January, Day 14, Lunch
January, Day 14, Lunch
I make my way slowly through the lunch line in the crowded cafeteria, feeling a thousand eyes on my back. A slight heat creeps onto my cheeks at the thought of people watching me. I finally reach the end of the line and hand the cashier my money andsearch for a seat away from everyone. My usual seat is with Mike and Jessica, Angela and Ben, Lauren and Tyler, and Eric and a new girl whose name I don't even know. It's really Lauren's fault I don't sit with them anymore, well, and Jessica also really. They keep bringing up the Cull- I realized the name after I thought it. Bad move Bella, I scolded myself.
My sharp intake of breath caused some students, who usually don't stare at me, to glance at me curiously. One of the girls approached me, saying "Are you alright?" I shook my head 'yes' and managed to mumble a low "Fine", after she had walked away with a last curious glance. I sat down at the nearest empty table, which ended up being only a table down from Mike's.
Luckily for me, he just had to notice. "Hey, Bella!" he called, causing a scowl to form on Jessica and Lauren's lips, "Come and sit with us!" he yelled at me and made Jessica move over so I could sit by him. I uttered a small "Okay", which was really pointless because there was no way he could have heard me. I reluctantly picked up my tray and walked slowly over to him, my eyes on the ground the whole time. Jessica's, however, stayed on me as I went to meet him, her eyes full of disdain that also showed clearly on her face. I saw Mike nudge her with his arm and mutter something to her that made her roll her eyes at him and turn the other direction. Great. Now he was making people be nice to me. I looked up at him with an 'I just saw what you did' look and he smiled apologetically at me.
After reaching the table, I sit down quietly and look at my hands resting on the table. "So," comes from beside me. Mike. Of course. "What have you been up to lately?" he says, with a blank look in his eye, covering something else up. When I answer I try to ignore that. "Nothing much really, homework, studying. That kind of stuff… You?" I ask him. "You actually study?" He asks me, astonished. The heat rushed up to my face as I shyly nodded. Across from me, Angela laughs slightly saying "I do to Mike", and adds a small smile. He grins sheepishly and says "Yeah, heh, I guess you would Angela."
Meanwhile, Jessica is watching this whole show Mike's putting on with anger and irritation clearly written on her face and in her eyes. The look I know she's giving the back of my head just makes me want to get up, leave the room, and tell Mike to never speak to me again. Or leave her freakin' side for that matter. I have to bite back a laugh at that, as if Mike would ever do that.
"Anyways," Mike's voice brings me out of my thoughts, "since you haven't been doing anything lately, do you think you'll be doing anything this weekend?" He asks me with a hopeful, yet 'ready to be turned down, again' expression. I sigh. When will Mike ever quit? I think to myself angrily. But then as another thought comes to mind, I second- guess myself. Maybe I should go somewhere with Mike… Charlie would like that a lot… It would make Jessica and Lauren very mad… Why not? I look at Mike and smile slightly, nodding my head a little. "Okay, though I might not be much fun…"