.x.x.
Chapter Seven
.x.x.The main cafeteria wasn't too crowded that afternoon as small groups of people clumped together to chat away and shovel down food. One boy in tenth grade sat alone, watching a group of senior boys as they arm-wrestled each other at a far end of a lunch table. The boy watched a particular blond keep winning that didn't gloat but didn't act pretend to be modest. It was the flawless balance.
Marco positioned a hand under his chin, dreamily observing Dylan talking to one of his friends. The senior was flawless. He adored how his light blue eyes lit up and how they squinted when he laughed. That face... it looked like it had been sculpted into a god's face. His flaxen curls, how they...-
A faraway voice hindered his attention, "Could it be anymore obvious that you have the hots for my brother?" Paige Michalchuk stood in front of him with a tray of food in her flawlessly manicured , no one was with her. She glanced at him behind fashionable sunglasses, stating, "I swear... if you two start giving each other nicknames, I will positively gag."
Marco responded good-naturedly, "What about you and your Honeybee? You have Spinner on a leash, no, a death-lock. If he makes eye contact with another girl, you'd bitch-slap him."
At first, she leaned forward challengingly, but then a real smile wavered on her face as his eyes wandered back to his eye-candy boyfriend.
Paige threw a napkin in his lap. He asked, "What's this for?"
"To wipe the drool."
Marco cracked up and Paige gave him a teeny wink before walking to her table that was surrounded by all her friends. She wasn't so bad when her demon self was turned off. In her black attire, Ellie appeared and sat down with her food. "What was that?" she asked.
He seemed puzzled. "What was what?"
"Paige."
"What? I'm not aloud to talk to her?"
Ellie said, frowning and picking at her food with her fork, "I dunno. . .it seems weird."
"It's only because I'm dating her brother-"
He clamped his mouth shut and she grinned.
"Oh, so now you've admitted it."
Marco deliberately changed the subject, saying, "Ell, you got the notebook?"
"Actually, I gave it to Dylan."
His eyes bugged out. She chuckled. "I'm lying." He placed a hand over his heart.
".. .you almost gave me a heart attack."
Ellie added spontaneously, "In all honesty, I gave it to Paige who gave it to Dylan." At this, Marco rose up to his feet quickly and looked to the senior boys table. In fact, his brightly colored notebook was in Dylan's bag. It looked like he hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Marco turned to his best friend darkly. "When I get that back, you are in for it..."
She had an evil smile on her fair face and he looked back; Marco couldn't just go up to him and ask for it. He'd have to find a away to get it with embarrassing himself if Dylan had read it.
"I need a distraction." Ellie nodded.
"I'm on it." She stood up and picked up her paper plate of food offhandedly, without further ceremony, she threw it at the back of a kid's head. She pulled Marco under the table as the kid threw food at the people behind them. Voices ran out in enthusiasm.
"FOOD FIGHT!"
The cafeteria was soon in total chaos and food flew everywhere. Marco gazed at her, in the shadow of their table, asking, "Cover me, I'm going in." He crawled on his hands and knees to the far table. Jello and mustard was thrown at the back of his jean jacket and something awfully sticky was dripping into his hair. Marco made his way to the bag and was about to take it when Dylan who had threw some ketchup-ed meatloaf at his friend spotted Marco on the floor.
"...Marco?"
The other boy's mouth dropped open.
"H-Hey, Dylan. I was...uh...Paige gave you my notebook by accident and I need it back."
Dylan, with a sort of mushy brown substance pudding in his hair, handed it over to him without question and their hands came in contact. Marco asked blushing, "You didn't look in it... did you?"
The older boy shook his head, ducking a glop of return fire from his meatloaf splattered friend.
Marco crept back to his table by the time the food fight was put to a stop by Armstrong and Raditich. Ellie helped him off the floor, bits of lettuce and coleslaw in her hair and on her clothes.
"Did you get it back?" Marco brushed himself off and glared.
"Yes. Why did you do that?"
"Well, you said you wanted a distraction-"
He held up his notebook.
"No, I mean with this."
Understanding appeared in her eyes.
"Oh, that. Several reasons." She hooked her arm through his, reciting with the air of someone with an important announcement, "One of them is that I love messing with you. The other is that you two are so oblivious to how much you mean to each other sometimes. I wanted to give it a push but I'll admit that it was a tad drastic."
"A tad, Ell?" He gave her a mildly exasperated look. "But, I guess I could understand what you're saying... I think."
"Plus I had to get you back for making me swoon for months letting me think you were straight."
Marco elbowed her in the ribs.
"I'm just glad he didn't see it."
Ellie said with a head shake as they began walking out, "I wouldn't count on it." He burrowed his brows confused as she finished, "I copied the pages and pasted them in his locker. Hot the combo from Paige as well." She stopped, flashing an innocent grin, "Oops."
"ELLIE, YOU ARE SO DEAD!"
He chased after her as she ran for it, laughing hysterically. Fortunately for Marco... she had been lying.
Next Chapter: Uh oh, we're in for more trouble...
