Chapter 58 Chapter Fifty Eight
Chapter Fifty-Six
They were all so nice, making me feel welcome and comfortable as we ate together for lunch.
I was in Dreamland, having the time of my life, because for once, people were actually talking to me! And it was all because of Noah!
“So wait, you’re telling me you’ve never been to Marco’s Pizza?” Jake leaned forward, looking at me as though I’d just confessed to never breathing oxygen. “How is that even possible?”
“I just… haven’t?” I picked at the crust of my sandwich nervously. “I don’t really go out much.”
“Oh my God, I don’t believe it! You HAVE to come with us sometime! Marco’s is literally a Westbrook institution,” Nicole chimed in, twirling her fork. “It’s where everyone goes after the games, with like… their friends and partners and stuff. The breadsticks alone are to die for. I’m not kidding.”
“Nicole would know,” Jake said with a grin. “She once ate three entire boxes all by herself and then passed out in the parking lot in a food coma. I took a photo of her, if you want to see it…”
Jake quickly swiped to the photo on his screen and tried to show it to me, but Nicole snatched it out of his grasp at the last minute. “Jeez! Don’t show her that! You’re embarrassing me.”
He tried to grab it back, laughing hysterically, while Nicole stretched her hand far away so he couldn’t reach it. “But it’s hilarious!”
“That was one time and I had the flu!” Nicole threw a grape at him, which he caught and popped into his mouth, looking ridiculously proud of himself.
I watched their easy banter, the way Jake’s eyes lingered on Nicole when she wasn’t looking, how she pretended not to notice but smiled anyway.
They had that thing, that obvious, unspoken thing where everyone could see they liked each other except apparently them.
Plus they looked so adorable together, I could’ve died.
“You guys are juniors, right?” I asked softly, trying to contribute to the conversation without sounding too awkward.
“Yep,” Nicole said. “Which means we’re totally free from most of the senior drama. Well, mostly.”
She shot a glaring look toward the popular table right across the cafeteria from us. “We know enough to know that Allison girl is poison in designer shoes.”
“She’s always been like that,” Jake added. “Even when we were freshmen, she was terrorising people. I just don’t get why everyone worships her. It literally makes no sense.”
“Her dad practically owns half the city, that’s why,” Nicole said matter-of-factly. “Money talks, bullshit walks. Or in her case, bullshit struts around in Louboutins making everyone else’s life miserable.”
I blinked, surprised by her bluntness.
I never knew anyone could say bad things about Lena so boldly, was that that even possible?
“What about you?” Jake turned to me with genuine curiosity. “You’re a senior, right? What’s your deal?”
“My d-deal?” I asked, confused about what he meant.
“Yeah, like… I don’t know much about you except that people say you tutor and you’re always by yourself. No offence or anything, I just mean…”
“Jake, you’re doing that thing where you talk without thinking again. Be nice.” Nicole cut in.
Then to me, she said gentler, “What he’s actually trying to say is that we’d like to get to know you better. You seem cool.”
Me… cool? Was this a dream?
“I’m really not that interesting,” I said quickly. “I just keep my head down, study, and work. That’s pretty much it.”
“That sounds incredibly lonely,” Nicole said, though there was no pity in her voice, to her it was just an honest observation.
“It is,” I admitted before I could stop myself.
Noah’s hand found mine under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. Then he whispered in my ear, just enough for only me to hear .“Not anymore, though.”
The simple gesture, the quiet certainty in his voice, made my throat tight with feelings and gratitude.
“So what do you like to do?” Jake pressed. “When you’re not studying or working? Want to tell us?”
“I… I read, mostly. And I used to….” I stopped myself.
“Used to what?” Nicole leaned forward.
“It’s stupid.”
“Try us.”
I glanced at Noah, who gave me an encouraging nod.
“I used to want to be a cheerleader,” I said quietly. “Like, really badly. But that’s never going to happen, so…”
“Why not?” Jake asked.
“Because…” I gestured vaguely at myself. “I’m not exactly cheerleader material.”
“That’s bullshit,” Nicole said immediately. “Have you seen some of the girls on that squad? Half of them can barely do a cartwheel, they’re only on the team to take photos for their Insta and kiss Allison’s ass. If you want to be a cheerleader, try out.”
“Signing up for tryouts ends today,” Noah added, nodding along with Nicole while his thumb brushed across my knuckles.
“I know, but…”
“But nothing,” Nicole interrupted. “Screw what anyone thinks. If you want it, go for it.”
Their belief in me, these people who barely knew me, was overwhelming in the best way.
I felt something loosening in my chest, some tight knot of loneliness I’d been carrying for so long I'd almost forgotten it was there.
“Okay, but real talk,” Jake said, switching gears. “What’s the deal with the Dawson cousins? Because the tension there could power a small city. I mean, he just looked at you like he wanted to rip your head off.”
Noah laughed. “Ancient history. Jace and I don’t exactly see eye to eye.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I muttered.
“Ooh, tea,” Nicole grinned. “Spill.”