The Unexpected

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I sat alone at the lunch table, picking at my turkey sandwich. I glanced around, wondering where Emma could be, but instead met Tia's hard glare from table cool. I looked back down but could still feel her eyes on my forehead. I guess agreeing on a... meeting... with Zach was coming back to haunt me- in form of his angry ex-girlfriend.

Hey, not my fault he broke up with her. 

A tray slammed down in front of me and I glanced up. Tia sat down, her brown eyes darkening. I looked at her tiredly. "What do you want, Tia?"

"What do you think, Ricki." She spat out my name like it was poison in her mouth. "Zachary. He's mine."

"Oh, is he now?" I mocked, then shrugged. "Okay, not a problem."

"Good," she retorted coldly. "Now, there're four things I need to you to."

I raised an eyebrow and she continued, playing with the ends of her short ebony hair. "One, cancel your date."

"You'll have to talk with Zach on that one. He's the one who begged me to go," I explained, looking around for him. He hadn't shown up since our talk at my house.

Tia rolled her eyes. "Just do it, and don't interrupt. Second thing: Stay away from Zach. Or else."

"I thought we had already established that I was fine with-"

Her glare cut me off. If looks could kill, she would probably be spitting on my grave by now.

"Three, stay away from me."

I raised my hand to my heart, acting hurt."Oh! Am I ruining your reputation, Tia? I'm so terribly sorry."

"You wish," she snorted, leaving the seat and picking up her tray. Stuck-up little...

Tia stopped, turning back. "Right, I almost forgot. Number four: Please, don't come to the dance tonight." And with that she sauntered away, even having the audacity to sway her hips with each step.

Snob.

I took a swallowed a bite of my lunch, staring daggers at Tia's retreating back, until someone sat down in front of me. I blinked up to see Emma looking at me. "What was Tia doing over here?"

"Being Tia," I retorted.

"Ah." Emma nodded in understanding. "Figures. That girl needs to take some serious chill pills." She swiped a Doritos from my tray to hold it between her pointer and middle fingers. "So what's got her panties in a twist this time?"

I reached across the table to steal back my chip. "She wants me to stay away from Zachary."

"Still obsessed, is she?" Emma sympathized mockingly. "Poor thing."

Emma suddenly grinned at me, mischief in her chocolate eyes. I knew that look well; too well, and usually before I ended up getting something thrown at me.I was about to make a run for cover when she glanced in the direction of Table Cool.

"How about I tell her what I think of that?" Emm asked, still with a grin crazy enough the Joker would be green with envy. She picked up her bottle of blood red Kool-Aid, eyeing Tia's low-cut shirt. Her white shirt.

"How about no."

She scoffed at me. "Oh, you know you want to."

I gazed over to meet eyes with Courtney, who sneered at me before turning back to her friends. I looked back at Emma before taking my identical bottle in hand. "Only if I can have The Grinch."