The Bad Boy and The New Girl

Chapter 6

I got quite a lot of work done during my free period, and I packed up a few minutes early so that I'd have time to go to the toilet before meeting my friends at lunch. I didn't see Mason on my way out of the library. After I left the restroom, I headed towards the cafeteria, which was already packed. I queued up to get my food, and then picked up my tray and walked down the stairs into the lunch hall. I scanned the room for my friends before spotting them sat around a table on the opposite side of the hall. Heidi smiled and waved when she noticed me as I started moving through the busy hall towards them.

I had walked about half the distance when I heard a familiar voice shout, "hey, Parker!"

I figured he was probably calling for someone whose first name was Parker, but I still slowed down and looked around just in case he was trying to get my attention.

On my left, I saw Mason at a table with his friends. He was stood up, one leg bent so that his shin was resting on the seat of the cafeteria bench. He was looking straight at me and as soon as we made eye contact he signalled for me to come over.

Guess he was trying to get my attention.

I glanced back at the girls and hoped they wouldn't blow this out of proportion. They were all engaged in conversation and probably wouldn't notice. At least, that's what I was hoping.

I turned and started walking towards the table Mason was at.

"Cartwright," I acknowledged as I stopped next to him.

He moved his leg off the bench so that he was standing up properly, offered me the seat he'd just vacated, and then went to take my lunch tray out of my hands.

"Oh, I think my friends were waiting for me..." I started awkwardly protesting.

"Come on, let me introduce you," he persuaded, pulling the tray out of my grip and putting it down on the table, then added, "you know, because you're new and then you'll know more people."

"Okay," I agreed, somewhat reluctantly, and sat down next to the blond boy I recognised from English.

As I was taking my seat, Mason introduced me.

"Guys, this is Maddie Parker," he announced from where he was stood at the end of the table.

"Hey," I awkwardly introduced myself with a small smile and shy wave.

Mason then introduced all of the other boys. The blond one I recognised was Liam, and sat on the other side of him were twins Dylan and Jacob, who looked nearly identical apart from the fact that Dylan had dirty blond hair while Jacob's hair was a darker shade of brown. Opposite me was Max, and then there was Diego, Noah and Jaden. They all nodded or gestured in some way as they were introduced.

"So you're the Maddie we keep hearing ab-" Max started, before I felt Liam's leg hastily shift under the table and Max suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence, jerking slightly in reaction to the kick he just received. Diego swiftly asked me how I was settling in, in what felt almost like an attempt to quickly change the subject, while Max pulled an apologetic 'oops' face at Mason who just glared back at him. Weird. I pretended not to notice and answered Diego's question.

"It's been pretty good so far. Obviously it was hard moving away from my old home but I feel like I'm getting used to being here now," I told him.

"Glad to hear it," Diego smiled. He seemed nice.

I sat with them for a bit, mostly talking to Mason, Max, Diego and Liam. The others were engaged in their own conversation down the other end of the table. Liam seemed slightly more quiet and moody while Max and Diego were friendly and talkative, if not a little boisterous. Although they seemed nice enough, I felt a little overwhelmed being suddenly surrounded by eight rowdy teenage boys that I hardly knew. However, even though he was joking around with his friends, I noticed that Mason continually made the effort to include me in the conversation and talk to me directly, which I appreciated.