♫ blind - ROLE MODEL
Peering behind the protective glass, I narrow my eyes taking in the options as I walk along the murky cafeteria floor. The smell of pungent, salty food fills the thick air.
Lasagna, no. Salad, nah. Mystery meat, double no.
My plastic tray collides with a force in front of me. The apple teetering on its surface topples off, rolling across blue and white tiles.
"Ah, shoot," I mumble before looking up. A towering lean body dressed a dark hooded sweatshirt begins to turn to face me.
Tall, dark, handsome Jack Moody peers down at me. Oh, Christ.
His thick eyebrows raise at me, and then his brown eyes scan down my body slowly, before meeting back at my eyes.
My knees feel wobbly, my throat goes dry.
"Nice shorts," Jack offers dryly.
Danggit. I drop my eyes down to the old ratty sleep shorts I still have on under my school uniform. I had meant to take them off after first period.
A smile forces its way onto my face. "Thank you," I mumble before veering a hard right to join my friends at our usual lunch table.
My body collapses onto the seat as a groan escapes me. The empty, plastic tray I was holding drops to the surface with a thud.
"Oh my god, he thinks I'm a freak," I whine.
Joining my two best friends, we watch in unison as Jack saunters across the cafeteria. It seems every girl in Wilcrest has their eyes fixed on him.
"Jack! Come sit," coos Emma McKinney, the devil in blonde. And like the sucker he is, Jack takes the bait.
"Ugh, and of course Emma would get to him first," Naila pouts.
"Seriously, I picked the worst day to not get myself ready," I mutter in reference to my pajamas under my uniform and unbrushed hair.
My oldest friend Jade tilts her head at me, her big natural hair bouncing as she smiles at my misery. "You look the same as you do every day, Molly."
Mouth dropping open, I glare at her before adding in exasperation, "I don't dress like freaking Adam Sandler every day."
Jade shakes her head at me, flashing a smile that makes me break into one too. I may be a trainwreck, but at least I have my friends to keep me company.
"He's seriously so perfect," Naila says popping a grape into her mouth, dark eyes still focused on Jack.
Lost in a gaggle of teenage girls dripped in navy and white uniforms, Jack remains seated next to Emma, her blonde hair slicked into perfection as she throws her head back laughing.
I bet he's just eating it up.
Emma McKinney is perfect in most ways. Tanned skin, blue eyes, tiny waist, and ridiculously filthy rich. Her personality is her only flaw—and it's not a minor one.
"I don't see the big deal," Jade shrugs.
This causes Naila to finally break her gaze. "What? He's like if 2015 Harry Styles and Timothee Chalamet had a love child."
Sympathetically, I nod slowly in agreement before adding, "He's perfect."
Unimpressed, Jade shakes her head. "Well, what's he doing in an all-girls school, anyway?"
The sound of a tray slamming onto the plastic table top grabs our attention. Tina Parker plops down next to Jade, her greasy hair pulled back with a purple head band.
"Well, I heard he's been kicked out of every other school in the county," she spits through her braces.
Normally, we wouldn't entertain Tina Parker, on account of she's a total suck up know-it-all, but right now, she seems to have the scoop.
"How do you know that?" I inquire, leaning in further.
She smiles a wicked grin. "I have my sources."
Unlikely. No one at Wilcrest can tolerate Tina Parker. I've tried, believe me I'm not the bullying type, but geez some people are just unbearable.
It's more likely, Tina's been eavesdropping by sticking her bulbous nose everywhere it doesn't belong.
"What else have you heard about him?" Naila asks with wide, starry eyes.
Too smug at our sudden interest in her, Tina straightens her posture smoothing down her white polo.
"Well, I heard he's even been to jail," she tells us. "He maybe even killed a guy."
"Okay, that's just not even true," Jade interrupts rolling her brown eyes.
Yeah, Tina's clearly been overhearing Wilcrest's rampant rumors. She doesn't know anything at all. This is what we get for trying to trust Tina Parker.
Catching my drift, Jade turns her back to the gossip mill.
"Hey, it is true, okay? I heard it," Tina mumbles as she stands from the table, realizing she's been pushed out of the group.
Her dark shoes begin to patter away, and we wait for her to leave earshot before we break out into a snicker. But then, a shrill bell cuts through the air, ending our fun.
........................................
Once again, I find myself seated in the back of class. I don't understand how I'm always the last to arrive.
I leave the same time as everyone else, yet somehow, I'm the last one in. Must be because I'm short—little legs, slower pace.
Or, perhaps it's because I forgot my history book and had to walk all the way back to my locker. Eh, probably the little legs though.
My eyes wander to the back of Jack Moody's head, seated a couple rows ahead of me.
No, stop it. I said I would stop staring at him. He doesn't need any more reasons to think I'm a total weirdo.
"Welcome, class," Mrs. Yates calls out. Her long thin neck cranes to examine our faces, pausing at the new student. "You've arrived just in time. We're about to choose partners for our next history project."
Quickly, I glance over to Jade, my only friend in this history class. With finger motions, I gesture for us to pair up.
But then, Mrs. Yates turns to her desk, pulling out my worst enemy: the popsicle sticks. Leaving my partnership fate to the Gods.
"We are going to draw sticks for partners," she says confirming my fears. "Each pair will be assigned a decade and you are to have one week to create a report over who you believe was the most influential woman of that era."
The gray-haired woman extends the cup of sticks towards the student in the front row who grabs one before calling out in a glum voice, "I got Tina."
Tina Parker flashes a wide smile dripping in clunky metal. "Lucky you!" the red-faced girl exclaims. "We're sure to have the best report."
Her smug little face beams up at Mrs. Yates who offers a tight-lipped stare before turning away, continuing down the row until she gets to Jack Moody who slowly pulls out one popsicle stick, tugging it towards him to read.
"Please announce the name you received," Mrs. Yates instructs.
With a soft, deep voice he mutters, "Molly."
Wow, that sounds so nice rolling off of his tongue. Molly—wait.
"No," I say rushed and too loud. Shaking my head wildly, my mousy brown hair goes flying into my vision. "Uh, no. I can't partner with him."
Mrs. Yates frowns at me, her old sagging skin twisting to add to her deep wrinkles. "Molly, that's quite rude."
I open my mouth to protest some more, but her stern scowl causes me to close it quickly. Sinking into my chair, I make eye contact with the brooding boy.
Just one look at him and my stomach is doing flips. There's no way I can complete an entire project with him. I'm doomed.
"Mr. Moody, I'm quite sorry about that," Mrs. Yates apologizes on my behalf. "You will work just fine together, I'm sure."
Oh, yeah, I'm sure it will go just swimmingly.