The Same Mistakes Club

Chapter Fourteen

I tried to get my books for Spanish class as quickly as possible on Monday morning, wondering how I'd be able to avoid Jacob even though we were conversation partners.

"Valadict!"  I heard Gabriel call out.

Great.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.  I looked up to see Jacob smiling.  "Hey there, Pina Colada - how killer was Saturday night?"

I smiled weakly at him.

"You totally should've stayed longer."

"Oh, yeah,"  Gabriel replied with a smirk.  "What did she miss?"

Jacob looked down at the floor as if he was genuinely trying to remember.

"That's what I thought."  Gabriel smiled and gave me a wink.  "Good luck, Alissa."

Gabriel headed to class, shaking his head.

Jacob still had his arm around my shoulder, and I picked up my stride to step out of it.

"Whoa, slow down!"  Jacob put his arm around my waist.  "Your boy is still recovering from the weekend."

"Um, I actually have to talk to Mr. Soloranzo before class starts about, um, something."  I took his hand off my waist and practically ran to class.

I wondered if it would've been too subtle to wear a T-shirt that said Thank You for your interest, but I am no longer dating.

I knew Jacob wasn't a huge fan of reading, but he did like to stare at my shirts.

"I have sort of a weird question to ask,"  Melany said to me as we walked to Bio.

"Um, okay?"

"Have you ever asked a guy out?"

"No, why?"

She slowed down.  "Well, I'm interested in somebody, but he's a little shy, so I don't think he'd ever make the first move."

"Oh."  So much for asking Melany to join the Club.  "I'm not really the best person to talk about guys.  I've sorta given them up after, well, you know..."

"Oh, right.  Sorry."  She bit her bottom lip.

"That's okay.  Who's the guy?"  I asked as we walked into class.

Melany motioned to the boy sitting in the first row of the room.

I saw senior Kadan Alldeen hunched over his chair, his hair covering his face as he furiously wrote something in his notebook.

"Isn't he perfect?"  Melany blushed.  Kadan looked up toward the front of the room with an intense look on his face.

Kadan had long dark brown hair, super skinny, wore vintage rock T-shirts.  Basically, he had the whole mysterious rocker thing down to a science.  I remember how in Middle School I had probably the biggest crush ever on Kadan, but he was never interested in me, so I let it go (even though it took me months to do).  Even though considering that he was a pawn for the devil (being a guy and all), he seemed right for Melany, who was a total punk-rock fanatic.

"Would you go to one of his concerts with me on Friday?"

I wasn't in the mood to play matchmaker, but after all the drama with Margaret at last week's football game, I didn't mind having an excuse to not go to this week's away game.

"Sure - but, Melany,  I'm not going to be a good wing girl."

She laughed.  "But you're my concert buddy.  You have to go with me.  We don't even have to talk to any guys.  Just listen to the music.  Then we can leave."