Raina and Rue were still adamant that following through with the bet was a bad idea, and made sure to tell Ariel as well, who was still trying to convince them otherwise.
She knew despite Kayden's ways, he was still a good guy at heart. He wouldn't take advantage of the bet and try anything that would make her feel uncomfortable in that sort of way.
Also, Raina made it perfectly clear to Kayden that if he were to try something, he'd regret it.
Raina, Rue and Ariel were at lunch, sitting together at their usual table. Things were normal, until they heard a voice.
"There she is, my little mermaid" Kayden cooed, as he took a seat next to Ariel, with James taking a seat next to Rue, and Tyler, Kayden's other friend, forced himself into the slight gap between James and Raina.
"What are you guys doing here?" Raina asked the three boys, who just casually sat at their table like this was normal.
"Yeah, don't you sit over on that table?" Rue pointed at the table they usually sat at.
James leaned towards her a little. "You know what table we sit on? I'm flattered doll-face" he said to her, with a smirk, but Rue wasn't having it.
"Call me that again, and this fork goes into your hand" she threatened him and the seriousness in her tone and on her face made him back off.
"I'm here to sit with my girl obviously" Kayden then said, bumping Ariel's shoulder slightly and answering Raina's previous question.
She felt her cheeks get warm at the affectionate name.
Raina raised a brow at him. "Your girl?" She asked, whilst he nodded.
"I thought Marissa was your girl?" Rue asked.
Kayden then shook his head. "Marissa isn't my girl, Ariel is" Kayden said in a playful voice, and he booped her nose.
Raina then fake gagged. "I think I'm gonna throw up" she then muttered and Rue mirrored her expression. "You and me both" she said.
"We've got to spend some time together Ariel to get to know each other" Kayden then told her, and just the thought of spending time alone with him was causing Ariel to feel more flustered.
"I know you plenty" she said, trying to get out of spending extra time with him.
He then opened his mouth to reply to her, instead another voice interrupted him.
"Kayden baby, what are you doing here, with her?" Marissa asked him, whilst staring Ariel down.
Marissa was another well known girl in the school, her red hair full of volume and long legs making any other girl envious of her looks. Unfortunately, her personality wasn't as nice as she looked.
Kayden shrugged at her question, giving her a bored look. "I'm eating lunch with Ariel" he stated, as if it weren't already obvious.
"Yeah but why?" Marissa then whined.
Kayden turned to look at her. "Oh I'm sorry, I've needed to give you explanations since when?" He asked and this took Marissa by surprise.
It took everyone at the table by surprise.
"You don't but-" Marissa started to say, instead, Kayden cut her off.
"But?" He questioned her, and this seemed to have stopped her talking, not having an actual response to his question.
Marissa stood there for a moment, looking between Kayden and Ariel, mostly glaring at her, before Raina then sighed. "I think this is where you leave" she told Marissa, who huffed in response and stomped away.
"You sure she's not your girl?" Rue asked Kayden, who shook his head.
"She'd definitely like to be" James then said, with Tyler adding, "Despite Kayden telling her no all the time".
Ariel frowned at his words. "Why?" She asked and Kayden turned to her like she had asked him the most ridiculous question.
"Why what?" He questioned her.
"Why do you reject her?" Ariel asked him.
To her, it seemed as if Marissa was exactly the kind of girl Kayden would go for, and so she couldn't help but wonder why he wouldn't, despite being happy that he wasn't actually with her.
Kayden paused for a moment at my question, before saying, "She's not you".
"Are you ever off?" Ariel asked him and he grinned at her.
"Never" Tyler then responded, and Ariel couldn't giggle a little.
"Fuck off Ty" Kayden then said, throwing a chip at his face.
Tyler then leaned over a little towards Raina, who gave him a questioning look. "He means fuck off completely, not onto me" she then said, and Tyler immediately scooted away from her.
"You're scary" he noted and Raina smiled at him.
"Aw thanks" she responded, and it really was a genuine response.
Ariel was busy looking at Raina and Tyler's interaction with amusement, when she suddenly felt a hand clasp around hers under the table.
She looked down and then at Kayden, who was just smiling at her.
"What are you doing?" Ariel whispered.
"Holding your hand" Kayden stated, moving his hand to intertwine his fingers with hers, holding on with a firm grip.
The action was causing Ariel's heart to race more and she was worried Kayden would feel it too.
"Let go" Ariel said to him, but he shook his head.
"Make me" he responded.
Kayden then moved their joined hands so that they were rested on his thigh, and gave her hand a squeeze and smirked at Ariel, especially when he saw her eyes widen slightly at the action.
The pair looked at each other for a moment longer, until a throat was cleared across the table.
"Hands where I can see them Romeo" Raina then said and Ariel snapped out of whatever daze she was in.
Kayden immediately let her hand go, raising both of his in a surrendering motion as Raina stared him down, pointing her fork towards him in a threatening manner.
"Kayden, what you doing at this table?" Everyone turned to look at who had interrupted them, and saw Brad standing in front of them.
"Having lunch" Kayden replied, with the same indifferent tone he used with Marissa.
Brad then looked at Ariel, and she wasn't so enthusiastic about the expression on his face. It was like he knew something she didn't.
"Oh I see, moving onto little miss perfect" Brad then said, and she frowned at the mocking tone and words he used for her.
"Watch it" Kayden said.
Ariel looked her him, and saw his jaw clench, his eyes narrowed. She thought Raina would step in, but she was looking at Kayden with amusement.
"Looking for a little innocence in your girls now" Brad then said, and Ariel was grossed out by his words.
He made it seem like Kayden was looking for a virgin sacrifice and had chosen her.
"Shut the hell up" Kayden told him.
Ariel had never seen Kayden this angry ever, he was always smirking or laughing. Never this angry.
Brad then looked Ariel up and down, and she squirmed in her seat a little, not liking the way he was looking at her. "I'll admit she's hot" Brad then said.
"One more word Brad, I swear" Kayden growled out.
His hand was beside Ariel's thigh, in a clenched fist, and she wasn't sure what came over her, but she placed her hand over it.
Kayden didn't even look at her, but his clenched fist, immediately stopped tensing, and he uncurled it, turning it slightly to hold her hand. This time Ariel didn't resist, it seemed like he needed it.
Brad then scoffed at Kayden's words. "And what you'll hurt me?" He mocked.
Kayden was took a deep breath, before he could say something or get up, Raina then spoke.
"He might not, but I definitely will" she said and Brad looked down, hearing her and tensed a little.
"Didn't I already tell you to get the fuck out of my face this morning?" Raina questioned him, and Brad was a little startled by her words.
"I uh" he started to started to stutter, he seemed to be a little flushed.
"Uh uh. Fuck off" Raina waved him off, and Brad gave everyone at the table a look before he left to go and join Marissa, whilst the rest of them laughed at his expression.
Ariel looked at Kayden with a smile, and he returned it the look, giving her hand a squeeze. She decided not to pull away, more so because she liked the warm feeling.
"Nice going there Romeo. Earned yourself some brownie points" Raina praised Kayden and he was surprised by her words, but gave her a nod.
Ariel leant over to Kayden slightly. "You know praise from Raina means something" she told him, and he turned to her with a smile.
"Praise from you would mean more" he said, his eyes filled with amusement.
***
Hope you enjoyed the read :)