I really don’t.
It looks like Holt might though.
Mr. Drama Queen Márquez comes storming over to the table with his dark eyes narrowed behind his thick glasses. “Just what exactly is going on over here?”
Oh, great.
“What do you want, Holt?” Lora addresses him with a dry look. “We’re trying to enjoy our lunch in peace.”
“Who’s this?” Holt asks, jutting his chin out toward Brayden.
“Hey,” Brayden drawls, offering a slight nod, “I’m Bra—”
“Not you,” Holt cuts him off, barely sparing Brayden a glance, “I’m speaking to Lora.”
Brayden’s eyebrows rise ever-so-slightly, but he doesn’t say anything as he begins to eat his food.
“Holt,” Lora says in an even tone, suddenly standing up, “why don’t you and I have a little chat in private. Okay?”
I widen my eyes at her as a clear message to not leave me alone with Brayden, but she’s already walking over to Holt and tugging him away from the table.
Oh, great, again.
“So, is that her boyfriend? Or…?”
I tell myself that I don’t have to answer him. That I don’t have to speak to him at all. That I can freely and completely ignore him.
“He’s her ex,” I reply with a careless shrug, eating another one of my chips.
“Ah, but he doesn’t want to be her ex. Right?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s none of your business,” I say in a cool tone, making sure not to look at him. “Right?”
He does that same sexy laugh again, and my heart betrays me by skipping a beat.
“Come on, Meg,” he drawls with a slight sigh, “I thought you weren’t going to be sore at me. I told you last night that I was just messing around. I meant it.”
Pre-breakup-eleven-and-a-half-year-old me would probably believe him. But, post-breakup-seventeen-year-old me knows better. Been there. Done that. Not going back.
“Megan? Did you hear me?”
How am I even supposed to respond to him? What should I say?
“Sorry about that,” Lora says, reappearing at the table, “Holt can be a little extra sometimes.”
Perfect. Timing.
She is totally my best friend.
“So, Brayden,” Lora starts, sitting back down beside him, “it’s been a bit. What have you been up to since way back when?”
She’s just my best friend who doesn’t know when to quit, and she is going to get the scolding of a lifetime during gym period.
“Uh, nothing much,” Brayden replies, turning his attention to Lora. “Just the usual, I guess. Tried a couple of different hobbies that I got bored with, started high school and wished that I hadn’t, worked part-time at some local diner, got my license and my first ticket.” He laughs a little before shrugging some. “Then my mom’s job gave her a really great opportunity to move back here, so we did. That’s pretty much it.”
Yeah, because he left out the part where he had ten girlfriends. I may not know that for sure, but I definitely know it’s not below him…
“Wow,” Lora comments with a nod, “and now you’re neighbors with Megan. I mean, how wild is that?” She then looks at me. “Isn’t that just wild, Meg?”
I raise my eyebrows in an unamused fashion. “Incredibly.”
“Oh my gosh!” she exclaims with an abrupt gasp, focusing on Brayden once again. “You know what was really wild? The food fight you started in middle school! Do you remember that?”
Well, I know that I do. How could I not? It was one of the major times that Brayden got in trouble. Plus, I ended up with mashed potatoes in my hair. Definitely not a great memory.
“Um, yeah,” Brayden drawls, clearing his throat, “I remember that.”
“So, what happened anyway?” Lora asks with creased eyebrows. “What made you chuck that…what was it? Coleslaw?”
Bleh. That stuff was, and is, completely gross.
“Yep, it was coleslaw,” Brayden says, drumming a couple of his fingers against the table. “And I uh, chucked it at Bobby Harman because…well, he said something that I didn’t like.”
Then, for some odd reason, his gaze finds mine. It’s only for a second, less than a second really, but that doesn’t stop some kind of rush from going through my body.
I push the feeling aside and force myself to rationalize what just happened. I’m sure he only looked at me to see if I was judging him. After all, his reason for starting that stupid food fight does seem a little pathetic.
Which is why I roll my eyes to let him know that I am indeed judging him.
Meanwhile, Lora is rambling about her hatred for mustard. Apparently, the food fight (specifically that evil, yellow condiment) ruined her favorite top, and she’s never recovered.
Yeah, Lora can be a little extra sometimes too…
——————
“Why is she making us run laps outside?” Lora grumbles, putting her hair into a messy half-bun.
“To get fresh air,” I deadpan, propping my hands on my hips. “Lora, have you been listening to me? Being friendly with Brayden is an absolute not.”
“But why?” she asks, tugging at the bottom of her gym shorts. “I don’t think he’s that bad.”
“That bad?” I echo in disbelief. “Lora Michelle Walters, need I remind you that you’re the one who insisted I break up with him!”
“That was ages ago,” she says, widening her eyes at me. “And besides, what happened to not counting him as your ex?”
“You’re missing the point, Lora,” I state in frustration as we walk over to where the rest of the class is, “and the point is that we need to avoid him as much as possible…okay?”
“Don’t you think you’re being just a little extreme?”
I purse my lips at her. “No. I don’t.”
“All right, students!” Coach Milton yells, gathering everyone’s attention. “Before
