Surviving the McLane Boys ('On Hold Still...')

Chapter 4 - I'm Staying Where?

This is also dedicated to Julia M (from school) for being the first one to read my story and for not being too judgmental! Thanks julezy luv u heaps! :)

Chapter 4

The bell for lunch rings, and once again… I’m stuck in the doorway. I manage to squeeze through because of my size, and once through I press myself against the wall, waiting for Mitch.

She finally emerges from the clump of people, her auburn hair mussed.

“Whoa! Watch it buster!” She yells as she violently removes a hand attached her butt.

She stomps over to me “God, the guys at this school can be such jerks! They think they can grope you at every turn! I mean what is with that?”

I pat her sympathetically on the back, “Yeah, it’s stupid…”

We walk towards the cafeteria where the strong smell of burgers and chips wafts towards us. 

As soon as I walk in conversations stop, eyes stare, the whispers begin.

God, they’re looking at me as if I have a kick me sign on my back and loser written across my forehead.

I quickly look over my shoulder and rub my forehead just to make sure as I follow Mitch to the lunch line. Once we’re standing there Mitch cranes her neck to see what’s there today.

“Anything good?” I ask tentatively, aware that everyone within a twenty foot radius is craning in to listen to what I’ve got to say.

Mitch turns around and makes a face at me, “Most of it looks ok, but I’d stay away from ‘Meatloaf Surprise’.” She shudders.

“It’s probably soy meat or something…”

“Yeah probably,” Mitch laughs. 

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah that’s her, the girl in the purple top, next to Marshland. She’s the one that Lucy’s targeted! She was with the McLane’s this morning!”

I glance around the cafeteria and catch people still staring at me. I hear other bits of conversations as the line slowly moves forward.

“I saw her! She was clinging to Jake soooo much when they got to school!”

“She’s not even that pretty. Slut.”

“I was in homeroom with her and the guys were seriously drooling over her.”

“She’s got a nice ass.”

“Wonder if she has a boyfriend or not…”

“I heard she doesn’t!”

“Like, omigod. She was all over Trent too! She thinks she can like, get any guy she wants!”

I scoff at the last comment and Mitch raises an eyebrow. “How’d ya get mixed up with Trent Miller?”

I shrug, “When I lost you I was too busy trying to look for you or at least our classroom so I could meet up with you, and I kinda walked right into him and a group of his friends… They wouldn’t let me get to class and they were acting like first class jerks. Wes came and told them to get lost and then we found you…”  

Mitch gives me a sympathetic look when she sees the look of discomfort on my face. “Hey,” she says softly, “Whatever they did, don’t let it get to you, ok?”