Opposites Attract (COMPLETED)

Chapter 3: Lunch

riley
chapter 3: lunch

"So, Mason's been trying to get you back?" I asked Zoe, digging my fork into my colorful salad.

"Yea." Zoe said nonchalantly, not even caring to look up from her sandwich.

"Wow, thought he'd given up by now." Paulina said.

I studied Zoe's face for a while. She didn't look happy, instead bored, uninterested in the conversation I was trying to start. I really knew what she was feeling. And who she was was feeling it for.

"Why are you so down...?" I asked, curiously. Zoe looked up from her sandwich, her expression neutral as ever, and she smiled at me.

"I'm not," Zoe replied.

"You look like it," I said, shoveling a bunch of lettuce into my mouth.

"Nope, just thinking." Zoe said. I smiled briefly, returning to my salad, but out of my peripheral vision I saw Zoe look up. She must've been looking at a commotion because she didn't even care to look up at me, so I snapped my head in that direction and just saw... Civilized people eating their lunch. What was she even looking at? I looked back at Zoe, then back to the direction her head was turned towards.

And then I saw Nick walking towards our table, his hoody raised, headphones in, head turned down. Hm, he looks moody. Hold on now, that doesn't matter. What matters is... He's walking towards our fucking table..? What the hell? Ah, Zo's tricks. I looked back over at Zoe who was now smiling as Nick got nearer, and nearer, and nearer.

"Did you invite Nick to lunch?" I asked, placing both hands on the table.

"Yea! He looks like he could need a friend." Zoe said, picking up her sandwich and taking a bite.

Paulina exchanged a "what-bullshit-is-this" look to me, making me shrug and turn back to Zoe.

You see, now I was gobsmacked. Sure, I was a social person but him? Our friends? He would stick out like a sore thumb if he was our friend. Plus, he's like... a outsider. That would ruin all our reputations but I guess Zoe didn't care.

By now, Nick was already at the table, saying something to Zoe.

"Hey, can I sit here?" Nick said, his voice low and monotone.

"Of course!" Zoe piped, her voice sounding a trillion times louder than Nick's. I focused on Nick as he sat right next to me, making a current-of-electricity feeling down my back, making me sit up straight like a rod was shoved into my spine. Nick shot me a confused look but I smiled to show I was fine, when really I didn't quite feel fine. This was extremely awkward.

"So Nick, I haven't really seen you around school... Are you new here?" Zoe asked, a bit hesitant. I watched as Nick's neutral expression dropped into a surprised and just a bit offended expression, and Zoe didn't seem to quite catch it as she kept on smiling brightly like her face was paralyzed in a big huge smile that now was becoming unsettling. I kicked her foot under the table, to which she responded with a slight jump and a glare at me. Paulina shook her head and chuckled.

"Uh, no. I just kinda am an outcast..." Nick said, trailing off at the end. Zoe's smile faltered quickly and she looked at me, a kinda 'oops-I-messed-up' look in her eye. I wanted to laugh so badly but I wouldn't do that to Zo'.

"I'm so sorry!" Zoe piped, placing a hand on the table. I snickered, and just looked down and continued eating my salad, not really wanting to talk.

"It's fine," Nick said, grabbing a granola bar from his pocket.

"You aren't eating lunch..?" Zoe asked, curiously. Why in the actual hell is she so curious with a blabber mouth?! I lightly kicked her leg under the table again, which she grunted but didn't look at me.

"Stop..!" Paulina said under her breath. "You look immature." I looked at her, not even sure myself what expression I had on my face, but it probably wasn't a nice one, besides, we were just playing.

"No, I'm not really hungry." Nick said, taking another bite of the bar. Zoe glanced at me and I shrugged, not knowing what her glance meant, to which she continued eating her sandwich which was almost done. I dug my fork in my now done salad, brought the fork to my mouth to only find I was finished with my salad. My face heated up as I saw Nick was looking at me, which probably made me look like the 'dumb and popular' type girl.

"Hey uh, R-Riley?" I heard Nick ask slowly, saying my name hesitantly as if he didn't even know it. And it kinda hurt.

"Yea?" I asked as I looked up.

"You're a star student, right?"

"Yea...?"

"Do you mind tutoring me?"