Hidden Talents

Chapter 9

I look around the cafeteria and recognized no one. I turn to the salad bar and head over to get into line. The line is long with girls gossiping "A Raven's Call this..." and "Bennett Engle that..." I roll my eyes and look down to my phone to text JJ.

To Janey: Where are you?? I'm all alone. :(

From Janey: Heading 2 caf now! Where R U sitting?

I roll my eyes at the text lingo and quickly reply.

To Janey: In line for a salad. I'll find us a table!

I've reached to front of the line and begin to pile my plate with romaine and iceberg lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, red onions, tomatoes, and grilled chicken. When I reach the dressings station I grab 2 little cups of Italian dressing. I grab an apple juice from the cooler and give the cashier a $10 bill. As I look around I see a table towards the middle of the cafeteria that's empty and doesn't have garbage sprinkled across it. I sit down and start eating my salad.

"Hey Charlotte!" JJ says as she sets her tray down and sits down beside me.

"Hey girl, how was your class?"

"It was good. That guy Brent is in the class, but he was a bit preoccupied talking to this one girl trying to get her to go out with him tonight."

"Well, was he successful?"

"I don't think so because about halfway through the class he turned his attention to another girl and began the same process again."

"That's Brent for ya. He is always with another girl," Matt interjects and sits down across from me, "I've never seen him go out with a girl more than once. Not that they don't try for the repeat."

"Talking about Brent?" Fitz says walking up while holding hands with Tessa. I raise my eyebrow at her and give her a look that says he has some serious explaining to do later.

"Yeah man. Apparently he's already on the move," Matt laughs.

I glance around and then I spot Brent walking in with his arms around a girl's shoulders.

"Here he comes guys," I chuckle.

"Here comes who?" Paul asks as he sits down on my other side.

"This guy Brent who is friends with Matt, Jack and Fitz who apparently is never seen with the same girl..." I drift off and mouth the word twice to Paul.

"What's up guys and ladies?" Brent says sitting down with the girl sidling up to him.

"Oh nothing, so who's the flavor of the day, I mean friend?" Says Jack mischieveously.

Brent just rolls his eyes and says, "This is Stacy."

"My name is Casey," she corrects looking at him.

"Right, that's what I meant. This is Stacy," he repeats and the girl just rolls her eyes. "So what are you all up to tonight?"

"Well that rink has open skate so I was thinking of getting a group to go. What do you guys think?" Jack asks.

"I'm in," JJ and Matt say.

"Me too," Paul adds.

"We'll go too," Fitz answers for him and Tess.

"I might stop by later," Brent adds.

Everyone looks over to me just as I shove a huge mouth full of salad. With a full mouth I start to say, "I don't know guys. I'm not really in the mood for --,"

"Oh shut up Charlie. You're going," Matt tells me, "She's going," he repeats to the rest of the group.

I glare at him for a few seconds and he just glares back until finally I just roll my eyes and huff out a fine.

"Yay, I'm so glad! I used to skate when I was younger and haven't been in ages," Casey says. Brent looks at her like she had two heads. I'm guessing he was not planning on bringing her with her.

"Funny Charlie used to skate too!" Matt says. My fork stops mid path to my mouth. What is he trying to get at?

"Really? Did you compete? Were you any good? You look kind of familiar! Did we compete together?" She sputters off. Shooting daggers at Matt I respond, "I competed a bit and I was alright."

"Maybe we competed together. Like I said you look really familiar!" I highly doubt we competed together, but I respond with, "I don't think so. I mainly competed with the same people and definitely would have remembered you," and I quickly add, "I gotta go," before this gets too probing and awkward. I get up, throw out my trash, and head to the door.

"Aww, come one Charlie! Don't be like that!" Matt whines.

"Don't call me that," I say beginning to seethe at Matt. He is really pushing all the wrong buttons today.

I walk out the door and look around the quad and see a spot underneath a tree to sit and I quickly move over to it and sit down. With my back up against the tree I bring one knee to my chest, close my eyes and lean my head back to rest against the tree.

"You know, if this wasn't such a good hiding spot I would have guessed you were stalking me. Not that I wouldn't be flattered," a voice startles me and my eyes flash open to be looking at Bennett looking down at me from a branch he is lounging on.

"I think you need that big head of yours to be popped. Why are you hiding?" I ask looking up at him.

"It seems to me that a guy cannot have alone time. Even at a school full of serious art studying students," he drones.

"Poor you," I mutter sarcastically.

"Yeah well you wouldn't understand," He said as he jumped down from the branch and walked away.

"You would be surprised," muttered to myself as I watched him walk away.

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Almost done editing!!