I do not own Blood and Chocolate. LOVE the story though. I was rooting for Gabriel the whole way!
Layla:
I sat around the table with my sisters at the Popular Table. It was still too early for the rest of the crowd to get there which meant I was temporarily welcome until Phoebe and Paulette's friends commanded their attention. They greeted me with matching smiles as I dropped my bag down on the bench.
"Well, hello there Sunshine!" Phoebe said sarcastically. I guess my expression reflected my morning.
"Some jerk nearly ran me over with a car," I muttered.
"Did you flip him off?" Paulette asked.
"No," I said. I squeezed about an inch space of air between my forefinger and my thumb. "But I was that close to dying and he had the nerve to call me a bitch."
"Did you see the new kids?" Phoebe asked completely changing the subject. I'd vented so I was willing to switch my focus.
"New kids?" I echoed in a tired tone. I didn't care. They were the only reason I was up to date on the happenings of the school.
"God! Would you get your nose out of a book for five seconds to observe your surroundings?" Phoebe said rolling her eyes. She stood up, uninvitingly grabbed made face and turned it in the direction of three incredibly beautiful people. I blinked.
One of them was looking my way. The jerk who nearly hit me with the car. I stared for a moment before I recovered from the shock.
"Would you stop touching my face, you weirdo?" I said ripping her hands off my cheeks. Paulette grinned and bit the end of her pencil at one of them. They all turned away. She sighed. "You have a boyfriend, Paulie."
"I know. I didn't say I didn't," she said. "There's no harm in looking." The three people consisted of the blonde boy, a red haired girl, and the tallest, an Asian boy. They talked to one another from afar. Each of them were dressed incredibly stylishly, like they'd all gotten their clothes directly from the hottest New York stores. Hair was gelled to perfection, but just like the blonde boy they were all incredibly toned and tall.
"What's their story?" I asked.
"Something about them moving from Massachusetts. I guess they're all adopted or something. Parents must be incredibly rich," Paulette deducted. I trusted her. She had an uncanny perception for people. "My guess? This is their first time in a public school. They look totally out of place."
They did. All of them poised and relaxing comfortably, all of them with cocky smiles. The girl often turned and said something behind her hand. The guys giggled.
"They'll be sitting at our table in no time," Paulette said. Phoebe nodded. She hopped off the table and wriggled a little to get her too-short skirt to a slightly more modest level. Paulette joined her.
"Come on," she said.
They walked together, clacking heels clicking on the pavement in rhythm. I felt my eyes widen. I clomped after them in my converses that were completely out of pattern with their's. I stopped in front of them. "What are you doing?" I asked them in appall.
"We're inviting them to the popular table," Paulette said.
"Why? You don't even know them," I squeaked.
"Because look at them. They're cool," Phoebe explained gesturing to them. I sighed.
"That's the guy that almost killed me this morning. He's an ass!" I said. Both sisters stopped, they're gaze just about my eye level. I hadn't contemplated why until it was too late and I had already said something stupid.
"It's not very nice to make assumptions about someone you don't even know," said a voice. My face lost all expression as I realized that, of course, they were standing right behind me. I turned around and faced them slowly backing up. The blonde one smiled almost sarcastically.
"Don't mind our sister," Phoebe apologized obviously not sensing what I was from them. "She's socially challenged." I was too stunned to acknowledge the insult. These tall Amazonian-like people stood before us, their presence commanding attention. The blonde one smiled through the corner of his mouth at me.
"And you are...?" he said. Was I the only one who could hear the danger his words were dripped in?
"This is our sister, Layla," Paulette answered for me as I stared stupidly.
"Is she mute? Let her answer," the red haired girl said. I cocked an eyebrow at Phoebe and Paulette. Talk about rude...
"Its nice to meet you, Layla," said the blonde reaching out and picking up my limp hand to shake. "I'm Michael, this is Bridget, and Anthony." I looked at each one of them. I turned around to leave, not bothering to say anything. My alert level was on an ultra high, which is probably why when I turned around to walk away I gasped at what I saw.
Someone had paid us a visit from the "Freak Seats." Tommy, Katrina, and...
Jonas.
I felt my eyes bulge. Jonas. One year, and here he was. Just standing there like... like I don't know like what. I just had never expected to see him this close ever again.
"Geez! Breathe Layla!" Paulette said slapping my back. I gasped.
"Hi," I choked. Tommy and Katrina walked around me. I blinked a few times at Jonas. There was a small moment where I thought I saw in him exactly what I felt. I wanted to jump up and hug him, then slap him for making me wait this long before he decided to talk to me again.
Then, all of the sudden, he tore his gaze away from mine and stepped around me. I guessed he wasn't going to talk to me. I watched him with a small strike of pain. Dull, but still painful. Like a bad emotional papercut.
"Hi," Tommy introduced himself to Michael standing tall. My sisters gave me a concerned look. I knew exactly what they were thinking. What were the freaks doing here, talking to "cool" people? Jonas joined them looking almost reluctant.
Tommy looked over his shoulder at us. Katrina mimicked him. And Jonas refused to look at me, like I wasn't even there.
"You mind? We want to talk alone," Katrina said to my sisters and me. This time I was getting mad. I'd already had bad morning. I felt my eyes narrow. Paulette and Phoebe said something under their breath and started to walk away.
"That's pretty rude," I said to Katrina. The tall intimidating Goth turned to face me, strand of pink hair intermixing with the black hair underneath. She was about to say something when Michael interrupted.
"Yeah. I think Layla can be a part of this conversation," Michael invited. Tommy, Katrina, and Jonas all looked at one another. All eyes turned to me. That would be my cue to leave most days, but not the day when I was nearly run over, called a bitch, and had my last romantic fling walk back into my life after a year and barely even look at me.
Oh no. Now I was pissed.
"Please," I said. "Go on."
"We can't exactly speak until you're gone," Tommy said to me, his voice low, almost a growl. I stood still.
"So," I continued ignoring Tommy, "You almost kill me this morning. Now you want to talk?" I said to Michael. Jonas shot a look at Michael.
"What?" he growled. Jonas' eyes narrowed at Michael much like me, only I think his look of intimidation was much better. It was actually very good. Scary good. I started to feel the strange tension again. It was something I hadn't felt since one year ago at the "Incident" right before Jonas had attacked Tommy.
"Jonas, we agreed," Katrina said in a warning tone and nudging him in the side. Jonas calmed a tad. A very small tad. The attention shifted to Michael.
"It was an accident. She practically jumped in front of my car," Michael said with his hands up defensively. Jonas started to move towards him. Tommy put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.
"We know what you are," Tommy said taking the stand. Katrina and Jonas were stiff by his side almost like soldiers. Again they looked at me, sending me the silent message that I really shouldn't be a part of this conversation. I folded my arms stubbornly. They weren't getting rid of me that easily.
"You have no right to be in this town," Katrina said. Bridget raised an eyebrow.
"Last I checked this is a free country," she said wittily.
"Yes, but its not a free territory," Katrina retorted, her words laced with a hidden meaning. I looked from one group to the other, not really belonging to either. What exactly was going on? I intended to find out. Bridget, Michael, and Anthony looked more amused than anything, when the "Freak Seats" looked just about as annoyed as I felt.
"What's your last name?" Tommy asked.
"Gideon," they all answered at once. The tension rebuilt from that point. I looked from one side to the other. They stood in silence.
"I'm sure my father would love to meet yours," Jonas said.
He speaks! I thought bitterly.
"Don't worry. We'll find you," Michael said. He turned to me. "Layla, would you like to join us at our table?" Tommy, Katrina, and Jonas looked as surprised to hear this as I was. The only time I was invited to a table was by my own blood relatives. This could have been a social stepping stone if I gave a flying crap about my appearances. These kids had made it blatantly obvious in front of the whole school that they were even too cool for the "Popular Table." But I was forever thankful I didn't care what anyone thought. These kids were bad news.
"No thanks. I have some reading to do," I said. This time I had surprised them. Jonas smiled genuinely at my turning them down. Apparently they had thought I would jump at any opportunity to hang out with the "cool new kids." They didn't know me very well. Phoebe or Paulette may have jumped at the chance, but I wasn't my sisters.
On that rare moment where I came off as too good for the cool kids, I had to play it off. I walked off back to my reading spot by the Art building with a bit of an extra swagger in my step. It was only when I heard Michael's parting words that I faltered.
"Feisty little thing, isn't she?"
I'm having fun with this story. Tell me what you think, if you think something should happen let me know. I take everything in reviews into consideration.
