Somebody Else [SCOTT MCCALL]

THREE

            PAISLEY STOOD AT HER LOCKER NEXT TO LYDIA, THEIR FRIEND DANNY walking up to them with a big smile on his face. At first, the two girls paid no attention to him and carried on with what they were doing. Eventually, when Lydia looked up from her phone, she noticed him still giving them the same smile, so she sighed and put her phone away, saying,"Are you just going to stand there and keep smiling or tell us what you wanted to say?"

      "Did you hear what happened last night?" Danny asked them.

      "No, what happened?" Paisley asked, glancing at him as she put her textbook away.

      "A bus driver got attacked last night, they say it was a cougar." His eyes were full of excitement which kind of scared the two.

      "You seem really happy about it." Lydia says, closing her locker and leaning against it.

      "No, it's just interesting. Hardly anything goes on at this school." he admitted to the girls.

      "He does have a point." Paisley pointed out to her best friend, grabbing a brown paper bag that contained bet lunch before shutting her locker as well. She gripped the bag that held her peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich and began to walk with Lydia and Danny as they went to get a hot lunch.

      As soon as they got their lunch, Paisley and Danny went to sit at their normal table, but Lydia stopped walking and looked straight ahead at a table where Allison sat with Scott and Stiles.

      "Lyd," Danny turned around to look at the strawberry blonde,"what are you doing?"

      "I think we should sit with Allison today." Lydia suggested to her friends.

       "Doesn't she normally sit with us?" Paisley raise an eyebrow towards her in question.

      "She's sitting with Scott today, so I think we should join with them." she said,"I mean, we don't have to because I don't want you feeling awkward or anything, but—"

      Paisley shook her head, cutting off Lydia from talking,"No, it's fine,"

      "Are you sure?" Danny asks, wanting to make sure that she really was okay with it. He didn't want to force her to do something that she doesn't want to, especially if it involved Scott.

      The brunette nodded, giving a small smile. "Yeah, positive," she assured him, standing up from the table and grabbing her sack lunch.

      Jackson, Parker, and another guy that usually hung out with the boys soon walked up to the three and started to question why they weren't sitting at their regular table,"Why can't she just move to our table?" Jackson inquired.

      "Because, she doesn't have to." Lydia responds with a bit of attitude in her voice, making him roll his eyes.

      "So we have to move to her?" He scoffs.

      Parker pushed pass Jackson and moved to his sisters side, his lunch tray in his hand. He looked at her with a concerned expression etched on his face. "If you feel things are getting awkward, just let me know and we can go, okay?"

      Paisley nods, giving him a smile. "Yeah, okay, thanks,"

      As the six of them approached the table where Allison, Scott, and Stiles, Paisley felt her heart begin to pick up at an unsteady pace. She didn't like the feeling, but there was no way she could stop it. Unless she turned around and ran away from everyone and ate her lunch in a bathroom stall upstairs, she had to stick with the feeling of her heart about to leap out of her chest and flop around on the floor. Closing her eyes momentarily, Paisley licked her lips before she walked forward with her friends —and brother— and sat at the table. She took a seat between Danny and Parker, sitting across from Stiles. The pale boy gave the girl a big smile, wanting her to feel welcomed.