cool kids ∙ m z

nine; gym class

Kalani-

The bell rang and I nervously walked off to gym with Maddie. Maddie was in my gym period but we had different teachers. We walked into the change rooms and she set her stuff down on the bench.

"So I can totally tell you like Josh." She said, unlocking her locker that was across from mine.

My cheeks burned red.

"Is it that obvious?" I mumbled. "And I don't even know him, so how could I like him?"

"It is pretty obvious by the way you look at Chloe when she talked about him. And the way you bumped into him in the hall and how you are probably still thinking about it." She answered.

"How did you see that?"

"I see everything hun," Maddie laughed. "And we were right down the hall when it happened."

I looked back to my locker.
"I don't want to get in the way of Chloe's crush, that's all. He is all hers."

Maddie looked at me.
" You're so innocent."
She touched my elbow and we walked out of the locker room into the gym. She still managed to get a group of guys to stare in our direction even in the gross shorts and cotton tee.

We stood in the corner where I usually see Maddie stand with a crowd of boys around her as she flirted with them, and I never used to think much about it, it was just Maddie's thing.

"Do you even talk to any of the girls in your class?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Ew, no. They are all so boring of clingy, quiet or annoying. I hang out with them." She pointed in the direction of a group of boys that I recognized to be in our grade.

"Alex, Greg, Tommy, this is Kalani." Maddie gestured in my direction and I smiled. Tommy was Josh's friend, I recognized that. He was also in my class and very good at baseball.

"Hey Kalani. You're in the popular group now, huh?" Alex flashed a smile towards me.

"I hope so." I laughed and Maddie laughed too.

"Nah, she's cool Alex. It was a mistake to let her hang out with Kendall." Maddie stressed Kendall's name like it was a bad thing.

"Oh, damn. You must be pretty cool if Maddie picked you out of Kendall's group. If there is one thing I've learned its that she hates that bitch." Greg added.

I looked down. Kendall hadn't been the best of friends to me, I have to admit. Maddie was so much nicer, I can't believe I have spent my whole high school years hating her. Was Kendall the enemy here? Why?

"You're in my class, right?" Tommy asked as he leaned against the wall.

"Yeah. I think we are playing baseball today." I replied, tugging on a piece of hair.

"Yes, I love baseball." He smirked and ran his hand through his hair.

I wanted to ask him about Josh, when our teacher blew the whistle which meant that we had to take our seats. Maddie smiled again.

"Remember what I told you about not talking to anyone below your social level. We have to get you respected. Just hang out with Tommy, you two hit it off pretty well just now." She winked and nudged me towards my class.

"Tommy, keep her company." Maddie called after him.

He smirked again and gave her a thumbs up.

I walked away confidently and sat down on my number. A lot of girls in my class were looking at me. Tommy sat down in his seat, which wasn't that far from mine.