Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! This story starts off a little slow-paced, but don't worry, eventually it gets more and more interesting as the chapters go on. There's a reason why the character development starts off somewhat slowly. You'll have to see what happens as the story progresses along! ^_^

In this chapter (Chapter 3), you get to see Crystal and Jason interact a little bit more, and the personality of Crystal's friends start coming more into play.

Any reviews/feedback is greatly appreciated! :)

Thanks!

~Destiny

Chapter 3

The next day at school during lunch, Lila comes over and slams her book bag and brand new Gucci purse on the table right in front of me with a loud thud.

"Uh-oh...what's wrong?", I ask, almost dreading the response.

"Jeremy and I had another fight right before the bell for lunch, so now he says he's skipping classes and is going to go clear his head...whatever THAT means", Lila stated with an eyeroll.

"Awww...sorry Lila. Is it about Jeremy and college again?", I probed sympathetically.

"Yes..." she groaned. "Ugh, I don't know why this is bothering me so much!", Lila pouted.

Jeremy and Lila started dating when Lila was just a Freshman. He was a junior, but there was something about Lila that caught his eye at a party one night. The rest was history. They instantly became a couple, and have been together ever since. Lately however, it seemed as if Lila and Jeremy were always fighting. Even over the smallest things.

I guessed that most of the tension was due to the fact that Jeremy was not intending on going to a University in-state. I know she hated to admit it, but this bothered Lila...a lot. It was so hard seeing her this way. Lila was typically the go-to-guru for relationships. Usually SHE was the one with all the answers. Now, she was the poor soul needing comfort and relationship advice.

"Well, Virginia Tech isn't that far from Connecticut", I muttered, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Crys, you don't understand. It's not just the distance that's bothering me", Lila said sadly. After a brief pause she added, "I just know he'll probably forget about me when he leaves. He'll be like: 'Lila? Lila WHO?'" She hung her head in despair.

"Well, why don't you just TELL him how you feel?", I offered.

"Oh, and give him the satisfaction that I'm going to miss him and feel insecure? NO way chica. Not this chick", she shook her head violently. "I would rather let him think I'm not even going to give a care in the world than for him to get a big head thinking I'm going to be crying in my bed at night over him. PUH-LEEZE! No way!"

Sometimes I really didn't understand Lila's "logic", but she must have the key to some secret because she always stayed having boyfriends.

"Well in that case, I don't know if I can help you there...I don't even have a boyfriend" I say somberly with a sigh.

"Don't worry...be thankful trust me. Sometimes they are more trouble than they are worth!" She utters with a chuckle.

I knew she didn't really mean that though. I knew that deep down she really loved Jeremy. That's why she was so uptight about him leaving for college so far away.

Interrupting our musings, Alisha, Jessie and Josh come up to the table after having grabbed their lunch.

"What's up ladies?" Alisha asks with a smile.

"Lila and Jeremy had another fight", I say sadly.

Alisha makes a face and scoffs, "Pshhh...Oh girl please, you're still tripping over the whole college thing?"

Lila looks up sheepishly and nods slowly.

Jessie gives her a pained look and says: "Awww...it will be okay".

Alisha just rolls her eyes and sits down and looks Lila square in the face and says: "Girl, you have to forget about the whole thing. Make the most of your time with him now! His senior year JUST started!"

"Yes, but I feel like my days with him are basically numbered", Lila groaned.

"But this sulking and arguing with him before he has even left is for the birds! If you DO have a small amount of time with him, at least make it enjoyable. Do something to take your mind off of this thing and off of him", Alisha pleaded.

That was Alisha for you, a very straight shooter. She could be harsh at times, but a lot of times, she really was telling the truth...as difficult as it was to swallow.

Suddenly, Lila perked up a little. "Hmmm...I guess I could go shoe shopping this weekend", a little smile creeping to Lila's lips.

"That's the spirit!", exclaims Alisha.

I just chuckle to myself. There was no problem in Lila's world that a little "Retail Therapy" couldn't fix.

We all start eating and joking back and forth about different things that happened in class that day. Mark Staton comes over and joins us at our table and starts joking with Josh. Soon, Daniel Hughes comes on over with Latonya McCray and pretty soon our table is errupting in loud laughter and a symphony of various different conversations. It was then that Alisha noticed that I had been lugging around a baby doll in a little basket with a blanket.

"Okay what is THAT you're toting around with you?", Alisha could barely contain the giggles escaping her lips.

"Oh...you mean my bundle of joy?", I state with a coy smile. "May I present to you my newborn child!" I could barely contain my laughter as well. "It's for Sociology", I admit.

"Ohhhhh...Ms. Steinberg?", Alisha's face scrunched up in mock horror.

"Yep...you know it." I sigh.

"Gee...good luck! I can just see how that would be a pain. You have to carry it everywhere with you?" The way Alisha stated the word everywhere made it seem like I was toting around a jar contaminated with an infectious disease or something.

"Well...sort of...but it's not just me...", my voice trailed off.

It was then in the corner of my eye that I noticed the new guy Jason Evans looking around the lunch room near our table for a place to sit. He looked kind of lonely and lost. I felt kind of bad for him-it can be tough being the new kid in school-so I wave at him and motion for him to come over. I figured he might like some company...being the "new kid" and all.

He smiles at me and comes over towards our table.

"Hey Jason, why don't you come over and sit with us? We won't bite...we promise", I say with a grin.

He chuckles and smirks while saying: "Well, even if you do bite, I hope you've had your rabies shot up to date", he says with a smile.

His quick retort sort of took me by surprise. "Mmm...very funny", I smirked.

This guy was really starting to peak my interest...who WAS he? Jason then leans over the table and says with a smile: "I'm going to get my lunch. By the way, I see you have my child with you".

I then playfully push him on the shoulder, "Umm...excuse me...but it's OUR child, and yes...you are overdue for your fatherly duties haha".

He grins so hard. He didn't know that I could be equally as witty and quick with the banter. "I'll be back", he says with a smile.

"Don't be too long!" I shot back.

He looks over his shoulder with a slight grin on his face. It was then that I had noticed that the table had fallen kind of silent. I suppose I didn't notice it before due to the loud atmosphere in the cafeteria in general, and the bantering back and forth with Jason.

Lila then blinks hard and looks in Jason's direction. She then turns and looks back at me with a confused look on her face. "So ummm...hello Crys...who was THAT?", Lila practically demanded.

"Yea Krista, you can't just hold out on us like that. I don't think I've ever seen him before", Alisha chimes in.

"Yea that guy is fine...come on spill the beans. I know I've never seen him before! I would have remembered!", Lila looks back over at him from a distance.

I giggle sheepishly. "Oh him? That's my husband", I make quotation mark signs with my fingers.

"WHAT!?" Lila exclaims in shock.

"No no no," I laugh. "He's my pretend spouse for Sociology. We have to pretend like we're married and care for a baby together for 3 weeks and complete activities during the week. Oh, and we each also have to write an individual essay at the end showing what we've learned and all this other crap", I mention with a roll of the eyes.

"Ohhhh..." it was all starting to click in Alisha's head.

"Well, whatever you two are doing, I say keep a close eye on him Crys. He's a cutie", Lila chimes in.

Jessie nods in agreement.

"Oh please you guys...no way...he's just a cool guy. I barely know him! Plus, no offense, but he's not exactly my type."

That's when Alisha begins to roll her eyes and starts to groan. "Oh...here we go again. NOBODY can replace your precious...", this is when Lila chimes in as well... "...Trevor Davis!"

Lila and Alisha both laugh in unison.

"Girl, what IS it that guy has over you? I just don't get it. He's not the only guy on the planet!", Alisha asks with confusion.

I could feel my whole body getting warm, and my face flashing with heat. Even just the thought of his name-Trevor Davis-sent butterflies soaring through my stomach. I don't know what it was about him, but he did have some kind of hold over me. I could feel myself getting embarrassed. It wasn't a secret really, how I felt about Trevor. At least, it wasn't a secret among my close friends. Even Josh and Dan knew how I felt! I just didn't want that little piece of juicy gossip to become school-wide common knowlege, and I certainly didn't want the "new kid"-Jason-to know anything about my crush.

Oh if Trevor ever REALLY knew how I felt about him...oh, I'd simply die of embarrassment!, I thought to myself.

Soon, Jason came back to the cafeteria table with his lunch and sat facing me.

Relieved to have found a way to change the subject, I interrupted everyone's chatter and mentioned, "Oh by the way guys, this is Jason. He's new. Jason, these are my friends Lila, Alisha, Jessie, Josh, Latonya, Dan, and Mark."

Jason smiled and greeted everyone with a "hey guys" and a wave.

"Hey, you're in Mr. Burke's algebra class aren't you?", asked Dan.

"Yeah I am. You're in his 3rd period class also?", Jason replied.

"Yeah man. I think I saw you come in to class yesterday", Dan stated with a smile.

It didn't take too long for Jason to fit right in with my group of friends. My friends are pretty cool, and inclusive of everyone. That's what I like about them most.

After the bell rang for lunch period to be over, I glanced over at Jason as he was getting up from the table, "Umm...aren't you forgetting something?" I smirked while glancing down at our "baby" in the baby basket.

"Oh...How could I forget?", he smiled. "So we're still meeting tomorrow after school to work on the projects?"

"Yep! Sure...you can meet me over my house around 4pm", I stated affirmatively.

"Sounds great. Why don't we exchange numbers so you can text me your address?" he asks.

"Okay sure", I smiled.

After reciting my number to him, he put my cell phone number in his phone and then texted me so that I would have his number and could text him my home address.

This is going to be interesting, I thought.