The Not So Girl Next Door

Chapter 11: Two Couples plus Jared and Kelsie...and Chase

“BRANDON AND SETH invited us to go to the mall” Abby told me while we were walking in the hallway after school. “Wanna come?”

“I’d love to. But I don’t want to ruin your date.” I replied. “Where’s Precious?”

“It’s not a date! We’re just going to hang out.” Abby said innocently. But something about the sparkle in her eyes made me believe otherwise. “Precious is riding with Seth. She said it has been a while since they got together alone.” She rolled her eyes.

“Ew.” I shuddered.

“That’s what I said.”

“Hey girls!” I turned to look for the source of the husky voice when Brandon and Jared appeared next to me. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Jared. His golden hair was smoothed over his ocean-blue eyes, making him look like an angel disguised as a human being.

“Ready to go?” Brandon asked us. “Seth and Precious had already left.”

“Sure! But Kelsie here has issues about going with us.” Abby explained. “She doesn’t want to be the odd one out.”

“Well, I could come with you.” Jared offered. “You know, so you can talk with someone. When the two couples are together, conversation is HOPELESS. Besides, Amanda went shopping with Brooke and Casey. That’s one trip I’d love to miss.”

          “Okay, sure. Thanks!” I tried to make my tone nonchalant but I failed.

          We continued to the parking lot when suddenly an annoyingly familiar voice called out to me. “Kelsie! Hey, Kelsie!”

          Heads turned around for the source of the loud voice. I considered ignoring it but there were too many witnesses to do so.

          “Hey Kelsie! You dropped your wallet!”

          I turned just in time to see Chase running towards me waving my brown Lacoste wallet in his hand. “You dropped this.”

          “Uh, thanks. That’s so…thanks.” I said awkwardly. I can’t help remembering the incident that happened during Art Class.

          “Don’t worry I didn’t get anything I swear. Hey, who’s this Jared? You had about a hundred pictures with his name on them.”

          My eyes widened. Thank God Jared was a few meters away. “You LOOKED inside my wallet?!?!” I can’t believe it! I just CANNOT believe it!! The nerve of him!!

          “Yeah, I had to! Or else I wouldn’t know who owns it.” He said, untroubled—or unaware—that I will be ready to slap him any minute now.

          “You idiot! Are you blind?! Didn’t you see my name on the inside of my wallet?” I asked him furiously. I had written my name on the flap just in case situations like these were to happen.

          “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see that.” he smiled at me widely. “What’s the big deal? I didn’t get anything, I swear!”

          “The deal is you totally violated my privacy!” I almost yelled at him. I turned to Jared, Abby and Brandon who remained silently amused all through our argument. “Come on guys, let’s go.”

          “Aw, geez! What did I do wrong?” Chase whined behind me as I turned my back at him. Then he muttered, so low that I don’t know if he meant for me to hear, “Somebody’s moody today…”

“Wow, Kelsie. I never knew you had a temper.” Jared said with a bit of annoyance in his voice. Was he annoyed at me?

“Sorry, Chase just irritates me to death.”