Sparks

Chapter 4

"How's the day going, buddy?" he asked.

"It goes and goes and never stops," I replied. I scanned the lunchroom, looking for familiar faces. Luke wasn't here but Ericka from earlier was, surrounded by a swarm of her female admirers. She caught my eye for a second and raised an eyebrow. I looked hurriedly away. She must still remember that stupid contact from earlier.

As I looked away, I caught sight of someone sitting by themselves at one of the far tables. It was Iris. I was used, or at least sort of used, to seeing her by now but the breath was still checked in my throat as I stared at her. She was concentrating hard on her food, the image of uncomfortable loneliness.

Dash noticed me staring and turned. "You looking at that girl?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Her name's Iris. She's in a few of my classes and her family moved in next to mine a couple weeks ago."

"And she's not over sitting with us right now...why?"

Good question. "I don't know."

Well, dumbass, it's because your dumb ass hasn't gone over there yet and invited her over. Get moving."

Dash was much more straightforward than Luke was. Luke would have teased me longer before making the suggestion. "Maybe I will," I mused.

"Action before words, Mike N Ike." He seized my lunch tray and yanked it away. "No food for you until you've gone over there."

I didn't need the incentive but I guess the encouragement was nice...sort of. I got up and was on my way over there when someone else beaned out of the serving area and over to Iris. Jack. Jack F**king Ramsey. He bent down to speak to her and she actually looked pleased to see him. It was obvious he was asking if he could sit with her and, at her nod, he took a chair, throwing a savagely triumphant look at me.

I could feel my heart crumble beneath me. What. An. Asshat.

I don't see her which means no food for you," Dash said when I sat back down. I didn't even have the will to say anything so I just jerked my head to where she was sitting, no longer alone. Dash took one look and hissed through his teeth. "Fricking Jerk," he said, "You want me to take care of it?"

"She wanted him to sit there," I muttered, "Let him sit." Much as I wanted to show what a dank he really was, if I went over there and starting tossing him around, I'd look like the jerk.

Dash put down my tray and slid it over to me but at that point I didn't have an appetite anymore. I pushed it away and glowered at Jack for the rest of lunch.

I didn't even bother paying attention the rest of LA. Something about chapters that needed reading, stuff to think about. Who cares? At least I got to see her next period so maybe I could make up some of the lost ground.

Luke caught up with me halfway to Math class. "How goes it with Iris?" he asked with a grin.

"All right," I said.

"Got her number yet?"

"Before the end of the day, I will. She's in class with us."

"Awesome, bro! I'll clear away the desks around you so you have a seat next to her."

I really did love this guy. "Thanks, man."