What It Seems | Wattys 2023

Chapter 29

I couldn't help but become anxious as Baylor and I approached the group of eight people. As if Baylor realized I was kind of panicking, he took my hand in his as we loomed near the crew. One of the guys who were facing us spoke to the rest of the group and the eight  turned as we approached. The girls held a smiley grin, introducing themselves.

"You're Adalynne, aren't you?" Just as the unfamiliar person posed, Baylor jolted in.

"God, Steph, I haven't even gotten her name out of my own mouth to introduce her to you all. But yes, this is Adalynne, so you don't have to ask." I watched Steph roll her turquoise eyes, huff and shift her weight to her other leg. I could tell she was already feisty, but she wasn't the type of girl to roll her eyes at me and smack her gum as she called me a dirty name.

Steph lugged my arm to where she dragged me away from Baylor. It surprised me how she wasn't shy to be introduced to someone she clearly didn't know except by my name. I looked back at Baylor who was chuckling silently, and then his group of friends, who were the guys, surrounded him.

"This is the lovely Adalynne that we've been hearing about since . . . forever," Steph said. The girls lit their shiny, white pearls into a bright smile, and I felt at ease. They're not stuck-up as I expected them to be; instead, they introduced themselves.

"Hi, I'm Addison, but everyone calls me Addi. I love your hair." By Addison's first impression, she seemed like a down-to-earth, caring person who goes with the flow.

"Thank you," I smiled at the polite one who stood in front of me.

"I'm Jesse, or Jessica, but I hate that name," she loathed, "but it's nice to meet the girl who Baylor can't stop talking about!"

"We actually, kind of, met last night when you guys pulled into the parking lot of Taco Bell. But just in case you've forgotten, I'm Lindsay." Yes, I remember. She's the girl that I had no idea that Baylor was actually close to. I thought he had slept with her, but he told me, with a disgusting look, that he's never had that idea in mind.

"Yes, I remember," I grin. "Those tacos were good!" The girls laughed.

"You've barely spoken two words and I already like you," Jesse chirped.

"She's better than the rest of the trash Baylor's brought for us to meet," Lindsay's expression turned sour in disgust. They agreed with a nod of their heads and turned their attention to me as I spoke.

"Oooh; you've got to tell me more about them so I can tease Baylor later," I insisted with a laugh.

"Okay, let's see: Steph, who's that blonde that I hate so badly? Niwhore?" Jesse asked quite vacant.

"Nicole? I cannot stand her," Steph hissed.

"Oh, me either. That's the last person I want to come across. I'll rip her split ends right out of her blonde hair. That way she won't have to get her hair trimmed," Jesse ranted. Addison couldn't hold in the heavy laugh.

"Nicole dated my brother," I noted.

"I wouldn't doubt it. She'd sleep with or date anything that moves," Steph informed. It's sort of astonishing to hear the views on Nicole's reputation. I'm not the only one who despises her.

"I think Baylor was trying to pull that as an April fool's joke. She is the April fool's joke," Lindsay said. I couldn't halt the sudden laugh.

"I take it you're not really cool with Nicole, either," Addison said, pointing fingers to me.

"She's just a-,"

"Bitch," Jesse finished. I nodded, agreeing with her.

"So, who's this girl Jo?" Addison asked.