Natalia POV
All I wanted to do was eat lunch in peace. But then I see my former best friend Jack hanging out with a new guy—the guy I had mentally claimed. I saw him in second hour and decided I wanted him, and as everyone knows, Natalia Rayne always gets what she wants.
So naturally I had to go yell at her for it, but then I heard her actually telling this new kid that she wanted to make my life hell. So I ended up yelling at her for that too. Sometimes I wanted to tear her hair out. Her unnaturally red-orange hair, in between the cherry red and carrot colored red, that everyone assumed was dyed but was actually natural. I know this because she told me everything once, and I trusted her not to lie to me. Sometimes I still think she remembered and wanted to be my friend again, but I had blown it when I went slutleader.
"Sweetheart, you're the funny one. You actually think you have a chance with this moron," I said to down her spirits, but she just rolled her eyes as if it didn't bug her. It actually didn't bug her. If there was one thing I knew about her, it was that she could barely lie at the best of times, and admitting she did or didn't like someone could hardly be counted as a "best of times" scenario. "Whatever. I'm so out of here," I said to…well…get out of there.
I headed to my table where all the cheerleaders and football players sit, and I sat down. Jillian turned to me. "Was that the guy you claimed?" she asked. "With Jack?"
"Yeah. It's okay though, it's not like she has a chance," I repeated to my new best friend.
We talked all through lunch about how I was going to get him away from her, and then I realized it was almost time for fourth hour. "I got to go," I said as I rushed to throw my tray away.
"Yeah, I'm skipping. Economics is so boring with Mrs. Mansew," Jillian said.
I rushed to class and found a seat in back that was still open, because Mrs. Mansew didn't give us assigned seats. It wasn't until after the late bell rang that Jeremy and Jack slipped into the room. Jack explained that Jeremy was new and that she was still showing him around—suck up—and she asked for a pass to her class, which our teacher gave to her. Jeremy eyed the few remaining seats and chose one right next to me, the only one in the back, and gained pitying looks from Jack before she left.
"Okay," Mrs. Mansew said. "I'm going to pair you guys up and you have to do an assignment for the next week. It's about managing money in a store you own, blah blah blah." Yeah, she's not the best teacher. "Emma and Jake." Damn. Lucky bitch, she got the hot guy in the class. "Jillian and Derek. Since Jillian's not here today, Derek, you'll have to work by yourself for the day." Jillian's lucky she's not here. Derek's a nerd and will probably do all the work and let her take all the credit. He did for me once. Of course, I had had to bribe him….
"And, Natalia, you're lucky we just got a new student, because otherwise we would have had an odd number and you would have been working by yourself. But you'll be working with new kid Jeremy."
Yes! That will show Jack! I was determined to make this kid mine no matter what the costs! Good thing we were learning about money in econ; I'd need these lessons.
"Okay," Jeremy said. "I hope you know what you're doing, because I'm an idiot."
"I don't think you're an idiot," I said flirtingly.
"Er…I barely know you…" he trailed off.
"No, and I don't know you. But we should change that," I said, fluttering my eyes.
Jeremy raised one eyebrow. I never understood how anyone could do that. Then again, I'd never been normal; I could flip my tongue over.
"Sorry, came on a bit too strong," I said, trying a different approach. "How about we just work?" I rolled up my sleeves on impulse, but thought better of it and rolled them back down. I saw Jeremy looking at my wrist in disbelief. Then he shook his head and went back to normal.
"Yeah," he said. "Let's work."
o.O.o
"So how was econ?" Jillian asked, not that she cared.
"Okay, actually. I got paired with Jeremy for a project. And you got paired with Derek. How amazing for you," I said.
"Why? He's not even cute!"
"So? When I was paired with him for something, he did all the work and I got an A," I explained.
"Alright!" she cheered. "So you coming to practice after school?"
"Where else would I be?" I asked.
"Your brother isn't in town?" Jillian asked, frowning.
"No, why?"
"I called your house last night and Tyler answered the phone. And I could tell it was him, because he has the dreamiest voice—"
"Whoa, wait. I wasn't at home until late last night, I was with Alex and John and Bre. No one told me Tyler was home when I got back."
"Well I'd know his hot voice anywhere!" Jillian gushed.
Tyler and Matt were my two older brothers. Matt was eighteen and Tyler was nineteen, and they were both in college. I was the youngest and only girl in the family…besides my mom of course. I missed my brothers like crazy my whole life, because even when they were living at home, they'd always be at some friend's house or football practice. When they went away to college, though, I missed them even more. I never realized how much I actually saw them until they left.
"I gotta call my house, like, now," I said and retreated to the bathroom where I called my house phone, and sure enough, Tyler answered on the first ring.
"Hey, Talia," he said. "I thought you'd be calling sometime today. Don't you have class? Oh, who am I kidding, I never went to class either—kidding Dad!" he cut off and called somewhere else. "Anyway, I didn't see you last night because I had to go to my hotel early."
"No one even told me you were in town!" I said. "I found out from Jillian…"
"Yeah, she practically passed out on the phone yesterday when I answered. What ever happened to that Jack girl? She was nice."
Knowing him, he meant nice body, not nice personality.
"It's complicated, I told you."
"Aw, I know. I'm just teasing. Anyway, I'll be in town the whole week. We have a break for something or other, and so I came back. Matt wanted to stay up there with his girlfriend, you know him, but I'm here and he promised he'd be back for the next break, okay?"
"Okay," I said as the late bell rang. "I don't want to go to class. If I say I don't feel good, will you come pick me up?"
"What's that?" Tyler said loudly. "You're puking all over the school bathroom? Alright, I'll come get you, but puke in my car and I swear I'll knock your head in." I heard a car door close on the other line and he said, "Dad fled the room when I said 'puke' the first time. See you soon, girl."
This is why I love my brother.