Love at First Fight

Chapter 10

The next morning I got to school earlier than usual, in an attempt to avoid everyone staring at me when I walked in, like I knew they would.

I was standing at my locker when Cole and Tyler walked up to me, "So, gonna make any dramatic exits and not say a word for the rest of the day again?" Cole asked me.

I rolled my eyes and smirked, "Not planning on it." I answered.

"But are you alright? She was pretty awful." Tyler asked me, concerned.

"I was pretty annoyed yesterday but I'm good now. I just hate everyone always staring and whispering as if I can't see them doing it." I said with a shrug.

"Yeah they're all so nosy. But you have us to distract you. You just need to actually talk to us." Tyler replied.

I just smiled as Maya and Miles walked up and my day started.

~~~~~~

The next few weeks I fell into a good routine. I would go to school, babysit Clara, and bounced between hanging out with Maya and all of them and going to the gym. I didn't see Lucas much when I was babysitting, but we would sit next to each other in almost every class as well as workout together at the gym.

People definitely took notice of Lucas and I talking all the time. He'd even sit with us at lunch sometimes, much to Rebecca's dismay. I could tell Maya, Cole, Tyler, and Miles were suspicious of what was really going on between Lucas and I (since most of the school assumed we were hooking up), but they didn't push me for information, which I was grateful for.

The thing that surprised me most, was that Lucas and I were actually friends. We would talk all the time at the gym together which, thankfully, no one from school went to. And the times he was at the house when I was babysitting, we would always watch a movie or a TV show once Clara had gone to bed.

It was a good rhythm. I kept Lucas' secret and he kept mine. I should have known it wouldn't have lasted very long.

~~~~~~~~~

It was a Friday night at the Hunter residence, and Clara was not enjoying herself.

"Ariel I'm bored." she whined to me.

Lucas gave me a smirk from across the kitchen, "Okay well what would you like to do?" I asked, giving her the choice.

"I want ice cream!" she exclaimed.

Lucas stood up to walk over to the freezer, "Hang on," I called out, making him stop and look back over, "why don't we go out and get ice cream sundaes?" I suggested to Clara.

Her eyes lit up, "Can we?" she asked.

I smiled, "Go get your shoes on and we can go." I said right before she took off to run up to her room to get shoes.

"Interesting choice." Lucas said.

I shrugged, "It gets her out of the house for a while. Less time to keep her occupied here for." I answered.

"Smart princess." he said with a smirk, making me roll my eyes.

"It's been three weeks, you're really keeping the whole nickname thing up?" I asked.

"Obviously. I don't know why you think I'd stop." He said with his signature smirk.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my car keys, "Well, you coming? Or do you have somewhere better to be?" I asked him.

"I always have somewhere better to be," he said, pushing off the counter and standing up straight, "but I like ice cream so I'll come." he said.

A minute later Clara was downstairs and we were on our way to get some ice cream. Lucas drove us, so I spent the car ride talking to Clara, keeping her distracted.