A Silver Summer

Chapter 7

Chapter seven

As expected, table-by-table the cafeteria quieted down as more and more faces turned their way. After a brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes, Anika mustered her confidence up enough to offer all her onlookers a confident smirk topped off with an indifferent, if not slightly bored icy stare. A wolf whistle somewhere to her left had Anika glaring at a group of guys looking smug with themselves. An idea popped up in her head and she dropped her hostile gaze. Anika's curious grey eyes met each of the five boys' shocked ones and she let a small smile slip onto her lips as linked eyes with the leader; the one that drew her attention over there. 

Looking over her shoulder, Anika gave Mel and Keira a mischievous smirk so they knew what she was up to and they returned the gesture before leaning back against the doorframe to watch the scene unfold. Anika composed herself to seem all-innocent like and faced the boys, taking step after step towards them. Their eyes widened as she gently swung her hips more noticeably. 

"What's a girl like you doing around here? You couldn't hurt a fly." the leader, a guy with wavy brown hair and sparkling amused brown eyes purred patting his lap for her to sit. She did. Anika let out a cute squeaky laugh and trailed a finger over his chest, smiling inwardly when he shivered. 

"They said I did something bad." she made here eyes go teary. 

"A sweet little angel like you doing something bad? I don't believe it. But tell me, what did they say you did?" he nuzzled her neck and played with one of her black curls. It took all she had not to push him away. 

"I-" she broke off staring straight into his amused eyes. "I guess I bullied a lot of kids." his laugh made her want to cover her ears but she forced her scowl down and faked her own quiet chuckle. 

"You? A bully?" one of his friends raised a disbelieving brow. Anika nodded her head over exaggeratedly with a little 'uh-hm' noise in the back of her throat. 

"I think they were wrong." Anika's attention was brought back to the guy she was sitting on. 

"Or maybe...I think..." Anika swung her leg around to straddle his legs and cocked her head to the side so all her raven curls tumbled over her shoulder and into his face. 

"Maybe you think what?" he prompted. Anika waited until his eyes were nearly shut before she spoke next.   

"I think you shouldn't assume things about people you don't know." her hands pushed his legs apart so she could grip the front ledge of the seat and lift up as she stood. The chair tipped back at an alarming rate as the boy flailed his arms trying to gain his balance back. The chair hit the tiled floor making a loud thumping sound that echoed around the silent cafeteria. 

With a groan, the boy opened his eyes in a daze and caught sight of Anika's fierce glare. He scrambled backwards, still sprawled over the floor and looked to his friends for help. 

"Can you do me a favor?" she crouched down to his level, whispering. "Keep your whistles and hands to yourself." Anika stood and took a few steps back to the door where Mel hit Keira as the blond struggled not to laugh. She half turned her body to look at the kid on the ground before continuing. 

"It could save you a lot of trouble and embarrassment." she softened her scowl enough to give him a wink and a smile before turning around again and strolling over to the girls. 

Slowly the volume rose with the excited chatter of delinquents all talking about her. Among all the fresh gossip, Anika lifted her chin a little higher as she winked at Keira who muffled her laughs with a hand and led the three of them over to a table in the corner. 

"Who's your friend, girls?" a husky voice purred when Keira pulled out a chair and sat. Mel did the same as well as Anika who studied the new face at their table. His white blond hair glowed with the sun streaming through the window on his backside. Long slender fingers cradled his cheek as his slightly pointed chin sat on his palm. Just below his sharp nose were his half smirking tan lips. His eyes were a cherry brown color with dark lashes that remained unblinking over his pronounced cheekbones.