The Cliche Gone Wrong

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"Actually..." His sentence almost drifts off as a sudden bout of laughter raises from the table filled with his friends. "Actually, I was thinking of going off campus. Maybe even skipping the rest of the day. You'll come with me, right?"

"I have a French test, so I can't skip." I shake my head, a frown tugging my lips down. "Why don't you just go eat lunch with your friends and we can hang out after school?"

"No...why don't...." He frowns too, looking back at his table for a silent minute before he shakes his head, "why don't I eat lunch with you and your friends today?"

I freeze at that, my eyes widening at the proposal. "Eat lunch...with me...."

He looks at me, waiting for me to say something. Anything. I look at him in confusion trying to figure out what the hell is going on. We've been dating for over a month and we've never tried to sit at each other's tables. I mean, it was sort of like an unspoken rule between us; an informal agreement where he sat with his friends and I sat with mine unless we decided to ditch and go eat somewhere together. Something must have happened. Why doesn't he want to eat with his friends?

Before I can ask him, he grabs my hand and starts silently directing me toward my usual table. I go along mindlessly for a second before I try to stop him, attempting to pull him backwards. "Wait Jude I think—"

"Its about damn time you've joined us!" Femi grins deviously, her eyes practically on fire. "How you doin, Evonne Shilly?"

I roll my eyes at the corny MadTV reference, thinking that the joke is going to go over Shills' head. Shills doesn't bat an eye as a huge grin takes over his face. "I was about to ask you the same thing, my little croissant."

I quirk my eyebrow at his easy remark, motioning for Michael to scooch down a bit so Shills can sit on the other side of me. Michael glares at me as he scoots down, muttering something incoherent under his breath. I sit down next to Michael and pat the bench on the other side of me for Shills, trying to subtly tell him that he cannot sit on the table here. He sits down next to me with no hesitation, his arm slinging nonchalantly around my shoulders as he pulls me in a little closer.

There is an obvious lull in the conversation around the table as we get settled, much like what happened when my friends first found out that I was dating Shills. I barely hold back a groan, knowing that they're just waiting for someone to give them the green light so they can really go in on Shills to his face for once. Before I can stop him from saying anything Shills unknowingly falls right into their trap.

"I could swear your table never looks this quiet from across the room," he laughs easily.

"Wow, I'm surprised you could even see our table from all the way up there on your throne!" Rhea launches in immediately before anyone else gets a chance to say the opening roast.
"I'm more surprised his majesty decided to grace us with his presence," Michael grunts.

"We should be honored, y'all!" Jonathan adds as he fans his face dramatically.

"Maybe he'll take a picture with us if we ask nicely." Someone gapes on the other side of the table.

"Fuck a picture! Maybe he'll cut us a check! I got bills to pay!" Tanya smirks.

We all look at her with confused laughter. "Bitch, what bills? You live with your parents!"
"Yeah and my parents don't fund my shopping addiction." Her fingers flutter through the air before she picks up a chicken strip with her free hand. "But go off, I guess."

Everyone at the table starts laughing even louder as a million different side conversations break out at once, all of them involving roasting Shills in some way, shape, or form. He doesn't know what to do, looking around at all of the different people as he struggles to keep up with the conversations. He gives up a few seconds later as he leans over to whisper in my ear.