Resisting Temptation

Chapter 15

"I think there's a dead slug in your sandwich." Michael said while wrinkling his nose. "But it was ran over by an 18-wheeler of something. Because that is not ham...or any cold cut I can think of." we (consisting of only me, Michael, and Luisa) decided to have lunch together today, and it was obvious that Michael was out to piss off Luisa today.

"It's called tempeh." she said with an eye roll "It's healthier, and it's tofu. A dead slug? That's my lunch you're talking about you dumbass."

"What can I say? I'm irresitibly charming." he beamed. Luisa scowled and kicked his leg under the table.

I just watched in silence while nibbling on my broccoli soup. My mind continued to spin about the fight that Zac and Lucas got into at the party, and the fact that bothers me the most is that I don't even know what it was about. Who even started the fight anyway? It wasn't my exact idea of my first high school party; my future step-brother and my friend wouldn't start fighting.

Zac was sitting at the popular kids table, consisting of a couple jocks, two cheerleaders, some pretty girl who obviously had a boob job, and Sandy of course. I noticed her continuing to shoot flirty looks towards him, while Zac kept sneaking glances at me every now and then. The bruise on his eye was quickly going away, but ever since our car crash, he's been quiet. Now that's unusual, especially for Zac.

"Dani?" my thoughts were cut short my Lucas' voice. I felt uncomfortable, I was still upset with him. Even if Zac started the fight, the best thing he could do was walk away. "Can we talk?" he asked me.

I looked at my friends, who nodded eagerly. So, I picked up my bag, leaving my luke-warm brocolli soup untouched with the crackers still in the package. "I'll be right back." I told them. I could feel Zac's gaze boring into the back of my head as I passed by their table, following Lucas to wherever he wanted to take me.

We ducked into the empty math classroom, with faded marker doodles on the board and chair skid on the tile floor. There were only three windows in the classroom, against one wall. The middle one had a large crack in the top right corner. For a thousand dollar school, you would think they'd bother to get that fixed.

"What do you want?" I asked him. Lucas sighed and sat on one of the desks.

"I want to apologize for my actions over the weekend. And I'm sorry for causing a scene at the party." he said.

"If you want to apologize to someone, apologize to Zac. As I hear, you're the one who started the fight." I replied.

"In all fairness, I was mad. He ripped you away from me." he grinned. I couldn't help but sigh.

"Lucas, we've only known each other less than a month. Can you blame him?" I asked.

"No, I really can't. I want to make it up to you though." he said.

"Oh yeah? How?" I asked. It was those four words that came out of his mouth that made me freeze like a popsicle.

"Are you busy Friday night?" What!? How did we...but...what? After he deliberately beats up my step-brother, he goes and asks me on a date?

"Oh...wow. Um...Lucas I'm flattered but..."

"I get that you don't trust me as much as you would, but if you give me another chance I promise I won't screw it up." he said. I hate being the bad guy to cute ones like him.

"Let me think about it, I'll let you know by Wednesday." I replied.

"I am sorry Dani." he said.

"I know. I got to get fourth period." I told him.

"Right...have a good day." I didn't bother answering him as I made my way back into the cafeteria, then setting myself back down in my seat.

"How'd it go?" Luisa asked.

"What the hell did he want?" Michael snarled.

"Nothing, he just wanted to apologize." I muttered, continuing to eat my now ice cold soup.

-

Out of all the people in this world, my mother had to be my bestfriend. I could talk to her about anything, and I could definetely talk to her about this.

"Mom?" she was making herself a cream cheese bagel while watching Katie Couric on CBS. She stopped and waved me over with her fingers, obviously she dipped a spoon into the cream cheese and decided to delight herself. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course sweetie." she mumbled through a mouthful of cream cheese. "What's going on?"

"You remember that party that Zac and I went to and we got into that car crash?" I asked her.

"How could I forget? I wanted you to live your life but I didn't want you to get yourself killed." she replied.

"Well um...that cheerleader boy I was telling you about was there, and we started dancing. Then we were talking and he was sweet and funny and cute...then he kissed me." I said. Mom dropped her spoon at her plate, then got a curious look in her eyes.

"Oh my God. He's the cute one that I thought was gay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah him. The thing is that Zac got involved and broke us apart. The five minutes later, I find the both of them on the floor and fighting." I replied. Her witty smile faded.

"Does Howard know?" she asked.

"He's already got a lot on his plate, I don't think knowing his son got into a fight is going to help." I replied.

"I see, what's the problem?" she asked.

"Today during lunch, the cheerleader asked me out for Friday." I said.

"Oh, now I see the problem." she said.

"I know, I mean he's sweet and he was sorry and he got the sadest look on his face and it was so cute and I don't know what to do!" I find that I get a headache from rambling.

"Huh, you know when I was in my sophomore year, there was a boy who asked me out." she said.

"Was he cute?" I asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"He was your father." she replied. Oh...wow. "He was so cute, he got down on one knee in front of the entire student body on our Easter Assembly and popped the question. He was even wearing pink bunny ears." she was giggling like a little girl.

"You totally said yes, right?" I asked her.

"No." she beamed. That shocked me, most sophomore girls would jump at the chance for a boyfriend...who looked like my dad in high school.

"What?"

"Relax, I only said 'No' because I wanted him to prove how much he wanted me." she replied.

"What did he do?" I asked.

"More like what did I make him do?" this was the side of my mother that loved to play practical jokes and act like a little kid again.

"Mother!" I said. I only said that in a dramatic tone to...well...be dramatic. Mom only started laughing.

"All through the rest of that year and my junior year he was chasing after me. I said things like I would go out with him only if he did this or that." she said.

"Knowing dad, he did all those things." I said.

"Of course he did; he was wild about yours truly." she said.

"When did you finally agree to go out with him?" I asked.

"It was around Thanksgiving, and he came to my house dressed as a turkey. And he was wearing a sign that said 'Let's Go-bble Out!', and I figured he was punished enough." she replied.

"Oh no, poor dad." the thought of dad dressing up as a turkey was hilarious, that might explain why he doesn't like turkey now.

"Dani, if this boy is really sorry for what he's done, he'll do anything to prove it." she said. I propped my elbows onto the island in thought, and idea was bubbing in my brain.

"Oh really?"

This is going to be fun.