Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 66

KATE 

Once third period came to an end, I headed to lunch, sitting down with all of my friends.

"Carrots again, really Kate?" Corey asked, eying my lunch like it was alive or something.

"Um, yeah?" I replied, but it came out sounding like a question.

"You eat the same thing every day!" She commented. "Let me guess, you shower every day too?"

I stared down at my food, not wanting to admit that it was true.

"Corey, chill out. So what if Kate eats the same lunch every day? You sit in the same seat at this table every day," Kyle declared, defending me.

Corey scoffed. "So do you!"

Kyle sighed, putting his arm tiredly around Amy's shoulders. "That's just 'cause I like to sit next to my girl," he admitted, kissing Amy's forehead, making her release a pleased sigh.

"Get a room," Corey said bitterly, biting into one of my carrots.

"Hey! You made fun of my lunch and now you're eating it?" I asked, shocked and a bit annoyed.

"Corey, what's gotten into you lately?" Amy asked, her voice going back to its usual pitch.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Corey replied, reaching over for another one of my carrots.

I slid my lunchbox away from her grasp and she released a frustrated sigh.

"I'm just freaking out about my math test. It's tomorrow and I don't understand any of the material! And if I fail, my mother's going to kill me!" Corey exclaimed, sounding angry and frustrated all at the same time.

"Um, you know that Kate's like right across from you, and she got into pre-calc right? Also, I know for a fact that she happens to be an incredible tutor," Kyle said, sending me a friendly smile.

"Oh, how would you know? You've never asked anyone for help in your life," Corey snapped.

Kyle put his hands up in surrender. "You sure it's just the math test you're stressed about and not the fact that you're PMSing too?" Kyle asked, smiling.

Before I could react, Corey grabbed one of my carrots and launched it at Kyle, hitting him in the nose. He picked it up off of the table and threw it up into the air, catching it in his mouth. "Thanks, Corey for the carrot. How'd you know that my mom's been telling me that I need to eat more vegetables?"

Corey ignored him, her eyes turning desperate as she looked in my direction. "Kate, can you help me study? I don't know what the fuck Kyle meant by you're a great tutor, but I know that you're in pre-calc and you've got be insanely good at math to get into that class... So could you help me out?" She asked, sounding desperate.

I sighed. "I don't know... You insulted my eating habits and I do have to work..."

"Ask your new boy toy if you can skip. Please, I could really use the help," she pleaded, pouting.

"Corey, don't use the puppy dog face, it's not going to work on Kate," Kyle said, taking a sip of his usual root beer.

She rolled her eyes at him but then pouted when she looked back at me. "Okay, fine, I'll help you. But I have to talk to my "boy toy"," I said, using air quotes around the words "boy toy".

"Yay!" Corey exclaimed, coming around the table to pull me into a tight hug. "Thank you so much!"

Once she let go and walked back around the table to sit back into her seat I glanced at Kyle, who was smirking. "Thank you, Kate, I was about ready to punch her and her grumpy ass all the way to China."

I laughed and Corey made a fist. "Don't make me punch your ass all the way to China, dickhead," she declared.

Kyle laughed, but still put up his hands and said, "If you do, just don't punch the face, it's the one thing Amy likes about me," he teased, making Amy elbow him playfully.

I sighed and got up, tossing my empty water bottle into the trash before taking out my phone, to text Axel about the change in plans.

KATE - Babe, I'm so sorry but something came up and a friend needed me so I have to miss work... Is that okay?

The dots appeared moments later, but instead of the usual excitement, all I felt was guilt at the thought of letting him down.