Okay, I am so sorry you guys! I know you all have been waiting patiently for me to update, and I really have no excuse except for the fact that I got super busy, once again. I know that's what I always say, but December was the busiest month of the year for me, full of birthdays, concerts, caroling (for a grade), and tests. But it's a new year, and I'm hoping it will be full of new chapters and stories from me! One of my resolutions was to be more responsible this year, and I want to be more responsible about my writing. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate each and every one of you. Now you asked for more, so here's chapter four!
Riley strolled in to her Algebra 1 class just before lunch. She took her usual seat in the front row. It was one of the few classes that she had without Maya or Farkle, and it was the one class she had with Missy Bradford, the preppy queen bee of the eighth grade. She sighed as she reached into her Free People backpack to remove the previous night's homework. Lucas had been in every one of her classes thus far and always made sure his presence was known. Disrupting her thoughts, Riley felt a manicured finger tapping on her left shoulder insistently.
"Hey, Riley."
Riley spun around slowly. "Yes, Missy?"
"Rumor has it that there are two hot new guys, and they're both in your first period. Spill the deets." She demanded.
A few girls sitting nearby murmured their agreements and urged her to tell more about the newcomers to John Quincy Adams. It wasn't every day that the most popular girls in school would address her, so she decided that there was no harm in sharing what little she knew about them.
"Well, their names are Isaiah or Zay Babineaux, and Lucas Friar." Riley smiled tightly. "I think they're from the South, they have a little bit of an accent- especially Lucas."
"We're from Austin, Texas, if you must know." A voice she had heard far too many times that day declared.
All of the girls whipped their heads around to face the source of the voice as Riley froze. I'm a good person. Why do I keep getting into these situations?
"Gee, princess. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were following me." He smirked and took a seat directly behind Riley.
"I don't see how it's my fault that they got your schedule to mirror mine." Riley replied.
"Maybe its fate," Lucas got up out of his seat and got very close to Riley's face once again. Too close. "Maybe it's written in the stars that we were meant to be together. Maybe this is the universe's way of letting us know that we're soul mates. Maybe-" The bell rung that signaled fourth period was starting, cutting Lucas' proclamations short.
He teasingly ran his hand along Riley's jaw line as he made his way to his seat again. "You know I'm just playing around, princess." He whispered in a low, husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.
Missy's jaw dropped. "Looks like new boy's got the hots for Matthews!" She smirked deviously. "Lucky girl."
"So, Mrs. Kravitz, we're learning about standard formula today?" Riley laughed awkwardly.
"It was so embarrassing, Maya! He got all up in my face again and started whispering about how we were meant to be together, and then he's like 'just joking!' I mean, who does that to someone they just met?" Riley ranted.
"Peaches, you need to calm down. It's a façade! He knows that you see beyond the whole bad boy thing, so he's trying to get under your skin. Don't worry about it." Maya dismissed the topic.
"Don't worry about it?" She repeated. "Do you know who you're talking to?"
"Ladies!" Farkle exclaimed as he approached the girls at their usual lunch table.
"Farkle!" They greeted in turn.
"How have your days been so far?"
"I've had better." Riley sighed exasperatedly.
"She's over exaggerating. Hop-along was teasing her and she got a little embarrassed." Maya elaborated.
Just as Riley was about to reply, she saw Coach Kelly enter the cafeteria.
"Attention, students! The audition sheet to join JQA's Pom Squad are going to be posted right here." She gestured to where one red and one yellow piece of paper were tacked onto the student bulletin board.
"We're going to need both boys and girls, so don't be afraid to sign up! Auditions start this Wednesday after school in the gym; come in athletic clothes ready to learn the routines!"
Riley immediately turned and pouted to Maya. "Try out with me?"
"Not in a million years, peaches."
Riley added in the puppy eyes. "Please?"
"Nope!" Maya exclaimed.
"Ring power!" Riley declared.
"Ugh, fine! But Farkle is trying out too." Maya obliged.
"What? I never agreed to that!" Farkle defended himself.
"Do you have anything better to do?"
"Good point. Let's go sign up."
The three friends left their table and joined the small crowd that had already formed around the bulletin board.
Riley scanned the names on the list. Missy, Sarah, Darby, Yogi… were just a few names that she recognized. She took a deep breath as she wrote her name at the top of the second paper and passed her pen off to Maya.
"Things are going to get very interesting around her, aren't they, Maya?" Riley asked, linking arms with her best friend.
"They certainly are, Riles."
So there is chapter four! I'm not very proud of this chapter, but it's the best I could do until I get my groove back. Feel free to leave suggestions and don't forget to review, love you! x