March 7th, Three weeks later, School cafeteria
"I have Tec class next." Gabino told Chrissy as they sat in the cafeteria.
"No fair- I have gym!" Chrissy whimpered as she stabbed her salad.
"To cheer you up, we could practice your verses." Gabino said, slyly peeking at the pretty blonde.
She covered her face with her hands, "No! If I practice any more I'll combust!" she complained.
Gabino laughed- he thought she was great! "Awe don't cry, as team captain I am responsible for my team mates well fair. Perhaps you need a hug?"
She peeked at him with one eye through her hands, her green eye looking a little petrified, he could even see that she was blushing beneath her hands, "Um no, that's ok." She managed to say.
Gabino pretended to make light of it and shrugged his shoulders- but really his tender heart inside felt sore. In the weeks since valentines, Gabino had tried to make his feelings towards her clear, but no matter how much he flirted or how much she blushed... she just didn't seem interested.
'Time to back off.' Gabino thought with a great show of maturity, but regressed immediately as he thought of Josh, 'now there's a chico that needs to back off!'
Ever since valentines, Josh had been hounding Chrissy every chance he got. At quiz practices he would sit by her- or on top of her, thinking it was funny. Gabino knew that Chrissy did not share in his humor. In the halls at school, Gabino had seen Josh walking with Chrissy with his arm draped around her shoulders- or sometimes with his hand clamped on the back of her neck. Gabino thought it was obvious that she did not want that kind of attention from Josh- but Josh didn't seem to care.
If Gabino wasn't scared of confrontation he would say something to Josh... but Gabino was very much afraid of confrontation!
* * *
'Gabino is sweet...' Chrissy thought as she pretended to be interested in her salad, 'but... I just don't like him... like that', she swallowed a dry crouton and relaxed as Gabino shifted further away from her on the bench- he was REALLY sweet!
Chrissy looked up across the cafeteria and by accident made eye contact with Josh, he sat at a table with a group of girls who had recently decided that Josh was cool- they were the kind of girls who didn't care if a boy was rude or acted like a jerk.
Josh winked at her from across the room, and Chrissy looked away; a jerk was exactly what Josh had been for weeks! As if harassing her in the halls or at quizzing wasn't enough- he constantly messaged her asking her to go out with him. How many times does a girl have to say 'no' before a jerk understands what it means? Chrissy hadn't discovered the answer to that question yet.
She was ashamed and embarrassed of Josh's behavior- it was like he was a different person! Not at all the boy she had grown up with.
Blip! Blip!
Her phone sung out. Chrissy caught her breath when she read the notification on her phone; it was from her Snapchat. Josh had posted a selfie with her- he had taken it the other day by coming up behind her and sticking his phone in her face. The picture was taken before she could duck away- and now he had publicly posted it. With only one simple- infuriating word.
#MINE.
Chrissy looked up at Josh who was smiling smugly at her. Chrissy felt her face heat up and she looked back at the picture he had posted; he was leaning over her shoulder, his smug smile next to her surprised face.
Chrissy tried to calm her breathing as the tension began to build inside her; she had never been this angry before! How dare Josh 'claim' her!
* * *
Lee sat a few tables away from Hudson, watching him closely, determined to uncover his secrets- and as it happened Josh also sat near by. And because Lee was very present on social media- and was friends with Chrissy on Snapchat- she saw the picture almost as soon as Josh posted it.
"Hey- Hudson- what do you think about my new girlfriend?" Josh called out, and everyone near by went silent to listen.
Hudson- who was reading a book- sighed heavily and looked up to see Josh holding out his large phone with the selfie of him and Chrissy.
Lee saw Hudson's eyes narrow slightly.
"Got something to say?" Josh asked like the first class jerk that he was.
Hudson's jaw tensed but he didn't speak, he shut his book and stood slowly to his feet until his immense height was fully established.
Lee darted her eyes between the boys, feeling the tension between them snap.
"What? Got a problem with me and Chrissy?" Josh asked again, reminding Lee of a kid taunting a large dog without realizing how dangerous it could be.
Hudson slowly rounded his table and began to walk past Josh's table without even looking at him- but Josh was obviously looking for a fight, he stood up and blocked the much taller boy's way.
"Surprised she would go for me over you? I'm not." Josh asked tow to tow with Hudson- and Lee saw Hudson's gloved hands clench into fists.
"Chris can make up her own mind." Hudson said tightly, then he slowly placed his large hand on Josh's shoulder and forced the boy to sit back down, then for a moment gripped his shoulder as if fighting to restrain himself. Then Hudson walked away, and everyone went straight to whispering.
Lee took a deep breath and noted with interest that Josh was sulkily rubbing his shoulder.
Will Chrissy brake free of Josh's harassment? Will Gabino work up the nerve to stand up for her? And do you think we've seen the last confrontation between Josh and Hudson?