It was an impulsive decision, and one that I couldn’t take back. I’m not sure how Lauren got me to invite her over, but when she was standing right there, talking about chemistry and wanting to kiss me again, it’s like she was the one with superpowers and she Jedi mind-tricked me into handing over my address.
I even started to believe it was a good idea until I caught her staring at me at lunch the next day and realized that she might actually take me up on my offer. She was sort of smiling, but she mostly just looked like she was trying to figure me out. I felt like I was going to be sick, and I must have looked it too, because she stopped staring and actually patted the table as if she was offering me the empty seat next to her.
I looked at her like she was out of her mind and not just for show. It was honestly a crazy suggestion, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Celine was the first to glance my way, and when she gasped, she caught Jade Thirlwall’s attention. When Jade realized what Lauren had done, she accidentally sprayed the soda in her mouth all over Jesy Nelson.
Jade and Jesy are sort of Celine’s ladies-in-waiting. They’re best friends and constantly talk about Celine behind her back, but they put up with her because of how close she is with Lauren. (No one is more in love with Lauren than Jade. The way she rattles on about her to anyone that will listen is nauseating.)
"What the freak?" Jesy grumbled as she tried to wipe the sticky beverage off her arms. "It’s a good thing this is your shirt, Jade."
"Camila Cabello—are you crazy?" Jade hissed at Lauren, instead of apologizing to, or even answering Jesy. "What if she comes over here?"
Ha! Even with the pout Lauren was giving me there was no way I was ever going to join them.
"Well, considering that’s kind of the point of the invitation," Lauren said, "I hope she does." I suddenly had all of the most popular kids in school staring at me. It was the only time in my life I was glad I am the only freak with deathly powers, because I’m sure any one of those girls would have loved to go supervillain on me just then, especially when Zayn laughed and told them all to take pity on his poor horny friend. "Aw, cut her some slack. Did you see what Cabello did to her? I’m jonesin’ for her myself after that kiss."
All the table roared with laughter, and Lauren draped her arm around Zayn. "Amen, Zayn," she said. "Who knew the Ice Queen could be so incredibly hot?" I guess I’m not the only person with superpowers after all. Zayn apparently has the ability to lower Lauren’s IQ. Morons.
Anyway, I knew Jade, being scary in love with Lauren, wouldn’t like that answer, and I was sure Jesy was going to have to catch her when the poor thing passed out from heartbreak. But Jade had a little more attitude than I gave her credit for. Instead of going into shock when Lauren waved at me again to come over, she actually gave me a look three times more evil than the glare Celine was burning into me.
That’s when I turned my attention back to my lunch. Or at least I turned my eyes away. I couldn’t really tune them out completely, and even if I could, it was kind of hard to ignore Jade’s next comment.
"You can’t possibly want to hook up with that slut?"
I found it ironic that Jade was calling me the promiscuous one, when everyone knew she’d been with pretty much the entire football team at one point or another. I didn’t have time to get mad, though, because just as soon as the word escaped her lips Lauren defended me. "Camila’s not a slut. It was just one kiss, and she only did it because I asked her to."
"Was mounting you in front of the whole school part of the plan?" Jade asked. "The freak practically ripped your clothes off!"
Okay, I knew that was going to haunt me. And when Austin Mahone said, "I’d let her mount me any day," making all jocks present laugh and high-five one another, I cringed inwardly. I didn’t really care if every girl in the school thought I was easy, but the last thing I needed was more people trying to hook up with me.
