(Lila's P.O.V)
"Uwahh! I missed you!!" Nora hugged me as I sat at the lunch table, and I rose an unamused brow.
"You saw me one hour ago."
She shrugged, nudging Michael with her elbow, "That doesn't matter, right?"
He nodded, his smile at Nora's antics no secret anymore.
Michael and Nora were officially dating as of three days ago.
Good for them.
"Hey, Lila." Warren tugged on my hair as he took a seat and began digging into his food.
I grunted a response and sipped on my cold coffee contently because I needed to savor this peace until he ruined it.
"My dream girl's looking good today." A flirty remark and a dimpled smile I ignored.
But the butterflies in my stomach didn't get the memo.
I didn't respond to him, and Rebecca slid in next to Looney Tunes.
Despite a week having passed since our ordeal, I wasn't past the feelings of betrayal and anger at Diego and Derek.
Of course, I couldn't show it.
Much.
To either of them.
Diego was a different story, but Derek....
Well, this guy hadn't actually hidden anything from me.
I glanced at him as he conversed with Rebecca, chiseled jaw and pretty tattoos all on display to suck in all the girls.
I noted Rebecca's besotted smile and something curled inside of me, rearing its ugly head like that time at Blue when I'd spilled drinks on the girl's talking about Derek as The Wolf.
Warren caught me staring and shook his head, a little curl to his lips that I ignored.
I looked away, feeling a little guilty for many reasons, and thinking back on the sick day I'd had around a week or so ago only made my emotions scatter away like ashes on the wind.
So yeah, the fact that Derek had tended to me so caringly may have made my heart melt.
That he'd been honest to a fault was just the cherry on top.
When I'd asked Derek questions, he'd answered them honestly.
I'd learned to read him to a certain extent, and aside from the longing and the lust in his gaze every time he looked at me, I could also tell when he was lying.
And he wasn't. Ever.
He hadn't lied to me.
Which was a big deal in itself.
He'd change the topic or shift the conversation or give a vague answer but never lie.
And it was almost an endearing trait.
I mean, how many of us could claim to have found a guy that had not once lied to them?
I know all his secrets now, even the ones he didn't volunteer to share, but during my interrogation, I'd gotten enough out of him.
Something told me that Derek wouldn't support what Ana and Roy were involved in.
I wanted to believe that. Think well of him, but I'd learned to always double-check. Making assumptions led to misunderstandings, and that was plain stupid.
"You totally like him now, don't you?" Nora chuckled as I choked on my drink and glared at her.
"What? No!"
"You were drooling." Her patronizing tone had me narrowing my eyes.
I glanced at Michael, but he was engaged in conversation with Warren, and I sighed.
Nora bit her lip as she looked me in the eye seriously. "About the past few months.....I feel like we've gotten distant."
I blinked, and guilt swallowed me up because I knew she was right. I'd been so concentrated on revenge, Derek, my feelings, my life as Wildcat....
I know we'd grown distant, but I hadn't done anything to fix it even though I wanted to.
I frowned, "I know. And I'm really sorry." I exhaled tightly, "I just...I've had a lot on my plate." Frustration crawled up my chest.
My blonde friend nodded understandingly. "It's fine. I get it." Always so understanding.
Then she gave me a soft look, "But I don't want us to grow apart, Lila."
"Me either." I shrugged almost helplessly. "But I don't know how to change things."
She grinned, her shy nature always taking a rest when she was with her kind of people, and since that included Michael now, she was more at ease.
"It's easy, Lila." She leaned closer, and I did the same, enjoying the light heartedness she exuded. "Just tell me when things are hard. Share your feelings. Tell me mundane things like you used to."
I opened my mouth, but she cut me off before I could even start.
"I know it's not like flipping a switch on. Take it easy, but..." She lowered her eyes, nibbling on her lip, "Include me."
My heart melted, and I reprimanded myself for letting us drift away even a bit. It's just....
"I have so many secrets." I pleaded. It was my undoing.
"And I can hear them out when you want to share them." Nora shrugged, fiddling with her hair. "Or you can keep them to yourself. I won't ever push you."
I stared at her, feeling myself getting emotional.
After Mellisa died, it's no secret that I had a hard time conversing and letting people in. But Nora had been there before and after, and time and time again, I'd shut her out.
But whenever I'd needed a friend, she'd been there. She'd been so patient with me, always there.
All my friends had. My family had. But I'd been so absorbed in myself that until Derek changed my views on things, I hadn't ever noticed how much I was cherished.
The dead were gone, and they never wanted us to linger in their memories. Moving on was a part of growing up.
Revenge was my solution, and I'd been exacting it steadily. But simultaneously, I needed to move on because now that everything was starting to end almost end, I couldn't be a vengeful soul left alone.
Didn't mean it was easy to put into practice. Chuckling sardonically, I looked at Nora.
"Thank you." I went in for a side hug and realized almost everyone at the table was looking at us.
Maybe they knew what we talked about. Maybe they were glad for us. I don't know.
But I do know that I was glad for Nora.
"Thank you for always being there."
With a small smile, she hugged me back, "As long as you need, Smith."
"Love you, James."
We all chuckled at the joke, reminded of how Nora and I had played Derek when he was new to school.
"Rebecca is really nice, by the way." Nora's remark made me raise a brow as I settled comfortably.
The smells of cafeteria food permeated the air, and the sun filtered in through the long windows.
"You guys must've gotten closer." I observed, and I couldn't help the pang of loneliness and fear that hit me.
"Yeah, we did." Nora didn't lie, and I appreciated it. "But you're still my best friend." She shot me a reassuring smile, and I didn't realize I was holding my breath, afraid of losing her.
"I'm flattered." I chewed on a piece of French fries.
"She has it bad for Derek. You know that, right?"
My eyes drifted to the perfect looking couple sitting opposite to me. Derek ran a hand through his hair, the move accentuating his black-streaked-with-blue hair and his muscles flexed, the tattoos peeking out of flames wrapping around him.
I snickered softly.
But then I saw how Rebecca observed the same and how her eyes dipped to his lips. She smiled at him, not playfully but seriously. Her laugh, her stares, they all indicated she was definitely into my neighbor.
The short haired, pretty blonde was the ultimate package. For boys and girls.
At times, I envied how perfect a life she seemed to live, but then I remembered what meets the eye doesn't always have to be the truth.
I looked away, and my eyes fell on Warren, his head tilted and brown eyes on Rebecca.
When their eyes met, something crackled in the air, and tension between them rose until she looked away.
I rose a brow at this new development.
"Are you going to let her take Derek from you?" Michael whispered.
I gave him a look, "What?"
He shrugged, blonde hair messed and blue eyes sparkling. "I realized it's fun seeing couples be born."
"Right. Only because you're taken now. I had to painfully see how bad Nora had it for you for more than three years–"
Nora slapped my arm, and I yelped, "What?!"
"Traitor." She hissed, cheeks burning and hiding behind her hair as Michael stifled his laugh.
Nora rushed ahead, "Anyways, you have to make it clear that Derek is yours."
"But he's not." I pointed out.
"So then make him!" Nora gave me an encouraging look, and I responded with a blank one.
She groaned, and I chuckled.
"You can't keep avoiding it forever. You like him."
"Why are you accusing me of it?" I calmly questioned.
"So you accept it?" A mischievous glint entered her eyes, and her boyfriend chuckled.
I cleared my throat warily and shrugged. "I don't know."
I really didn't. Right now, the little acceptance I'd had of the fact that I felt something other than annoyance for Derek Greyson was all I could offer. After his connection to the Gambinos of the Sicilian Mafia was revealed, I was teetering on the edge of my feelings.
Nora rubbed her hands, "That's enough. If you like him, I'll fully support you."
"And on the off-chance that I don't? What will happen to your nefarious plans then?"
She gave me a dumbfounded look, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
"Well, that's never going to happen, so let's not worry." She waved away my valid point.
Before we could really get into it, though, the café doors were opened and stumbled a redhead.
Eyes wide and her nostrils flaring, she looked pathetic, to be honest.
Her red hair was stuck to her face, and despite the clench of her jaw, her eyes were tearing up. The short cheerleader uniform she had on was making her look worse.
The sound of laughter followed behind, and her face pinched in discomfort.
Expressionless, I watched as Veronica Welsh was openly ostracized and dare I say...bullied.
After the news of her father, the Mayor, being detained, all hell had broken loose.
She'd cried and pleaded, been angry and then resigned. She was pretty much on the streets at the moment, and her mother was out of town, apparently having run away with a man. I'm not sure.
To be honest, when this happened, I'd hoped to feel satisfied that Veronica was getting a taste of her own medicine.
But seeing her right now, I felt...nothing.
There wasn't the satisfaction I'd anticipated so eagerly. Mayor Welsh's doom was sure since a long time back, and with how Veronica provoked me at every corner, I was glad she would suffer.
"Stop it." She glared at the students who must have bullied her and drenched her with the blue paint and water.
With elegance she shouldn't have been capable of, she held her head high and gave every one of them a once over.
"Jealous assholes."
No one spoke, and I glanced at Rebecca to see a pained expression on her face at her (ex?) friend's ordeal. But she didn't move to go help.
I found copper eyes on me when I turned my head a bit, and my lips parted at the way he gazed before I turned back to the spectacle.
Veronica dusted her clothes as if it would help, and then, with her jaw clenched, she whirled on her heels and left to the sounds of mocking laughter and insults, her heels clicking.
While I wasn't elated at this new turn of events regarding our Queen Bee, I sure as hell didn't sympathize with her situation.
She brought it upon herself.
She might have had an ally if Cam was here. I'll never understand his fascination with the bitch. But I liked him and he liked her so we just had to tolerate that.
"She's in such a sad position."
"Her glory days are gone. Can't say I'm sad." Derek's copper eyes looked like whisky, dark and hard as he stared at the empty space.
Warren shrugged and messed up his chestnut hair. "She shouldn't have acted so haughty. She still acts like she's a Queen though so that's admirable to say the least." He chuckled.
"Stop it." Rebecca's disapproval was clear and she shifted in her seat. "Let's not sour the mood."
It would've been a surprise to see Rebecca not defend Veronica when they'd been as good as best friends until the beginning of this year. But they'd grown so distant and Rebecca had swiftly changed groups.
"Right." Nora nodded in agreement.
Michael spoke up, "Oh, did you guys see the results of this semester? The email was just sent out."
We all shuffled to get our phones out and check the results.
I might've missed it but I was already focused on Derek for some weird reason and when Rebecca talked to him, I heard every word clearly.
"Could you meet me alone afterwards? I have something to tell you."
I felt his eyes on me like a physical caress, but I didn't react, scrolling through the A's on my report card, happy with the results.
"Sure."
Curiosity burned in my chest, but I kept my mouth shut.
•♤•
(Derek's P.O.V)
"I like you."
Rebecca tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and I cursed internally.
"A lot."
I'd seen this coming, of course.
"Rebecca–"
"I know." She smiled tightly at me. The beauty met my eyes, and her hazel ones were soft. "You like Lila. And I know nothing will happen between us, but...."
She shrugged, and I let her continue.
"I just wanted to let it out." She lowered her head, her blonde hair such a shiny silky shade.
There weren't many flaws I could find in Rebecca Atkinson. She was vice cheer captain—now Captain since Veronica had been petitioned to be removed after her father was arrested–and beautiful as hell.
She was talented, not a bitch, acted nicely with everyone. She had her standards and was understanding. After spending so many mornings with her at the café down fourth street eating muffins and coffee, sharing our woes at times, I had no doubt grown closer to her. She was clever and witty.
But then she had involvement in the letter delivering and I...
I fell for Lila.
I exhaled and ruffled my hair. "Rebecca. You're honestly an amazing girl."
She laughed even though it was strained. "I know."
I gave her a bittersweet smile. "I swear whoever ends up getting your love will be one lucky bastard."
A little more subdued, eyes despondent. "Is that so?"
"Yep." I tugged a strand of her hair playfully. Then looking into her eyes seriously, I apologized.
"I'm sorry. Really."
She shook her head and released a shaky breath and a watery smile. "It's fine. I get it." Then she chuckled. "I guess you won the bet we made at the start of the year."
My eyebrows raised.
"You know. About who would fall for who first." She said it indifferently but her eyes were on the ground.
A memory came to mind and the irony wasn't lost on me.
"I just wanted to introduce myself and I hope we can be friends."
I took her hand and rubbed my thumb over her knuckles.
"Just friends?" I hummed.
She huffed, retracting her hand and I smirked at her, continuing. "I mean, come on. We both know we're going to end up in bed sometime soon."
She looked heavenwards and smirked before locking eyes with me, "We'll know if that happens."
"When that happens. Because, sweet Rebecca, it will."
"I'd like to see you try."
God, how the tables had turned.
Unrequited love sucked and I was kinda in the same boat regarding how Lila felt. But I think Warren would be better company for this girl at the moment.
I cringed. "Yeah."
We didn't say anything and awkward silence stretched between us.
Rebecca and I had differences but we had our similarities too. I had easy cadence when spending time with her and she was a good friend. Mostly, our family issues were what made us connect.
But that was all she'd ever be.
Still, she was a precious friend. And she deserved to know.
"Wanna be my first girl friend?"
She rose an amused brow. I winced as I realized how that must have sounded.
"Sorry, I mean female friend."
She eyed my outstretched hand and swallowed thickly. A frown appearing between her brows before they smoothed out.
"Friend-zoning me for life, Derek?"
"Something's better than nothing, Rebecca." I winked mischievously, hoping to lighten the mood.
It would no doubt take her time to get over me and I was more than ready to give her the space for it but I didn't want to lose her either and if she agreed, then why not?
She finally shook my hand and smiled at me.
"Sure. Let's be good friends, Derek."
•♤•
A/N
What do you think of this chapter?
Any thoughts on Veronica and how she's being treated?
What about Nora and Lila's heart to heart?
Do you like how Rebecca and Derek worked things out and their somewhat ending with a handshake?
So happy for the support, please don't forget to vote and comment! Thank you!
Till next time!
~Skyler