I Like Your Fangs

Chapter 11

The overwhelming smell of rancid tacos and bad BO was making my stomach churn, and I gave one last shove through the crowd until they finally broke apart like a tower of Jenga blocks. Where in the hell was Lukas? It was lunchtime, and I scanned the stuffy cafeteria but there was no sign of him. I honed in on my usual table, and gave a tired smile as I saw Jenna already seated there.

I crossed the room and arrived at our table, exhaling audibly as I prepared to unload.

"Hey, I am so confused right now, we have got to talk about that-" I was cut short.

There, sitting across from Jenna, was the freaky-eyed foreign exchange student. The well-endowed, well-dressed, and equally strange Leah Bessette. I swallowed hard, pushing away the conversation I was about to start, and instead looked to Jenna was a dazed expression. She glanced from Leah to me, immediately putting down her sandwich.

"Oh, sorry Rachel. I invited Leah to sit with us today, since she's new and all," Jenna gave a timid smile with a full mouth as she wiped her hands on a napkin.

I plastered on my best poker face and sat down next to Jenna, watching Leah with hidden interest as she delicately forked away at her Caesar salad.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, it was nothing," I replied to Jenna, but held my gaze with Leah.

"Are you sure? You sounded pretty worked up."

I stared back at Jenna as my eyebrows knit together in frustration. She really didn't know why I was upset? She was in that same room with us, she saw everything that happened. Jenna had to be either the most oblivious person on the planet or in a coma to not have seen Lukas's outburst in Math class.

"Yes, you did sound...distressed."

I snapped my attention towards the voice that had suddenly entered the conversation, and pressed my mouth into a firm line as Leah looked at me with pure, innocent curiosity.

"I apologize, I don't think we've been introduced. I am Leah Bessette."

I rose one internal eyebrow but gave a strained smile, "I'm Rachel Clarrens."

"You seem familiar, wait, that's it! We are taking Mathematics together!" Leah exclaimed with such enthusiasm.

This girl spoke so politely that I was starting to feel self-conscious. I looked back to Jenna and in a hushed voice asked, "Have you seen Lukas?"

Jenna shook her head, but paused in the middle as she grasped my forearm, "No, I haven't. Is something wrong? Because today in class-"

"Thank God! I thought you hadn't noticed."

"Please Rachel, I had to be either in a coma or the most oblivious person on the planet to not have noticed Lukas storm out of Mr. Melbers' class!"

That was my Jenna. I gave a relieved smile, but quickly shook my head, "I can't find him - anywhere. I've looked all over the school, but I think he skipped."

"Well, then go."

"Go? Where?"

"To his house, idiot."

By now we had both turned around; our backs to Leah as we held our secret conversation in whispers.

"I don't know where he lives."

Jenna looked at me in disbelief, "Are you serious? It's been nearly a month that you two have been dating, and he still hasn't invited you over to his house? Damn Rachel, you must really like him."