Wished

Chapter 5 - The Head Cheerleader

The next day I walked into school suppressing a grin that could possibly split my cheeks it was so wide. After I had used all my courage in sending that first text to Jordan Taylors, I had a mini heart attack because I freaked out, scared that I had made such a huge embarrassing mistake in texting him. Usually, I never would have done that. It was such a terrifying prospect that him wanting me to text him was just a lie, just a joke and he would be in school today laughing about it with his friends. I mean, why would he care about me?

But not even five minutes later, I got a reply. Our conversation spanned over a couple of hours but it was nothing compared to Zach's conversation because it was quick, snappy replies that held no depth and every reply was calculated so I didn't sound like a total fool. Still, every time I saw that he replied, my heart raced and my stomach did this little twisting, clenching flip.

I was walking inside with Shauna, heading to my locker when something stopped me.

"Shauna?"

"Uh huh?" Shauna replied as she casually checked out a few guys walking past us.

"Did the school get new lockers?" I asked her and craned my neck to look over the burly jocks shoving a skinny guy with thick glasses into one of the floor length lockers. Sure I appreciated the extra space but why now? What was the point in even changing the lockers because all it did was eat up space. Shauna took her eyes off the guys walking past us and swept them along the corridors now lined with lockers on both sides.

"Hmm, I guess they did," Shauna said with a short nod and continued walking. I followed, running a few steps to catch up with her after I stopped to watch the kid being helped out of his locker by his friends. See this was why I preferred our old lockers. People didn't get shoved in them like in the movies.

*     *     *     *     *

"Well hello Kitten," Luke greeted as he pushed himself off from the wall and came over to lean against the locker beside mine. He had a thin white t-shirt on underneath a black leather jacket and a pair of perfectly fitting dark wash jeans. His thick dark hair was artfully styled and his dark chocolate eyes were glittering.

"Kitten? Really?" I asked him but I was holding back smile. Kitten seemed to be like a go to nickname for 'bad boys' but I had to admit, it was so heart melting when he called me that. I looked away from him and went back to organising my locker. I was surprised how smooth all of this was running, it was like there wasn't problems with this whole setup and it was so sudden too.

"Come on, you know you like it. Plus it's fitting don't you think. Cat got your tongue, remember?" Luke explained with a dark smirk and twirled a curl between two fingers. My breath hitched, stuck in my throat for a moment and mustering up some courage, I took his wrist, which made him drop my hair and then dropped his wrist. Instead of taking the hint, Luke inched closer to me and my nervousness increased by a hundred. He must have noticed the slight quivering of my hands because his smirk widened. "Nervous Kitten?"

"Nervous, scared and all the synonyms," I answered, my breath shaky and Luke chuckled, his smile making my heart flutter. His hotness and scary aura just set my heart on edge and made my head go all fuzzy.

"Of little ol' me? I'm flattered Kitten," Luke laughed and placed his hand on his heart. His eyes looked like a puppy's and he wasn't even trying. You could just get lost in them, look at them for hours and I almost did but instead I managed to pull myself out of the trance his eyes placed me in and let a small grin curve my wine painted lips.

"How do you manage to take 'you scare the crap out of me' as a compliment?" I asked him, shaking my head in amusement. He really did scare me sometimes thanks to all of the stories that I'd heard. He had a reputation and seeing him in the occasional fight just scared me more. Now I could watch a fight, that didn't bother me very much. Violence never scared me unless it was close to me. Having a notorious fighter this close to me, that was what scared me.

"I'll take anything that comes out of those pretty little lips of yours as a compliment Kitten," Luke said and my breathing stopped. My face burned and I refused to look at him, focusing all of my attention on my books that were suddenly so intriguing. How could he just say something like that so casually? Was he actually trying to kill me? My questions were answered when Luke's finger hooked under my chin and turned my still cherry red face to look him in the eye. He dropped him hand back to his pocket with his smirk still intact. "Can you take flirting when it's not from me Kitten?"

"I wouldn't know but I doubt it," I told him honestly and his eyes squinted as if he were asking whether I was serious or not. I nodded, not caring whether Luke saw me as an idiot or a weirdo because maybe it would make him go away. This was the first time that I was actually hoping that I could scare him off. "Have you ever thought about how all of this could be in our heads? We only survive in our own minds and it's all how our brains perceive what's going on around us so while your brain may see the colour yellow, mine may see what your brain perceives as the colour green but we will never know because we both call it the colour yellow and the colour green and there is no way for me to get into your brain to see what you see so we can only survive in our own minds. Weird huh?" I rambled, hoping that my strange sense of logic could somehow make him leave.

"Yes. Yes you are but interesting. How much time did you spend thinking about that?" Luke asked, his flirtatious manner all but gone and I was so thankful that my plan had worked.

"Quite a while. YouTube does things to your head," I answered, shaking my head and remembering that there was quite a few YouTubers that I had to catch up on when I got home.

"You're different you know that Kitten?" Luke asked with a grin and I nodded with one of my own.

"That's what my mom says too though she prefers to use more colourful language," I joked and he seemed so shocked at first but grinned when I burst into a fit of giggles.

"Is that actually your laugh? It's so...cute. You sound like a kid," Luke laughed and I felt my bush come back because I really did hate my laugh.

"Please don't. Everyone comments on it, it makes me so self concious about it," I asked, somewhere between a beg and a plea.

"Don't be. It really is cute. It suits you," Luke told me and my neck burned all the way up to my cheeks. "I'll see you around Kitten. And you still owe me," Luke ran a finger down my jaw, leaving me paralysed with a wink. He turned a started walking away but I had to call out to him, I couldn't let him do that, leave me paralysed and have the last word.

"You owe me too Masters." Luke turned around with a smirk and winked one last time before he melted into the crowd. I just went back to my locker with a blush dying down and grin that I couldn't wipe off my face.

*     *     *     *     *    

"Hey Ellie," a voice that I could never forget asked and I turned around in my seat to look at Jordan Taylors smiling at me with those perfect teeth and those perfect lips and those perfect brown eyes. Oh just perfect. I stopped myself actually sighing dreamily aloud and settled for a smile instead.

"Hey Jordan," I replied and felt my heart pick up speed. If all this continued then I was going to need to see a doctor or something, this really couldn't be healthy. I couldn't help myself though, he was so perfect. Just so perfect.

"How's life?" Jordan asked, sounding so casual it was like I was his friend. To him, I probably was. I mean it was only  one conversation but it still felt digital to me, so fragile and weak and fake. It was obviously just me, that way that this felt so surreal, because Jordan seemed completely fine.

"We're in math," I deadpanned, my face blank. "That pretty much sums it up." I was trying to be funny and hoping that I didn't sound stupid or desperate or anything along those lines. Unlike with Luke earlier, I really didn't want to scare Jordan off. Me scare Luke Masters off! What a thought. I can only imagine me trying to actually scare him off and not weird him off instead. Weird him off was a much better description of what I had been trying to do to Luke. Unfortunately that hadn't worked either. But luckily my attempt at humor went well and Jordan chuckled.

"Very true. Mornings are bad enough without this class," Jordan laughed, making my heart flutter at the sound. Oh my gosh, his laugh was perfect too. Jordan licked his bottom lip and was obviously suppressing a smile. "You really need to stop complimenting me, I might get a big head."

I just said that out loud.

"Kill me now," I muttered to myself, squeezing my eyes shut until I got over the brunt of my embarrassment. With a red face, I looked back at Jordan who was still trying not to smile. "Please, please tell me I didn't actually say that," I begged, hoping that I was wrong.

"Nope, you did," he answered with a nod, licking his lip again in an attempt to keep his smile at bay. "And thank you by the way. I've been called a lot of things but I think that this may be the first I've heard perfect," he told me and when I let my forehead drop down onto my arms laying on my desk, he finally let his laughter out. I shook my head against my arms but it was only because it made him laugh more.

 When did I start speaking my thoughts out loud? I've never done that, it's the most embarrassing thing to do, ever. And it wasn't like it was an innocent thought or anything. I called Jordan Taylors, the guy I've been crushing on for years, perfect. I called him perfect to his face. The second time I'd ever spoke to him in person.

"Well that's one way to start a morning," I told him with a smile, hoping that I could somehow manage to play off this embarrassment in a good way. Why, both times I've talked to him, have I managed to completely embarrass myself. If this kept happening I would be utterly humiliated every time I looked at him. Considering the amount I found myself doing that, it wouldn't turn out well for me. "This is turning into a pattern."

"One's is an incident, two's a coincidence, three's pattern," Jordan said and when my jaw dropped he must have realised what he'd done because his eyes went everywhere but mine a blush crept up his neck.

"No way. You did not just say that. You did not just do that."

"I have a younger sister," he tried to explain. "She's addicted."

"I cannot believe that you just quoted Teen Wolf. You actually did that. You seriously just made my day," I told him, my jaw not hanging open anymore but allowing my lips to curve into a grin. Okay, I take it back. Now he was perfect. Utterly perfect. No guy quoted Teen Wolf and wasn't considered perfect in some respect.

"Keep me around, I can make more than your day," Jordan said with a wink, leaving my brain grasping at straws to try and properly comprehend what he had just said to me. The teacher was talking but there was no way that I was listening to anything her voice was saying. I was just replaying those words over and over again in my head with one thought in my head. Did Jordan Taylor's just flirt with me?

*     *     *     *     *

"Watch it!" Crystal snapped at a freshman who walked in front of her without her permission. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Shauna who was watching it like she needed a bowl of popcorn. Crystal Lee, strutting down the halls sporting her cheerleading uniform and flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder while she winked at a random hot guy. Crystal Lee was the head cheerleader and until now, she was pretty decent. I mean, sure she was beautiful but she didn't need to show every guy just how beautiful she was under that cheerleading uniform. Speaking of which, it was extremely unnecessary to actually wear that all the time. She never usually did. She never usually acted like that either.

Everyone has their bad days, I was testament to that, so of course Crystal did. But this; this was the second day that Crystal was out for blood. If anyone even looked at Crystal the wrong way, she chewed their head off. Just yesterday, a junior was kissing a guy that Crystal had her eye on (not publically may I add) and today, everyone thought that they did it in the bathrooms. Shauna had overheard Crystal starting the rumor in one of the bathrooms yesterday afternoon. As far as stereotype and clichés go, Crystal was an angel. Not anymore.

"Hey! Wannabe!" Crystal snapped as she set her eyes in my direction. I sent a worried plea to Shauna in my eyes and found her sending me the same look. Crystal sashayed towards us with a cruel smirk and all I could silently beg for was she was looking behind me as someone else. I could rarely handle confrontation and when I did, all I managed to do was make the whole situation worse. Just ask my parents. Arguments were rare but always vicious and loud. My prayers were ignored when Crystal stopped right in front of me.

"Yeah, you. Don't look so surprised. Second day trying to look decent and you already have Masters and Jordan all over you. Nice trick. Showing a little skin can get you a long way and that is why you have attention. Don't mistake it for anything else. Got it? You are a new little toy that will be played with, used and then disposed of. I'd say lap up the attention while you can but that's the reason I'm here. Stay away from them. Luke's gonna be mine soon and then Jordan's next. They're both on my list so back off. Find someone that's a little more in your league," Crystal sneered and I found myself unable to say a word. There were so many thoughts and come backs running through my head but they all just stuck in my throat as Crystal spat each word at me. Crystal turned on her heel and walked off, swishing her hips, her followers scurrying after.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shauna demanded and smacked my arm. I rubbed the spot that she hit, muttering an 'ow' but she didn't care. "I see those gears moving in your head but you kept your mouth shut. Don't let her talk to you like that," Shauna said, giving me another one of her mini pep talks. "You could have said a number of things to shut her the hell up but you didn't."

"You know I don't do confrontation Shauna. Can't handle it," I told her with a shrug, rolling my eyes when she sighed dramatically.

"Who knew we would have an evil blonde head cheerleader. It sounds like come cliché high school movie," Shauna laughed, obviously trying to lighten the mood after that little drama. I couldn't shake what she had said though. Sounds like a cliché high school movie. Something about that just sounded so familiar.

*     *     *     *     *

"Adam I'm going to kill you!" I shouted and slammed the front door behind me. Shauna had an appointment after school today so she couldn't give me a lift home. I had told Adam this last night and this morning and he had agreed to pick me up after school but here I was, soaking wet with sore feet. Not to mention it was still hot outside. The humidity felt like I was drowning in air.

I dropped my sopping bag on the ground and peeled the open denim shirt off my arms. I was really going to kill him. I knew Adam had a good memory and I had even reminded him this morning just in case. If this was his idea of a joke I really was going to kill him. Or at least attempt to. He was like twice my size. Grumbling to myself, I headed up the stairs and was trying to take off my tank top and open my bedroom door with my elbow when I heard a door open behind me.

"Adam I am going to kill you. I can't believe you forgot me," I complained, still attempting to open my door and get my wet shirt over my chest when I heard a familiar chuckle instead.

"That looks awkward," Zach stated and I tugged my shirt back down.

"Not as awkward as that was," I corrected and opened my bedroom door properly, not daring to face Zach as I did.

"It wasn't that bad El. In all honesty now. I bet you had stuff as awkward as that today." Zach took my free hand in his and spun me around to face him.

"You know, you could have just asked," I joked and he dropped my hand to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment or something along those lines. Adam did it all the time. "Is Adam in there?" I asked, nodding towards the bedroom across from mine that he had come out of.

"Yeah. He sent me out to find out what you were shouting about," Zach told me and I shoved past him saying how I was going to kill Adam when he wrapped an arm around my stomach and pulled me back to his chest. "Woah there, calm down. You can't kill Adam yet, I have dibs," Zach joked and my felt tingles at my stomach and around my waist, probably because I wasn't used to being touched.

"Yeah well he didn't make you walk home in the rain," I grumbled and felt Zach's chest stop chuckling behind my back. He let me go and guided my shoulder so I was facing him again.

"You know you could've called me right?"Zach asked and I nodded, sighing at my luck.

"My phone died. I would have called Adam and then probably you but it was dead," I explained and then grinned at him. "You really have to stop grabbing me Zach. That's like the third time since I got home," I joked but Zach froze up so I poked his ribs. "Dude, I was kidding."

"Oh right. Yeah. Haha," Zach laughed nervously, his hand reaching up to the back of his neck again. "Well I should probably go but I'll see ya El."

"See ya Zach. Oh and hit Adam for me will ya?" I asked him and he just nodded his head before rushing off to Adam's room. Curious but I shrugged it off. Him and Adam were always weird, I probably picked it up off them in all honesty. I was in the middle of picking out new clothes when I heard Adam shout.

"What the hell was that for dude?!" Adam shouted and I buckled over in laughter. I couldn't believe that he actually did that. It was probably just an excuse to hit Adam.