Chapter Four

Tuesday at lunch, Conner McDermott sat at a table with his usual group of friends. This time, the focus had apparently turned to two forms of discussions – the cafeteria lunch menu and cheerleading – none of which he was remotely listening to or cared about taking part in. Instead he was the one who sat at the table eating and rolling his eyes into the back of his head. Oh, how he loved lunch when his friends could talk topics that he didn't care to discuss.

He'd much rather be somewhere else, doing anything else than having to listen to his comic friend Andy Marsden digest the latest foods or hear Tia and her new friend Jessica (whom coincidently was a sister to Elizabeth – the girl he wanted to forget about because she had irrupted his life and wandered into his house to which he had his younger sister Megan to thank for that) ramble on about the social standards of the cheerleading squad.

Conner probably wouldn't have bothered to show up at school if it meant that he'd be away from Elizabeth and Maria (whom he briefly dated for a few days) but the ambitious image he had swirling around in his head of the stunning blonde beauty he had seen in his homeroom class yesterday was the reason he had managed to make it to school. But his head had let him down today because the girl that had been disturbing his dysfunctional thoughts wasn't in class today and Connor was beginning to think that maybe this girl didn't exist. Maybe he had conjured the girl after the mess those girls – who would remain nameless – had had an effect on his nonsensical personal life.

As of the moment, he began to drift back to reality when Andy who sat beside him spoke words other than the cafeteria menu.

"Hey! Who's the girl you're waving to Tia?" Andy asked, stuffing a mouthful of chips into his mouth.

Both Tia and Jessica turned around from waving a distinct hello to her to respond.

Desperate to be rid of his thoughts, Connor lifted his head in Andy's direction and found the girl who had been circulating his head.

So she does exist, Connor thought. Well, at least I know I didn't just make her up.

"That girl is Taylor," Tia replied, munching on a piece of lettuce.

"And how exactly do you two know her?" Andy asked, wanting to know more to this story that seemed to be going no where.

"She's a cheerleader," Jessica continued.

Great! Knowing my luck, the girl I can't get out of my head is a cheerleader. Just what I need; another cheerleader in my life. Tia was bad enough.

Andy nodded. "Ah, so she's one of those intellectual disturbed cheerleaders too. Like you?"

To that comment, Conner gave a slight laugh – a first since lunch had begun – while he received a scowl from Jessica and a punch from Tia.

"What did you say her name was?" Connor questioned, cutting into the conversation.

Tia gave her friend a clueless look. "Taylor. Do you know her?"

"Not exactly no but she was in my homeroom class yesterday."

Andy looked directly at his friend with a comic facial expression. "Dude, if she's in your homeroom then she would have been there today."

"No she wasn't. So what is with the walking aid she's using?" Connor motioned to Tia.

"She was seriously injured in the earthquake. She's lucky to be alive and walking. She only came back to school yesterday – her parents wanted her to recover at home before she ventured back to school," Tia said.

"Yeah and I think she actually had a doctor's appointment this morning which would explain why she probably wasn't in homeroom this morning," Jessica continued.

Tia focused on Conner who was usually the guy who never asked questions and grunted at everything was said among a group.

"So Connor, my socially distorted friend; why are you so suddenly interested in Taylor? Are you interested in her or something?"

Tia knew what Connor was like. He didn't do relationships; he hooked up with the girl and after a few weeks of kissing, once the girl wanted to get serious; Connor would end their fun together. It was what he always did and Taylor definitely didn't deserve another round of heart break.

"Interested in Taylor? Tia, I hardly know the girl. Why would I be interested in her?"

Tia shrugged with wide eyes. "I don't know…that's never stopped you before. So I'm just wondering, why else would you be asking questions about her?"

Conner looked down at his tray and then back to Tia. "Okay, I know what I've done in the past but this isn't one of those times. I was merely asking because I hadn't seen her since before yesterday and," Connor paused. He didn't have to explain his actions to Tia. It was his business. She didn't need to know everything; she already though she did. That was bad enough. "Can we just forget about me please; it's none of your business."

"Actually, it is my business in regards to your dysfunctional love life. Taylor is my friend – therefore I'm looking out for her. She doesn't need the egotism of boy dramas right now – believe me; she's had enough to last her a lifetime."

Conner stared at her with consistency. "Whatever Tee, I know that you like to look out for your friends but you have nothing to worry about because I am not interested in her. Anyway how else do you know her?"

Tia flexed her shoulders and munched on a French fry. "We're cheerleaders together – plus she's my next door neighbour."

"Taylor is your neighbour?" Andy spat out unnecessarily.

"Uh…yeah, that's what I just said.

"So, she lives in the house that is surrounded by the metal security gates?"

"Uh-huh, you know. Her family is like one of the richest families in Sweet Valley…" Tia stopped and glanced at Jessica who didn't seem bothered by what she was going to say next.

"Besides Lila Fowler," Jessica finished. "Last year, there was a showdown because Taylor was the new rich girl from New York City and Lila felt intimidated because she wasn't the only one whose family had money and she had to prove to everyone that she had more money that Taylor."

"Wow, who won?" asked Andy, getting more intrigued by the minute.

"Taylor," Jessica smiled. "It all backfired on Lila when everyone discovered that Taylor wasn't as stuck up and high maintenance as she was. The look on her face was priceless when the school liked the fact that Taylor wasn't as prissy as she was but the total opposite. She's simply Daddy's little girl because she's the only girl out of three brothers-kinda like Tia."

As the last few minutes of lunch time lingered on, Conner remained frozen in his seat. His mind conjured up many more thoughts and he found himself studying Taylor as she sat with her friends at an opposing table. And forget what Tia thought about him; a crazy idea had been in his head. He was certain that this wasn't one of those times like it would have been in the past and for a strange reason, he didn't know why but it seemed crazy and right all at the same time.