The Five Steps To Smile

Chapter Three

        "Finally!" Blaine groaned and stretched, popping his back with a satisfying crack. "I honestly thought I was going to starve before lunch." Khloe rolled her eyes at his dramatics, flicking him on the forehead.
          "Alright Prissy Pants, let's get the little princess her lunch," she retorted and Blaine glared at her.
          The four had reunited after fourth hour of their classes, now walking through the halls to go to lunch.
          "Can you two please give me five minutes of peace without your bickering?" Adira pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, a frown making her wrinkle her brows.
          "But Mom," Khloe whined. "Blaine's face keeps annoying me." Adira narrowed her eyes slightly at her small friend, the intensity of her light green eyes making Khloe shrink away slightly.
          "Right now both of your face's is making me want to punch my own. Now, please give me a peaceful lunch and then after that you two can go and throw insults at each other as much as your hearts content." Before anyone could say another word, Adira strode away, leaving the three to stare at each other, dumbfounded.
          "Is she usually like that?" Nolan asked the other two. They both shook their heads and they gave each other an accusing look.
          "What did you do?" Khloe stared at Blaine with slitted eyes, the accusation prominent in her words.
          "What are you talking about? It was you who probably did something." Blaine matched her stance but scowled at her deeply.
          "I didn't do anything! She was fine until..." Khloe faltered and as her words faded away, her eyes widened. As Blaine caught her expression, he became wary.
          "Until what?" He urged, trying to understand why she froze like that.
          "Oh my lord, I'm an idiot!" She suddenly shrieked, causing a few heads to turn to stare but she ignored them as she turned on her heel and sprinted down the hall, the way that Adira just came. The two boys stared after her before turning to share identical clueless expressions.
           "You guys are honestly one of the most interesting group of people I have ever met," Nolan couldn't help but comment. Blaine scratched his head and agreed. He remembered when he first met the two girls, the sight quite a shocker to his system. But as he hung out with them more, he knew he wouldn't trade them for the world.
          "If you're going to keep hanging around us, you'll get used to it. Everybody here doesn't even bat an eyelash but sometimes it still perturbs me how they're unaffected by their behavior."
          "But aren't you one of them?" asked Nolan. Blaine didn't answer for a moment as the two started to follow the path that the girls went, going at a much slower pace.
          "I guess so. I've never thought of it like that," Blaine murmured. Nolan gave him a sideways glance, ignoring the few stolen looks that were given from the few students left in the halls.
          Nolan didn't say nothing else and they made their way to the cafeteria, the chattering of students heard way before they even made it to the door. Blaine opened it without saying a word, going in first with Nolan following after.
          It was creepy, in Nolan's opinion, as the large room full of teenagers fell silent almost simultaneously as the pair walked in. Nolan smiled charmingly at the quiet crowd while Blaine trudged ahead, his eyes zeroing on his two female friends who seemed to be in a heated debate.
          "Adira! Khloe!" Their heads whipped around and Blaine jogged over to their table located next to the wall, their trays already placed in front of them. "What's wrong?" He frowned worriedly, noting the way Adira frowned deeply and Khloe had a guilty look on her face.
          "Blaine, tell Khloe to stop worrying about me." Adira sounded slightly aggravated, her normally light green eyes darker.
          "But Adira! I'm a terrible friend for not noticing." Khloe at this time looked close to tears and Adira softened.
          "Khloe, stop worrying about something so small. You're being over dramatic about this whole thing." Adira said the last part with a roll of her eyes, her emotionless mask slipping back on.
          She honestly should have expected this reaction. Adira and Khloe have known each other since they were kids and yet every time an incident like this happens, Adira always forgets.
          "Addie, you don't have to contain it anymore. Come here, my shoulder is open for your tears." Khloe held her arms open, waiting for Adira to embrace her and weep like some child. Blaine stared at the two with a blank expression of his own, finally realizing what was happening.
          "Khloe, lunch is halfway over and my burger is getting cold. Not only that, but I have track practice after school and I really need to eat if I want to survive." When Khloe opened her mouth to give a reply, she quickly shut her mouth as Adira gave her a stern look, giving no room for any argument.
          "Fine," she finally muttered, backing down. Adira sighed quietly and nodded, finally looking over to Blaine.
          "Where's Nolan?" she asked him. Blaine jumped as she spoke to him, realizing that the new kid was no longer with him. He looked around the cafeteria, not finding it hard to find the Paris playboy as he was surrounded by a group of girls.
          He had a wide smile that displayed his perfect teeth, his words inaudible from the distance between him and the three. Blaine turned back and sat his bag next to his chair, turning to go into the lunch line without saying a word. His thoughts were not spared for Nolan as he considered what he would get for lunch, a more pressing matter to him in his mind.
          Adira watched him go before switching her attention back to Nolan, her brows furrowing in thought. Seeing this, Khloe stared up at her questioningly.
          "What are you thinking?" Adira sat down besides her, her eyes still on Nolan.
          "I'm thinking I'm about to do you a favor," Adira said and before Khloe could ask, Adira cupped both her hands around her mouth and shouted across the room. "Hey Casanova!" Instantly, his head turned to the direction of her voice, his eyes widening at her choice of words. Adira didn't care as all heads turned to her, already used to the stares by now.
          "Do you want to sit at our table?" She called out. This time, as he smiled widely, it was as bright as the afternoon sun in the middle of summer.
          "I thought you would never ask," he called back, weaving through the group that had surrounded him. His long strides carried him to their table, Khloe staring wide eyed at Adira. 
           "Take that seat. Blaine usually sits there," Adira gestured to the chair besides Blaine's usual spot, the two girls watching as he placed his bag by his feet and settling into the hard chair.
          The air was settled with quiet, a stillness that had never been known until today. However, the group did not take notice and instead began to chatter to each other, care free of any troubles. The silence was finally broken until Blaine came walking up to the table, a tray full of food in his hands.
          "Today's episode is now over. All of you, eat!" Blaine's voice somehow boomed through the room, causing everyone to unfreeze and begin to erupt into excited mutters. "Stupid high school. Why is everything a soap opera?" Blaine grumbled as he placed his tray on the table and sat, the other three giving him amused looks.
          "I'm guessing you don't like the attention?" Nolan mused. Blaine shook his head and picked up his burger, taking a bite and chewing forcefully.
         "I hate how they watch as if we are some reality TV show. It bugs me to no end," he said in annoyance after swallowing his food. "Not only that, but I hate how strangers always judge my looks." Khloe couldn't help but hold in a laugh as she watched him become even more agitated.
          "Aphrodite spawn here is always getting confused to be a girl, so you can understand why his looks are a touchy subject," she explained. Nolan tilted his head to look at Blaine, taking in his delicate features and gold hair.
          "I hate my looks. Whenever we go into the city I'm always getting hit on by dudes," Blaine groaned and finished off his burger in another two bites.
          "I will admit that it must get tiring," Adira added before finishing off her own burger. "Do you want that?" She pointed to Khloe's untouched food, her green eyes hopeful. Khloe rolled her eyes and pushed her tray over, a sign for her to take it.
          "Honestly, you know I always give you my hamburger." Adira nodded her thanks and took it, devouring it even quicker than her first one. Nolan watched, fascinated as she scarfed her second burger down.
          "Do your parents feed you?" He couldn't help but ask, getting out his own lunch. She nodded, her mouth too full to answer.
           "You have no idea how much she eats. She could out eat Blaine any day and he could eat a dump truck full of food." Khloe wrinkled her nose in disgust as Blaine made a retort but was incoherent with his mouth full of chewed up food. "And eat with your mouth closed, you Aphrodite spawn." Blaine swallowed and narrowed his eyes at her threateningly.
          "Stop calling me Aphrodite spawn! It doesn't even make sense."
          "Of course it makes sense! Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and love. Really, you should be flattered that I gave you such a cool nickname." Khloe inspected her nails and frowned once she saw a chip on her light pink nail polish.
          "I don't want to be compared to the goddess of beauty," Blaine grumbled grumpily. "I'm a guy. Not some sissy little girls that make up this high school." Adira was the one to narrow her eyes this time, the look she was giving him was dangerous.
          "Is that so?" Blaine stiffened at her tone, slowly meeting her eyes. Apprehension struck him hard as he noticed the fire burning in the green depths. "You think that I'm a sissy little girl, do you?"
          "I don't think that all! You're a strong and capable woman, Adira." Blaine tried to recover but the look in her eyes told him that he would have to try harder to fix the damage his words caused.
          Both Khloe and Nolan watched the interaction with amused looks, small smiles tilting both of their lips up as they watched Blaine get destroyed by Adira.
          "No, you can't take your words back now, little Blaine. After all, this little sissy has got to teach you a lesson in the proper way to address girls." Adira stared long and hard at him, making him squirm under the pressure of her gaze. He honestly didn't know that what he said was going to cause such a reaction from her. Usually she was more docile and calm, but not today.
          She looked down at her phone to confirm the time before looking back up. She stood with her tray in her hands and stared down at him.
          "You are coming with me, Blaine. I know exactly what to do to whip you in shape." She didn't say anything else as she turned, and stalked away to put up her tray. Blaine watched her back with weary eyes, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
          "Well look at that. Don't die." Khloe snickered and Blaine shot her a withering glare before he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled up.
          "Khloe, would you mind taking Blaine's tray up?" She shook her head enthusiastically.
           "I'll do it. Now, go and teach Aphrodite spawn some proper manners." Khloe smiled evilly and stuck her tongue out at Blaine, who was filling with dread with each passing second.
          Adira nodded and with her free hand, she grabbed her backpack and swung it over one shoulder. She gave a little wave to Nolan and then began dragging a very reluctant Blaine Pearson away.
          Nolan and Khloe  watched as his blond head of hair disappeared through the doors, his pleas vanishing as well.
          "What was all that about?" Nolan finally asked. Khloe laughed and leaned back into her chair.
          "That is the wrath of Adira Blackwood, my new friend. You never mess with her when she's in one of those moods." Nolan gave her a questioning look and she smiled. "She got a B on her calculus test."
          Nolan stared at her, stunned to hear the reason why Adira flipped out. He opened his mouth but quickly shut it when he couldn't find the right words to express his surprise. Khloe saw this and raised an eyebrow, a lightheartedness making her hazel eyes bright. She took this moment to stand and grabbed her tray and Blaine's, walking over to put them up.
           As he sat and let her words digest, the girl called Adira was becoming more confusing than a rubrics cube, and those become easy if you can figure out the complicated trick to actually solve it.
          And it wasn't just her behavior, but Nolan was beginning to notice the lack of smiling. Actually, the nonexistence of the tilt of her lips upward was throwing Nolan way off course. Back in Paris, he was surrounded by a group of teenage boys who loved to play the game of flirtation, and Nolan was the leader, so to speak.
          Nolan just oozed charisma, and that's a big part of the reason why the girls flocked to him. It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes either. So, meeting the indifferent Adira was like inhaling a breath of fresh air after being trapped in a room full of smoke—clear and refreshing to his soul.
         As he sat there, his thoughts preventing him from noticing anything else, Khloe walked up and sat back down in her seat. Once he heard the chair scrape against the floor lightly, it grabbed back his attention and he laid his eyes back to her.
          "She's snappy because she got a B on her Calculus test?" Nolan ask incredulity. "I can barely get a B minus in trigonometry." She shrugged and smiled in good humor.
          "That's just how she is. Always been the over achiever and has some of the top colleges around the world falling on their feet trying to get her to come to them." Khloe sighed and rested her chin in her palm, her index finger tapping her cheek. "It's scary how perfect she is."
           "Me, perfect? What silly idea are you making up?" Khloe jerked and her eyes widened as her eyes found Adira standing besides the table, alone.
          "Where's Blaine?" Nolan asked her, his eyes searching for the blond.
           "He's running laps around the school," she answered without hesitation. "We both don't have afternoon classes so he'll be fine." Just as she said this, the bell signaling the end of lunch pierced the air, pushing the students to get up and move to their next class.
          "You're quite ahead." Nolan said, sounding impressed. She shrugged and watched as the other students filed out, a small frown marring her face.
          "I just wanted more time to focus on college." She answered before looking at Khloe. "Want to meet at the usual place after class?" Khloe stood and sighed.
          "Yes, but I really wished you would kidnap me so I wouldn't have to go to world history."
          "It's your last class for the day, I think you'll survive." Adira was unsympathetic as Khloe pouted and began trudging to her class. Adira tilted her head slightly and had the same indifference sketched on her face. "Do you have any classes?" She asked without turning to look at him. He stood and picked up the bag full of his uneaten lunch.
         "It seems I have world history with Khloe. After that I'm free." She nodded and turned to look at me.
          "Would you like to join us?" She waited patiently for his  answer as he contemplated her offer. Yet, Nolan knew the answer even before she finished asking the question.
          He stared down at the intense pair of light green eyes, the orbs calm and still as if he was looking across a serene lake. Yet, he knew that underneath was a bottomless pit of undiscovered range of emotions that were hidden from him. And that was why he smiled down at her brilliantly— the sight nearly making Adira's breathing stutter to a stop, but not quite.
          "That would be great." Adira lifted her chin and gave a small nod.
          "You can follow Khloe when you guys get done. But you might want to hurry first." Nolan stared at her in puzzlement.
          "Why is that?" Her eyes lightened up even more, if that was even possible.
          "You're going to be late for class," she responded just as the bell rang.