14. Cafeteria Friendliness

Serena

After a bunch of classes in the morning, we having another lunch in the cafeteria, although this one was slightly more interesting, thanks to my dear friends.

"...Babe, I didn't mean it like that," Max said, trying his hardest to convince Flo.

"You basically called me fat," Flo complained.

She was quite sensitive to any comment made about her looks or weight. It wasn't a vain thing, but rather due to some unpleasant experience with bulling, that led to her being like this.

"No, I didn't..." Max started to say.

"You did," Flo stated, interrupting him.

Max then looked towards the rest of us, and when he did, I stopped between mid-bite of my sandwich.

"Rena, Julie, Sara and Mel. Can you please tell my beautiful girlfriend, I did not call her fat," he asked us.

Max's face looked like the saddest puppy, as he literally begged us to help him out.

"Oh, you so did." Sara then, unhelpfully, chimed into the conversation.

This girl just loved to rile people up.

"Shut it, Sara." Max glared at her, since it was clearly not the answer he was looking for.

Instead of actually shutting up, she carried on talking, which wasn't surprising at all. I'm almost shocked at how he didn't see it coming.

"You did, you said 'you're really going to eat all those chips?' in that kind of tone," Sara said.

She was clearly enjoying this and we couldn't help but watch and laugh at this entire interaction.

"Because I wanted some," Max then tried to defend himself.

Sara shook her head and clicks her tongue, giving Max an unimpressed look. "Should've just asked, instead of calling her fat."

Max looked like he wants to kill her.

"Sara," he said her name, sounding completely pissed off.

"Max," Sara replied with a grin, enjoying this too much and not effected at all, but his previous tone.

It wasn't like he was going to do anything, anyway.

Flo then shoved her tray in Max's direction, which made a loud smacking sound on the surface of the table. "Here, have all of them. I'm going to the library," she said, before getting up from the table and walking away.

"Flo! Please, baby," he begged, as she walked off.

He watched her walk away and I rolled my eyes.

"Well go after her, you idiot," I told him, pointing out the most obvious thing he was meant to do in this situation.

As if sudden realisation hit him, his eyes widened. Max jumped out of his seat, shoved some chips in his mouth, and then began to run after Flo.

"Why must you rile him up?" Mel asked Sara, assuming her peacemaker role.

Sara laughed. "Because it's fun and Danny's not here for me to do that," she said, with a smug smile.

We all knew that Danny and Sara liked each other.

The little arguments they have, messing with each other, it's just the way they show it.

It was like how, when the boy pulls on a girls pigtails because he likes her. Although I don't agree with that saying at all, it was kind of true with Danny and Sara.

In fact that was pretty much their first interaction. Sara didn't take it so well.

They are oblivious to their own feelings unfortunately. I should know something about obvious feelings, right?

"Where is Danny?" Julie asked me.

"His Uncle's in the hospital, so he's gone to see him," I told her.

We continued with our lunch and then not long after, I heard someone clearing their throat.

When I looked up, I could see Liam, Holden, Andre and Chris, standing in front of our table, with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, mind if we sit?" Liam asked.

I gave them all a smile. "Hey, no we-"

"We mind," Sara objected, interrupting me, as I had begun to talk.

"Sara," I said her name, looking towards her, hoping that she wouldn't be so stand-off-ish.

She was not very open to new people.

"No, Rena. He's your friend, not ours," she said to me, after eyeing up all four of them.

Sara's still skeptical of Liam and the others. I couldn't really blame her, but I also couldn't tell her everything. Keeping my pain within me, seemed to be the only thing that kept me going.

Honestly, I really didn't get how that worked, but it did.

"Please?" I asked her, pulling my best 'just go along with it' face.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she relented. "But that spiteful bitch of yours can't sit here," Sara stated, talking about Amy.

One thing I loved about Sara, she never minced her words.

"She's not mine, and I wouldn't want her to sit here anyway," Liam told her, whilst he took a seat at our table, along with the others.

His seat was next to Julie, of course.

I may have planned for her to sit on the end for this very reason.

This wasn't a pre-planned thing, for Liam to sit with us. Yes, I did mention to him, that at some point he might want to think about coming to sit with us, I just didn't know he was going to do it now.

"Besides, her and her minions have cheerleading practice," Andre then added.

"Thank God," Sara said out loud, and we laughed at her clear relief.

***

Okay so, I knew that there would be some awkwardness but I am not going to have us sit in uncomfortable silence, especially when I was trying to eat my lunch.

My lunch was practically sacred time and I refused to be uncomfortable during that.

"So, Holden, how's basketball?" I asked him, since he was the sweet one of the boys and I needed someone to talk.

I don't know if it was me, the question I asked, or the timing, but something seemed to have caused him to choke a bit on his food. Andre had to pat his back to help him out and I think he even teared up a little.

Once he was done, he looked at me with a smile. "It's good. We're just practicing for now, since there's still time for the game," he said.

I smiled back at him, happy that he had at least replied and made conversation with him. It was also quite amusing that he was acting like he hadn't just choked a few seconds ago.

He looked like he was about to cough up a lung or his soul.

"But we got our game coming up soon," Andre said.

At least this helped start a conversation.

"Nervous?" I asked him

Andre shook his head at me. "Nope," he said, with confidence. "Liam, Chris and I are playing, we'll win it," he added, with a smug smile, as if with there were no doubt about it.

"And the rest of team does what? Watch you?" Mel then said, and Sara and I snapped our heads towards her.

MEL!? She never would say anything like that.

"You're feisty. I like that," Andre smirked, his eyes looked over Mel, up and down.

She glared at him in return. "I loathe you."

If looks could kill...

"Aww, I loathe you too," Andre said so sweetly and we all laughed, well except for Mel, who looked like she wanted to kill him.

"You're-" Mel began to say.

Andre placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands.

"I'm what, sweetheart?" He asked her, clearly loving her reaction

Mel gritted her teeth. "Don't call me that," she snap.

Wait, is she blushing too?

I looked at Sara, who's just smirking. There was no doubt that she was loving the drama, especially since there was hardly ever this kind of drama with Mel. She never reacted like this.

"Make me," Andre said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Mel then let out a noise of disgust. "Suddenly, I don't have much of an appetite," she announced and shoved her tray forward.

She then just got up and left, whilst Sara and I were left gobsmacked by her behaviour.

"Wow," I breathed out.

I then looked towards Sara, who seemed to be equally surprised as I was.

"So, how you liking our school, Julie?" Liam asked her, changing the topic completely.

I looked at him and smiled. He was actually trying to make conversation with her and not fumbling over his words.

"It's nice. I like the people," Julie smiled at him.

He looked transfixed by her smile.

"Really now?" Andre chimed in suggestively, breaking Liam from his trance and smacking Andre upside the head.

"Ouch. What?" Andre whined.

"Leave her alone," Chris then spoke up.

I'm surprised he decided to chime into this conversation.

"Aww, Chris. You like the new girl?" Andre asked, which earned him another smack, but from Chris this time.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm gay. You idiot," he said.

This time, I choked at Chris's words and looked at him in confusion.

"You are?" Sara and I both said in unison, as all the boys looked at the two of us.

"You didn't know?" Andre gave us a look of bewilderment, as if we should know this and it wasn't new information at all.

I gave him a deadpan look. "How am I supposed to? He doesn't have it written on his forehead and his glasses don't just magically hide his identity."

"Yeah, I'm gay," Chris said and smiled at us.

Andre wrapped an arm around his shoulder, with a grin. "And we wouldn't have you any other way."

I then heard Liam whisper to Julie. "If you ever need help with anything, Julie, I can help you out," he offered.

I glanced at him and saw the way he smiled ever so sweetly at Julie.

"Thank you but I have Rena," she replied.

I was quite surprised at Julie's words. Somehow, this girl made the guy I love, act like he was in a trance when she smiled, yet I still don't have a bad thing to say about her, because she is so sweet.

Damn it, why does she have to be nice?

"Oh..." I heard the disappointment in Liam's voice.

I guess that wasn't the answer that he was looking for.

"But if I can't find her, I'll ask you," Julie then smiled at him and I instantly saw his frown turn back into a smile.

"Great," he smiled back at her.

Suddenly, I don't think I have an appetite either.

I have to remind myself, I'm doing this for his happiness and also hers.

They both deserve to be happy and with each other.

Although, I can't help but wonder...

What do I deserve?