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I reach the school cafeteria of the concrete monstrosity of a school, grab a tray and wait to be served. Dakota’s name is swishing in my head. I spy the girls sitting in our seats in the senior’s area. I keep telling myself that Dakota most probably doesn’t go to school here. I haven’t been out with my friends for some time. Sam has gotten worse, and I’ve been worried about Em because she has been climbing into my bed lately.
Jess’s brothers are at the same tables. They like to have Jess sit near them, just so they can make sure all the guys stay away from their sister. Little do they know, Jess has already had a few boyfriends and Donovan is the flavour of the day. Jess is sitting on his lap despite the daggers Lake is giving him.
Dean is too busy with what's-her-name to even notice Jess leaning all over Don.
I slide my tray on the table and plop myself down at the end, next to Parker. Sienna isn’t here yet; she is most probably in the library again, and Lisa is missing in action, so it seems.
Oops okay, Lisa just walked in holding James’s hand and they’re walking to our table. Oh, my God, her neck is covered in hickeys, but James only has three hickeys on his neck. Lisa and her younger siblings live with their mum. Her dad died during a freak storm on the fishing trawler he was working on. I think her brother is the same age as Em.
‘Don,’ James drawls, as they fist-bump each other. ‘Ladies.’ He nods his head at the three of us.
Jess giggles. ‘Stop that baby.’ She says to Don.
The sound of chairs scraping across the floor is heard over all the chatter in the area.
‘Oh, look!’ Parker lowers her voice to a whisper. ‘Here comes Lake.’
I watch him walk around the tables in his big brother swagger— you know, chest puffed out and a menacing look.
Lake’s steel blue eyes stare straight down at where Donovan is sitting. Lake’s game face is on as he cracks his knuckles. Someone must’ve told Dean because he jumps up and follows Lake over.
Parker’s eyes grow wide when she notices Dean coming over. She starts messing with her hair and then puts on lip-gloss. I kick her foot, and she looks at me with that, what?— look.
‘Raychelle is watching,’ I mutter and nod my head in her direction.
Parker turns and faces me. The blush that has just spread over her face is every shade of pink.
‘Damn it.’ She bites her lip.
‘Jess, is there something wrong with the seat?’ Lake gestures to the empty chair.
James never really liked confrontation and left as soon as it was mentioned that Lake was coming over. He drags Lisa outside with him. I nudge Parker in the shoulder to move so we aren’t in the firing line.
The cafeteria is notorious for fights, and you would think food would calm the testosterone levels, but apparently not.
Parker doesn’t move; she's stuck in her seat. I look at her, and the alarm spreads across her face is evident. Dean stands so close to her, and she is shell-shocked. Jess rolls her eyes and slides into the seat next to Parker.
Lake walks around Jess and lifts Don up out of his seat.
‘You and I are going to have a little chat.’ Lake says to him. Don hunches his shoulders as they walk outside.
‘Really, he needs to find a girl or something,’ Jess complains.
‘Come on, Jess. You’ve seen the girls hanging off your brothers. It’s been happening since we started high school,’ Parker remarks beside me.
Parker’s crush on Dean goes deep. She’s been in love with him since year five. She fell out of a tree we were playing in, he threw his arm around her shoulder and carried her to his place and gave her a band-aid for her knee. Her dad doesn’t show kindness to her mum, and that was the first time she saw a guy show kindness to a girl.
‘Look, there he is. I call dibs on that hottie,’ Jess nods.
Parker and I turn to look at who Jess is talking about, and that’s when I see him. His dark hair is spiked on top; his school shirt hugs his body; and his biceps bulge at the seam of his sleeve. He walks. No, he struts. A group of guys I have never seen before move with him over to the bench, by the dancers, with a group of guys. He is laughing at something one of them had said, and then he looks toward our table. He flashes his dimples my way. Damn it, I’m hooked.
‘He just smiled at me.’ Jess beams. ‘I saw him this morning when I went to the office to change classes. He was in there, and when he turned around—. Whoa,’ She fans herself. ‘I wanted to kiss those full lips of his.’
My hands tighten into fists. I wish Dakota would walk over here and talk to me; so then Jess would know I saw him first.
‘What about Donovan?’ Parker points out.
‘What about him? It was fun for a while.’ Jess’s voice is flat. That’s her typical nonchalant, top-of-the-food-chain attitude.
I look at Parker, who shrugs her shoulders. I think she is just grateful that Dean is Jessica’s brother.
Picking up my bag off the ground, I sling it over my shoulder.
‘So, I’m gonna head to history. I’ll catch up with you later.’ I walk out of the cafeteria.
I’m not usually one to go to class so early. But I can’t stand listening to Jess talk about the new guy, like she will be the one who gets him. There are hundreds of girls at this school. What makes her think that she will win him? Not that I’m interested, but the Miss Popular attitude is very boring sometimes.
Okay, that’s a lie.
I am interested in Dakota, and I’m also jealous of Jess. I envy her. I mean, she’s a beautiful brunette with stunning blue eyes. I will never win Dakota against her. My stomach hardens with jealousy. I cross my arms in front of my chest as I walk along the hallway to history class.