The Roads To Paris

4

It's been three days and Jesse hasn't had lunch with us. The others don't look so worried I don't see why I should be.
I fortunately didn't get into any sport and I needed to be in a club or something if I wanted to get the extra credit I need to pass the term.
So now I have two options, to get into cheerleading where I had connections or to join a dead club so I don't have to do anything and still get the extra credit. If course cheerleading is not really an option because I can barely rhyme or cheer or do anything remotely acrobatic and flexible.
Maybe during lunch today I'll ask everyone what clubs I should check out. I'll just have to wait for another 10 minutes before it's time for lunch.
You'd probably imagine that I'm in a classroom listening to a teacher go on and on but I'm not.
I'm in a classroom writing a surprise test. Teachers in this school are crazy, I mean who tells a class about a surprise test four weeks before they actually give the surprise test??
I cross check my test for like the fifth time and wait for the bell to ring before I submit my papers. I don't want to seem too excited about the test or else I'm going to make a lot of enemies.
The bell goes for lunch.
Haaaa. I sigh blissfully. My favorite time of the day. Lunch ( and breakfast, and dinner and any other time food is involved in). I'm happiest when I'm with food in my mouth. And for three days straight I've had extra happy meals without Jesse the grump around to ruin the mood. I'm starting to hope he never comes for lunch ever again because, who doesn't love peace.
I hum a happy tone and strut happily to my table until I see a familiar face. If you guessed Jesse then you're absolutely correct.
" Hi." Jesse says before I can sit down.
You'd think that's an improvement from the past two weeks but it's actually not. He says it like it's supposed to be a threat or something, I'd rather he not say anything at all. Not to seem rude I reply
" Umm hi? Jesse? How've you been?"
But everything just sounds like a question. I don't know why I even bothered to reply because he obviously looks like he doesn't care. Once again, he goes back to scrolling through his phone.
Ok that was weird. Not surprising coming from Jesse, but weird nonetheless.
I realize that I've been standing for almost a whole minute so I drop my tray on the table and sit.
Not even ten seconds after I sit down Jesse gets up with his lunch tray and nods at his friends
" See you guys later." he turns to me and his expression changes.
" Bye."
I'm not very good at reading expressions but I'm pretty sure this one says' you can tick that one off your bucket list now'
He heads towards the exit and I look round the table to see if anyone is feeling the negative vibes rolling off of him but it seems everyone else is satisfied.
He said ' Hi.' and ' Bye.'
What else can they ask for?
I'm happy, he's happy, everyone's happy and that's that.
I'm about to start eating until I look at my tray and find out that it's half empty
" What the hell Benny!" I say staring daggers at that food snatching idiot
" I know right.. What the hell! That's obviously not going to be enough for me. I know it sucks but doesn't life? But whatever you can pay me back the lunch you owe me from two weeks ago some other time."
What the hell!!! How do I still owe him after all this?? And I thought he had forgotten all about that. It was just a few pork fingers.
" How the hell do I still owe you?"
This boy is the most infuriating thing to touch the face of the earth.
" I know you're mad at yourself but don't worry, I forgive you. You can pay me back whenever you're ready."
I throw a fry at him intending for it to hit him on the forehead but he catches it between his teeth
" You have horrible aim by the way." he says winking at me.
" Girl I told you not to owe him. He's never going to let you forget about it."
Ivy says laughing at me.
" Whatever. But Imma get you back Benny. You can count on that." I say shushing Ivy. I like Ivy a lot but she really needs to stop ' in-your-facing' me.
" Let's pick sides. I'm team Benny on this one." Ivy says raising up a hand
" Traitor."
Now what's this girl starting??
Maeve and London raise their hands
" I'm with Benny. Sorry Paris." Maeve says
" I would've picked sides with you but I'm always on the winning side. So Benny it is." London says almost choking on her flavoured water( or whatever it was she was drinking) from the laughter
" I'm with you sis. But that's cause no one else is and you're fam. But you're obviously the loosing side. No offense."
Heaven says punching my shoulder lightly
" Well I'm with Paris too cause she's the right side. I stand for an end to the tyrannical reign of Benny the lunch swiper." Damien says goofing around
We all start goofing around till we hear the bell
" See you after school guys."
I say, heading to my next class.
After history and Spanish class, I walk into my last class of the day. Gym.
Now gym is usually tough and annoying but today is an exception. For some weird reason, right in the middle of our gym class, our gym teacher is called into the principal's office and he tells us to do laps until he comes back. He obviously isn't coming back and we obviously aren't going to do laps. At all.
I sit on the bleachers and scroll on Instagram stalking anybody I could think of at the moment when a girl walks up to me
" Hi. You're Paris right? I'm Andrea. We have history together."
Wow I already have a fan
" Hi Andrea. I haven't really noticed you that much in history. Nice to meet you."
It's always nice to meet a fan, wink.
" Yeah. Nice to meet you too. I know you've been wondering what's up with all the weird stares but don't worry I'll get you filled in."
Now that she's mentioned it, I have noticed a few stray eyes on me but I don't usually notice when people are staring. I'm usually too busy with personal matters to bother with all that.
" I haven't really noticed that many stares I'm sure it's no big deal." I say shrugging
I haven't had any other friends asides Heaven's friends and Andrea seems kinda nice, you know, offering to give me the scoop without me having to ask.
" No big deal?? No big deal!! No offense but are you crazy. I'm sorry move over I need to have a seat."
Well apparently this is a big deal.
" Cole Cooper and Jesse Holden just had a fight."
" Wait what?! I know Jesse has beef with Cole but a fight?? And how does this have anything to do with me?? And how did I not know Jesse's last name was Holden??"
That is such a hilariously typical name, too typical for him."
" One question at a time please. But it wasn't a fight per say, there was shoving and poking and stomach punching but it was mostly words and there was no blood."
This doesn't even make sense
" There's this video I can show you, it's on the Ridgewood snitch's page. It's like an anonymous account with all of the ' what's up' in this school." She adds
" Please do."
She pulls out her phone from the back pocket of her gym shorts. I really love her phone case. She needs to tell me where she got it.
She scrolls on her Instagram until she gets what she's looking for, a post from sometime today on Ridgewood snitch's page. I watch in horror( highly exaggerated) as Jesse and Cole appear on the screen.
" You should really work on your sportsmanship and team work Cooper you were elected as a leader for a reason and you're obviously not cut out for that role. "
That was Jesse quite obviously.
Such a sanctimonious prick.
" And you are?" Cole says laughing spitefully
" You said it, not me."
Now I don't want to seem distracted but Cole is only in jeans, no shirt on, barefoot and everything. And Jesse is only in a towel. I know I'm supposed to hate him but it's realistic to be in love with someone's chest yet hateful of them.." I feel like this is more than soccer Jesse. Come on say it! You've always been envious that I could always get whatever you couldn't. Isn't Paris friends with your friends? Because I heard she really doesn't like you. And I bet you're starting this because of how close I and Paris are." Cole says getting dangerously close to Jesse.
I don't understand how I'm supposed to be factored into all this. What is the connection between I and soccer.
" Just give it a rest Cooper. I know what you're doing and I think your plan is wack. To start with I don't even know Paris that well so I won't even care that much."
Jesse retorts
" What in the hell are you talking about Holden??!"
Yeah!! What in the hell Jesse?? I'm just as confused as Cole is.
" Drop the act. I heard what you were telling Mikey and the other guys. I may not care about your Paris very much but she means the world to my friends and hurting her will indirectly hurt them. If you so much as make a tear slip from her eyes, I won't be able to control what happens to you next." Jesse says getting really mad
" Oh really? And what's gonna happen Jesse? You're gonna beat me up?"
Cole pokes Jesse in the arm
" And get in so much trouble with the school?"
Poke.
" And get your rich daddy to pay off your damage?"
Another poke.
I don't know if it's the pokes or if it's the part about the rich daddy but Jesse breaks and gives Cole a hard shove. Cole shoves him back, and Jesse shoves him even harder.
" Face it Holden there are just some things money and power can't get you. And clout can only take you a long way. I've met Paris and she won't fall for whatever act you're putting up now so you might as well stop before you make a fool of yourself."
Act?? What act?? What girl falls for an arrogant bastard who hates her for no justifiable reason??
" The cute girl falling for the arrogant bad boy?? That shit only happens in movies. And crappy ones at that. And I should be the one warning you to stay away from Paris. You've hurt her more ways than I ever can. She's tried to be really close to Heaven's friends but some' jackass' ( you by the way) keeps giving her the silent treatment when she 'ain't even do nothing wrong.'" Cole adds
" She said that?" Jesse asks
Why he sounding so shocked? He doesn't know he's a jackass or he doesn't know people call him that?
" She said a lot of things. But honestly I just think your daddy's money is really getting to you, I wouldn't tell her that obviously though cause I'm not the type to go around bitching about my teammates behind their backs. Watch it, daddy's boy, or I'll wreck you."
Jesse punches Cole in the stomach and Cole is about to retaliate when a bunch of guys come in and restrain him. He gives Jesse a death glare and leaves and just like that, the video is over.
" So........?" Andrea asks
" So......." I reply
" What are you gonna do about it?" she asks
" Can you drop your number so we can talk later?"
I reply ignoring her question for the meantime.
" Sure."
We swap phones and type in our numbers on each other's phones.
" Here." I say handing her back her phone
" It was nice talking to you Paris." She says getting up
I get up to leave and she asks
" Where are you going? Gym isn't over yet."
" It was nice talking to you too, and to answer your previous questions, I have a date with a soccer player."