Never In A Million Years

Chapter Three

"Caleb!" I call across the school cafeteria.

His back is turned to me, and he's walking in the opposite direction. I jog closer. Maybe he can't hear me since everyone's talking.

"Hey," I shout, "Caleb!"

He doesn't even flinch.

I push myself through the crowd and closer to him. He moves faster away from me, obviously determined to ditch me.

"Caleb, get your lousy buttocks over here right now," I announce, apparently too loud because multiple groups of people stop to stare at me.

Caleb turns around slowly, taking a deep breath. I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Seriously?" He asks, looking irritated. I stare at him.

"Come here," I sigh.

He cautiously steps towards me, looking annoyed by all the attention on him now. "What?"

"You're acting like a twelve year old. Stop being immature," I tell him in a low voice.

Caleb looks at me in confusion for a moment. "I have no idea what that's supposed to mean."

I roll my eyes. "Are you kidding me? All the dramatic angry fight thing. Yeah, that's really lame. Get over yourself."

"Get over myself? Get over myself?" Caleb asks, taking a single step closet to me. "You're the one who suddenly decides to become a converted cheddar roll. You're the one who decides to run along and ditch me for those guys. You know, just as well as me, what kind of people they are."

"You don't know them, neither did I, Caleb. We went over this," I sigh.

"I know what I see. I know what I've seen over the past four years, Lili," Caleb says.

"You haven't spoken a word to them, how could you know who they are?" I stepping front of him before he can walk away again.

"Oh, and you've said more than 3 words to them now have you?" Caleb asks, shaking his head. "You're all of a sudden an expert with the Cheddar Rolls and you're defending them? Is that how it is?"

"I never said I'm an expert," I frown. "I said I know they're really not exactly what we thought, Caleb. Come on."

"Oh look, there are your best friends coming now. Go sit with them today," Caleb says, before turning around and walking away.

I stand, staring as he moves to a new table with his friend from science, Malcolm. The crowds of people are no longer paying attention to me. They're going about their business as usual.

Caleb's eyes flicker to mine for a split second before he slides into his chair and focuses his attention on Malcolm and Sarah, his apparent new best friends.

"So she really is a loner."

I turn around, coming face to face with Brendan. He's smirking at me, arms crossed. The others are all behind him, settling at a table.

"What do you want?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair with a sigh.

Brendan raises his eyebrows, shifting his weight. "I was going to do you a favor and ask if you wanted to sit at our table... But I guess if you want to get all sassy over my kindness, you can continue with your isolation..."

"Come on, Lili," Drew says.

"Yeah, come sit!" Danny laughs, throwing a carrot at Drew's head.

"Dude, watch the hair. I spent freaking twenty minutes making it lay like this," Drew says, standing up from his chair to look more intimidating.