The Next Now

Chapter 27

Henrietta's P.O.V.

I was talking, laughing and walking down to the bleachers with Jay.

"Even if I like Ethan, which I don't, I'd never let him know" I tell Jay and he chuckles

"Really Jay. He's just.. hot?" I try and Jay laughs even harder
"I don't like him!"

"Okay Okay Hen. I hear you" He laughs

"Good"

"Now, talking about 'hot boys'.. Hehe" He starts and makes air quotes at hot boys

"Ugh! What now?"

"Romeo asked if he could talk to you?"
Oh no. I am so dead

"You said yes?" I breathe

"Well.. Yeah" He admits "After giving him a lot of warnings and conditions obviously"

"Ugh! Bu-" I pause and move in front of Jay quickly to face him and he almost bumps into me, so I move back quickly. 

"What?"

"You called Romeo hot"

"What? So I don't like him.. I'll still say it as it is, okay?" He says and I shrug.

Hehn.. That's fair

Okay, look.
Jay is really popular.
Captain of the Basketball team.
Every teacher's dream son, every girl's dream boyfriend, every boy's dream best friend, everyone's one dream brother.
He's the best.
I'm grateful everyday that he's even friends with me.

Still with being popular and all, he doesn't always hang out with most of the other populars.
Heck, he doesn't even like most of them.
Those ones include Romeo.

Romeo is also really popular.
Member of the Football team.
Your usual bad, mysterious boy. Well, not so much, but yeah.
Every girl's dream boyfriend but still the boy you're warned against.
The boy you shouldn't have anything to do with.

Romeo and Jay don't just get along quite well.
That's why I'm really surprised to hear that Jay tell me that Romeo wants to talk to me

"Talk to me? Why would he want to do that? And why would he ask you to tell me?" I ask all at once

This is bad. This is bad. This is very bad
He definitely wants to kill me.

What did I do? I've never heard of anyone messing with Romeo and getting out of it unharmed ever.
The boy is bad news.

B-A-D
Bad!!

He has detention every single day.
The kind of person your parents warn you about.

That's the kind of boy I just messed with. Tell me again how I'm supposed to escape this?

Ugh!!

"C'mon.. I don't know" Jay shrugs "But it better be cool though. Let's go"
He takes my hand but still stands further away from me as possible.

Well, not too far, but enough for my comfort.
He leads me towards the Cafeteria door to wait for him so he can get his lunch and come join me on the bleachers. It's a Monday, so, I have my own lunch.

Just as Jay and I near the Cafeteria entrance, I spot Romeo coming and I freeze.

"Jay" I whisper loudly "I- I need to use the restroom" I say quickly, praying Jay ignores the fear lacing every word

"What? Right now?"

"Yes.. We're not far from the Restroom" Romeo hasn't seen us yet, but he's fast approaching.
This boy is going to kill me