really busy," Amy says. 

I look at Dane. She gives me a shrug and a little smile.