Chapter Four: Adonis and Sparks.
1849 Words
BECCA
My morning classes pass by like a breeze and I meet no one cheery enough (other than Dakota) to come up to me and talk until lunchtime.
The cafeteria is much easier to find than the classrooms because almost everyone leaves immediately after the bell rings and moves in groups to this spacious double-door hall.
The media arts class was pretty fun. Ms. Fiona, my teacher, is pretty good and made my first class notable.
Not watching my steps and paying much attention, I collide with someone else now.
Again? Ugh!
Note to self: Pay attention to people if you don’t want to die of embarrassment.
However, the impact seems much more robust, and I stumble back toward the floor. Startled, I gasp and close my eyes, waiting for my butt to collide with the polished floor. Suddenly, I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me into a hard chest.
“Are you okay?” a deep voice asks.
My eyes flutter open, and I notice a guy’s hard-bodied chest and biceps under that tight greyish-black t-shirt. I can feel color crawling upwards on my face.
I crane my neck to look up and into his eyes.
Woah! He’s so tall. The way he’s towering over me, he must be over 6’1. Also, the guy is an actual living example of an Adonis – the most handsome. His dark brown hair sweeps to the side as it falls over his dark brown eyes. Everything about him screams mystery to me. But a fascinating mystery, and I adore secrets and love to solve them. That’s why thrillers and detectives are my favorite genre, apart from horror.
Locking my gaze with his, I feel like I am just losing myself deep into those brown orbs, so deep that the way out of them seems impossible. It feels like a spotlight falls on him as if he is the male drama’s lead. I open my mouth several times, but no words come out. I am completely speechless and lost, noticing how he still protectively holds me against his tall and rugged frame.
He radiates too much heat, but it feels good to be close to him. What the f**k. I blink back to reality and step back from his grasp. I shudder under his gaze when somebody screams, “Becky!”
I turn my head at the intruder.
Dakota?!
I mentally groan and glance at the guy, but he is no longer there. I frown. Did he leave already? Dakota then squeals and jumps in front of my eyes.
“Hey, again!”
I fake a smile.
“Let’s go to our table,” she says.
“Our table?” She shakes her head and grabs the hem of my jacket instead of my wrist. “Everyone here has their tables reserved. Like a High School Musical sort of thing...” She begins to walk through the aisles, dragging me behind.
I ask “A status quo?” Why am I letting her do this? I am supposed to stand in the queue and take my food first.
“Exactly,” she beams. “Anyway, I want you to meet my friends.” I notice how popular this bubbly girl is. People are calling out to her, greeting her, and stuff. She radiates her cheery self in the same manner that the guy emits mystery. I still wonder where he went so fast. The crease on my forehead deepens as Dakota talks nonstop and releases her grip on my arm.
I quietly follow her.
“You seem popular...”
Dakota throws her head back and giggles. “Not.”
I don’t press the issue further. I nod when the two of us reach a table in the corner. It’s a huge one with almost thirty people all over it.
When we reach her friends, she announces, “Guys, she’s the one I was talking about.”
Everyone at the table goes silent.
Dakota scoffs, “Ugh, guys, stop staring at her. You are making her awkward…”
I shyly smile and wave. Dakota takes a seat beside a blonde fashionista. I love her curls; they look so soft and pretty. Dakota says, “Her name’s Becca and she’s new here.” Everyone, except a guy with his head down and earbuds in, darts their gazes at me.
So, he came here after disappearing earlier.
A minute later, a boy next to the blonde flirtatiously grins, “Oooo, hello, Becca!” and winks at me.
The blonde smacks his head.
“Owww!” The boy groans and throws her a glare.
The blonde crosses her arms and scoffs, “I am Skylar, and that’s...” She glances over at the boy and then back at me. “Ethan. He’s a jerk, so don’t mind him.”
I nod. Skylar looks pretty, uh, pretty intimidating.
Ethan scowls, “Hey! But you love me, babe”
Skylar rolls her eyes and snorts before she daintily plucks out veggies from her bowl and stuffs them in her mouth. “Unfortunately.”
Oh, they are dating.
But why would he look flirtatiously? Perhaps it’s his way of being friends. Ethan does seem like Dakota’s male version. Cheerful and nice.
Pulling the opposite Gretchen Wieners, Skylar shuts my thoughts and says, “You know that you can sit with us, right?” They all go back to looking at me, and I awkwardly clasp and fidget when Skylar playfully kicks a chair toward me.
“Sit.”
I don’t wish to disobey her, so I reluctantly take to my designated seat.
“So, where’s your lunch?” another girl speaks to me. Her hair is a darker shade of blonde and she has green eyes.
That’s when Dakota gasps and exclaims, “Oh, no! Sarah, you are right. I am so sorry. I didn’t realize you had no tray, and I didn’t even...” with a guilty smile toward me.
I defensively wave my hand and then get back on my feet, and they look up when I say, “I can go and get it now.”
“Why would you go? We can ask anyone here to bring it for you...” Skylar interrupts me, and I look at her, shake my head, and smile.
“No need, Skylar. I can get-”
“Wait, Aaron can get it for you,” Sarah announces and looks at the guy named Aaron, and he nods.
“I was going to get yogurt, so tell me what you want. I can get it for you.”
I frown, “But-”
Dakota interferes, “That’s so nice of you, Aaron, thanks.” And then she sighs, “I believe I would feel less guilty if you do that.”
Skylar scoffs, “Don’t you think you feel guilty quite often, D?”
Dakota shrugs, “I know, I am like that.”
I shuffle my hand in my pockets and then politely pass five bucks to Aaron before he walks away. I sit back in my seat after Dakota pats it and eagerly bats her eyelashes at me.
My eyes briefly land on the boy opposite me with his head down.
Dakota clears her throat, and I look back at her. Ethan calls, “Psst...” and knocks on the back of the guy’s head. That guy lets out a low growl.
In the blink of an eye, there is a loud SMACK! My eyes widen.
The guy looks up with his smoldering, narrowed eyes.
“HOW DARE YOU, SMITH! WHAT THE f**k DID YOU JUST DO? I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE A FRIEND, YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED YOUR ALPHA-” when Dakota slaps her palm over his mouth to shut him off.
Alpha?
The guy, this time, glares at Dakota. They seem to have a non-verbal conversation. I don’t know, it’s not like me, but I can’t help wondering if they are lovers. That’s when I sense someone staring at me. I blink and then tremble under his scrutinizing glare.
I force myself to smile when Sarah formally says, “And oh, this is Alp—Nathan.”
I frown. Why be so formal as if he has a higher role than her or anyone else? Ethan butts in and throws an arm over Nathan’s shoulders, “He is my best friend.”
But Nathan shifts and scoffs, “I think that position is now open for others.” Then he looks over to the rest of the group. “I want candidates for the best friend position, now.”
Ethan mocks him in a fake British accent, “Aww, the leader is upset. I know you are mocking me, leader.” Then he chuckles.
Nathan scowls when Aaron returns with his yogurt and my lunch. I thank him, and then he takes his place next to Sarah. I look forward to eating this cold-cut pizza…not!
I look back at the group as I frown and murmur, “Huh, what?” when I sense Nathan’s eyes locked on my face. It’s peculiar and awkward but then Skylar clears her throat, “So, where are you from?”
I look at her and respond, “San Jose, California.”
Skylar clicks her tongue and Dakota excitedly exclaims, “Wow, you had a nice life there!”
I nod. “It was. I was a surfer there.”
Sarah chimes in, “Your tan’s amazing.”
Then a person further away quips, “I like your figure, girl.”
I awkwardly scratch my neck, “Thanks...”
“Woah, I love surfing!” Ethan says, but Sarah cuts him off. “We don’t do surfing here, Be...” and then coughs up, “I mean, Ethan.”
He snorts, “I have been to Malibu, Sarah.”
“Only for two days. You cannot be a pro in two days,” Skylar mocks.
Ethan wriggles his eyebrows and grins, “An amazing two-day getaway...babe.”
Skylar pretends to be disgusted. “So, how bad were you?” she then teases me.
I frown and slightly shake my head. “I don’t think I was bad. Everyone back home praised me, and I did win three comp….”
“Aww, Becky,” Dakota interrupts me and giggles, “Sky is pulling your leg, girl.”
Oh, I didn’t think like that.
Skylar winks at me.
I blush as they laugh.
I look around only to land my eyes again on him. Nathan. I don’t know what’s wrong. Why is he staring at me? The moment our eyes lock, his expression hardens.
“Nathan…” someone calls him and he flinches. His eyes darken and he jumps off the chair with a growl.
Everyone looks either startled or frightened.
Nathan doesn’t let go of my gaze when he crazily bangs his fist on the table and growls, “Mine.”
I dumbfoundedly stay in my seat.
Nathan later stomps off after he kicks his chair away.
I watch him go.
What the f**k happened?
- Writer
