Nicole and Rebecca sat down for lunch alone that afternoon. Dana was in Saturday detention, Michael had basketball practice, Zoey was inside starting up some sort of project, Chase had locked himself in his room (Rebecca had a sneaking suspicion why) and Kristen and Logan were nowhere to be found.
And no one really wanted to invite Quinn to lunch.
Nicole picked up and olive and began stabbing it with her fork.
"So, how's PCA been for you? Everything you expected?"
Rebecca pushed the salad to one side of her plate with her knife.
"It's been cool," she said, chewing on a lettuce leaf, "the people are great, the classes are awesome…well…except life science. I can't believe I took up life science," she groaned inwardly, "and it's too late to back out now because of that stupid project I have to do with Logan. If Jackson Rennison hadn't dropped out then I wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe I should've punched him in the face…"
She stared wistfully into the sky before shaking her head, and looking back at Nicole.
"Tell me something," she continued, "who's a couple here?"
"Let's see…there's Anna Gregory and Jackson Rennison and Christina Carlton and Jake Duvall and –"
"No, no, I mean, like between the gang."
"Oh," Nicole popped an olive into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, "let me see, uh, well there's uh…hmm…well…Michael went out with a girl called Addie a couple of weeks back and uh…"
"So, no one?" Rebecca twirled her straw around in her mango smoothie, "Weird."
"Why? Who did you think were couples?"
"Well, first impressions told me Logan and Zo, but then upon meeting Dana and spending a little more time with Logan then the two totally want each other, and Chase, I think he likes Zo, I'm not sure…but I don't know if Zo likes him, you know?" She began laughing, "God this life is like a soap opera. We should pay people to observe us."
"It's interesting that you say about Dana and Logan," Nicole said, "the two argue non stop and bicker, bicker, bicker, but you know one time I caught them at it," Nicole sniggered and Rebecca gasped, "but they don't know that. The thing is they pretend to hate each other, Logan…Logan and you don't get along do you?"
Rebecca suddenly began choking on her salad and coughed it back up onto her plate.
"I hope you're not suggesting that -!" She spluttered threateningly.
"No, no, no I wasn't," Nicole said quickly, shaking her head and her hands, "Not for one second."
Rebecca felt a hand pound on her back as she continued to cough up various pieces of lettuce.
"Mind if we join you?"
"Well, if you promise to stop regurgitating salad."
Nicole looked up into the sunlight. It was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen; standing in a line, the three best looking guys in their year, each with their perfectly styled hair and their casual, low-riding jeans…Nicole had to stop herself from drooling.
Art, Nate and Harry sat down anyway – Art sat next to his sister and began automatically beating her on the back, Harry sat next to Art, leaving a seat between him and the seat Nate was sitting in, which was next to Nicole.
Oh my good giddy God I can practically feel his luscious-ness!
"Who's the seat for?" Rebecca asked hoarsely, as she massaged her throat and cleared aside the plate.
"Michael, when he gets back from changing," Harry said, cutting his sandwich into little pieces. Rebecca looked down with dismay at her plate, which was now covered in sticky shreds of green.
"I'm going to get another lunch," she announced, sliding the plate onto the empty table beside them. She stood up and walked towards the cafeteria line. Nicole had to exercise some serious self control not to just jump them all. Or stroke their hair. She couldn't believe how actually perfect their hair was. Not a hair out of place. She was tempted to ask what gel they used but was rendered speechless as soon as her nose smelt the sweet aroma of DKNY Be Delicious for Men.
I cannot believe he is sitting beside me!
Her head down, she silently began eating her olives. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Art raising their eyebrows suggestively at Nate then at her.
What? What's going on? Is it bad? Should I run?
"Duuuuuude," Harry whispered, obviously thinking he was inaudible, "do it!"
God I should run. Just up and leave. Find Rebecca and run like the wind.
Nicole put down her cutlery and scraped her chair back.
"Nicole! Don't go," Nate said quickly, pushing her seat back in so hard that it buckled her knees.
Oh no, I'm trapped. I should shout for help.
"I was wondering if...," Nate ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, "you would er…and I, er…sometime er…well, would you?"
"Would I what?" Nicole asked promptly, "Would I eat your chips? Would I levitate? Would I what?"
Harry and Art sniggered evilly in unison, nudging each other in the ribs. Nate, on the other hand, was sort of flustered. And he hadn't checked his hair was okay for the last thirty seconds. Woah.
A Personal Best.
"Wouldyouliketogooutwithmesometime?"
Nicole blinked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Wouldyouliketogooutwithmesometime?" Nate repeated. Nicole noticed Harry and Art had stopped giggling and were now staring at her, obviously waiting for an answer. Her brain however, was having a dither attack.
Hold the phone!
Did he just ask me out? Did Nate just ask me out? Did Nate Williams just ask me out? Oh my good giddy God I think he did. He did. Nate Williams. The Nate Williams. The Nate. Williams. Ahhh…please, brain, make me do something normal. No mentioning of armadillos or similar – oh my good giddy God he's looking at me now. Right at me.
Oh right, he's waiting for an answer.
GIVE HIM ONE!
"Uh…sure," she said, hoping to sound casual and cool, when really her brain was on overdrive and her heart was beating faster than a…
Really fast drummer.
Oh wait, Nate's a drummer. Score!
"Cool," Nate smiled, showing off all his perfect, white teeth. Harry and Art did the same, going back to shoving each other in the ribs happily.
"Okay, Teeth Ahoy," Rebecca frowned as she put down a container of fruit salad at her place and slid into her seat. "Is there a reason for all the smiles, or should I just smile along too and ignore it?" She immediately broke into a plastic smile. Even though it wasn't genuine, it as still worthy of toothpaste commercials all around the world.
Nicole felt a bit out of place. When Rebecca returned, she felt slightly out of it. It was a tribe of 'Beautiful People.' 'The Pretty Committee.' Add in Kristen, Adrienne House, Christina Carlton and Shannon Sewell then you had the whole set. Those people were destined to marry rich and probably marry each other. Date the rich and date each other.
Well what does that say about me?
Nicole knew she was shorter than Rebecca, but that didn't bother her.
She probably had glossier hair anyway.
MrsLoganReese you rock for reviewing! And thanks for clearing up that 'lied' thing I was reading it and thinking 'WTF!' but it's all understandable now. And to everyone else, eat your pies and be merry! Smoochies, N x