Running For Life

Chapter 3

    The rest of homeroom felt like the longest 10 minutes of my life. I felt him looking at me from the back of the classroom and I didn't dare look at him. When the bell rang I quickly fled the class and kept my head down, I didn't want to run into him again. Jackson always made me feel so small and weak. I can't help it but I still think I have feelings for him, I wish they just went away.

    The rest of my morning classes flew by, and it was time for lunch. I was starting to wonder if I should ask to sit with a group of girls or sit by myself. As I walk into the cafeteria my stomach turns to knots, it just occurred to me that I don't have any friends. I look for an empty table and find one right in the middle of the cafeteria. "Great" I say to myself, now evey one is going to see that I'm a loser with no frinds. I quickly make my way over to the table and start to eat my apple and crackers, when I suddenly feel someone behind me. I turn around and see a tall brunette with grey eyes, she's wearing a tight purple dress with black hooker heels.

"My names Linda, this is my table" she said sitting next to me and putting her bag on the on the floor. Oh should I say sorry, or I'll move? I don't want to move, I have no wear else to sit.
"Jenny", I say looking at her with a bit more confidence than I actually have."if you want me to move i will" I say hoping she doesn't take me up on my offer.

"No l like you, I want you to stay. What's you're last name Jenny? She said taking a bite of her food.

"White, Jenny White" I say taken aback from her question. That was strange, no one ever really asked me for my last name.

"Well I'm Linda McNeil, and a few of my friends are going to show up too. We usually sit at this table, I think you'll like them. Just don't let them intimidate you they can come across as rude and unwelcoming, but that's just how we are to people we don't know. So just giving you a heads up, to not take anything to personally".

"Okay thanks, for the warning I'm ready for what ever comes my way" I say feeling more nervous on the inside. Just as I take another bite of my apple two girls and three guys show up. They all look like they just came from a Rolling Stones photoshoot, they give me a polite nod and sit down.

"Who are you?" One of the boys says as he takes his food out of his bag, and I can tell the others are curious as to who I am as well.

"Jenny...Jenny White" I say remembering Linda asking for my last name. I sit up straight as I say my name making sure they can't intimidate me as much as Linda said they would.

"She's cool guys and she's new meat so back off, as you can see she's way to innocent for you" Linda said looking at the guys at the table giving them a stay away look, but they just roll their eyes and bring their gaze back to me.

"This is Jake, Dawson and Riley" Linda says pointing to the boys and each of them giving me a dirty smirk, as she said their names. "And this is Arial and Whitney" she said pointing at the two other girls that were looking at me and sizing me up.

"Why are you sitting at are table, you do know this" she said pointing at the table "is the popular table right?" Wow what a bitch, it's like she owns the table. And what the hell did I do to get her so pissed off.

"Linda said I could sit here and I don't who you are to talk down to me like I'm the shit on the bottom of your shoe. I don't appreciate the way your looking at me since I only just met you, but I don't know how you have any friends at all." Wow I really just said that, talk about my inner bitch coming out.

"Okay she can sit here" she said looking at Linda and back to Arial. Wait...what!? I can sit here I just released my inner bitch and now I can sit here?
"We just wanted to make sure that you won't get all sad if we ever try to give you harsh criticism, don't take it personally I like to do that to everyone that sits with us"

"Um..okay I'm not really sure what to say to that. But I guess I understand that you want to make sure you can trust me." I say honestly, not knowing what else to say.

"So why did you move your junior year to come here?" Whitney asks changing the conversation.
"I just had to get away from my old life, and have a fresh start. And luckily for me my dad moved because of his job so it worked out for me perfectly." I said eating the last of my crackers.

"What happened that you wanted to get away from your old life" Dawson asked looking intrigued to know what happened.

"It's...well it's complicated" I say suddenly becoming more nervous, and stare at my knotted fingers.

"It's cool if you don't want to talk about it, sometimes it better that way" Dawson said again, trying to not make me uncomfortable.

"Yah, maybe another time" I say picking up my bag when the bell rings for are next class.