The Gang Leader's Shorty

Chapter 25

Today is the day of our big game to start off the rounders season and we are under so much pressure since football is now out of the picture and I really hope we win. We are playing against another school but I'm not quite sure on the name of it. All I know is that it's a posh, French themed boarding school and, as far as I can tell, everyone hates them.

Cole and I are currently sat in our English class and my knee won't stop bouncing up and down, it's what I do when I'm nervous, let alone vomit-nervous. Cole looks at me and slams his hand to my knee to stop it bouncing, "Hey, stop panicking, you're going to do great!" He whispers to me and I turn my head to him, "How do you know?" I snap and he looks taken aback by my new attitude.

"Because you're amazing, Lexi, and so are the other girls. Everyone's going to be there rooting for you all, as well!" He encourages but I just turn my head away from him because he really isn't helping. Everyone is going to be there? He decides not to talk to me for the rest of the lesson, probably because I will have his head and anything else that comes with it if he says the wrong thing. I don't blame him.

***

It is now lunch time and I have PE next. We get a quick practice in before the game starts. I am sitting at my usual table with Cole, Max and James. However, now the girls pile onto the table with us, extending the party even further. Regardless of this, there is a divide between us four and them. It's not a malicious, unfriendly divide, it's more that my girl friends acknowledge that they spend the most time with me, besides Cole, so they leave us to chat for a while and chirp in when necessary. 

"So, Shorty, how're you feeling after your outburst in English?" Cole asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Max's head snaps away from his delictable food to us, "She had an outburst?" Max guffaws at us both and I scowl at him, "I wouldn't call it an outburst so much as a simple angry moment," I try to compromise with them, smiling innocently at the end whilst shrugging. 

"Yes because that's why you ripped my head off. Her bark is worse than her bite, boys, be careful," He warns jokingly and I feel my cheeks flush. The boys start to laugh and, during this, Tess arrives at our table, "What're you laughing at, guys?" She asks and looks suspiciously at my embarrassed face.

"Lexi's outburst in English," Max gossips to her and James just grunts in response. He hasn't quite forgiven Tess for what she did to me and he doesn't understand how I can forgive her but he doesn't usually have to deal with her much because she doesn't really hang around with us. She feels a bit out of place because none of the guys really like her much. She has a new group of friends though because she found a love for drama in her new, less bitchy self and sits with them most of the time so she's as content as she can be.

"You had an outburst, Lexi?" She guffaws, just like Max and I glare at her, "It was just an angry moment!" I whine at them and they all laugh harder as I hide my face in the crook of Cole's neck.

"Guys, stop now, she's embarrassed," He says sternly and gently rubs the top of my left arm. "Totally whipped," Max murmurs and James and Tess hum in agreement, "What was that?" Cole asks, clearly hearing what Max had actually said but is simply testing the water. 

"Nothing, Cole, don't worry," Max says in a creepy voice, adding a wink at the end to make it even more suspicious. We all laugh and then Tess places a hand on my shoulder.

"Right, so I'm going to get back to the drama queens over there," She rolls her eyes dramatically, "but I'll be at the game tonight and I'm rooting for you!" She says, encouragingly and gives me a side hug, knocking off Cole's arm in the process and then walks off. 

Cole puts his arm around my waist this time and pulls me off my chair and onto his. Now we are both sharing a chair but I don't really care, the chairs are massive here, they could fit two of me in them!