Chapter three

Flawless 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter three

 

 

The next day, Jennifer walked with her friends; the eccentric event from the day before all but forgotten. The memory of it was still fresh in her mind, but she was determined not to let it get to her. If some creep wanted to mess with her then that would be his last mistake.

 

She would make sure of it.

 

The cafeteria was crowded, as usual, but Jennifer never had to worry; her seat was reserved, always, with her friends who sat at the very center of the large room.

 

The lunch today wasn’t entirely wholesome, but it made little difference. Her appetite was missing, so instead of the usual lunch, she bought a cold drink and listened to her boyfriend’s younger brother, Kelvin, talk about the party they were having that night.

 

            It was only a fifteen minutes into lunch that he came.

 

            She recognized him almost as soon as he stepped through the doors; his aura somehow shifting the atmosphere to something darker; chillier. The grimace made its way on her face as he walked down the aisle, pass her table. He didn’t notice her, and if he did he didn’t show it. His dark eyes remained at the back of the crowded mass of students filling the cafeteria, toward the back where a small group of three was seated, almost separated from everyone else. His face was calm, unchanging, and a pair of small headphones dangled from his ears as he listened to music.

 

            Again, he looked almost average.

 

            Jennifer waited for him to notice her, but he was oblivious to her defiant stare as he seated himself with the undersized group, not bothering to catch something to eat.

 

            She knew one of the boys he sat with; the one with the messy blond hair and sheepish grin; Logan Carter. He liked her once when they were little because she could remember him telling her, and then afterward she made him eat dirt.

 

            Logan said something to the others, and they laughed. Even the one she continued to glare at; the one who infuriated her.

 

Remembering the other day, Jennifer’s irritation hitched.

 

In that same second, the boy’s eyes flickered in her direction, catching her eyes. They were deep, almost bottomless without recognition. He showed no sign that he knew her, but only looked at her with the same dull, uninterested look he gave her yesterday, before turning his attention back to the others, ignoring her.

 

She couldn’t remember what he said to her before, only that it had made her angry.

 

She didn’t know his name or anything about him - not even the fact that she had lunch with him - though he obviously knew hers, but she was curious. She had to admit, if someone was going to mess with her, then she’d at least want to know their name. That way, if it came to it, she’d know whose name to give to the operator when she beats the kid senseless, and have to call the hospital.

 

 “Who is he?” Jennifer asked in a hushed whisper, leaning over to Payton.

 

Payton Grancher was her best friend ever since she moved here; their bond formed instantly after a small incident at the mall. Ever since then they were best friends, even though they had their differences from time to time.

 

Payton glanced at her sideways, then to the direction she was looking. “Who?”

 

Jennifer nodded in the direction of the strange boy. “Him, the one in the black over there,” He was listening to music now. She could tell because no one around him was talking to him anymore, and he stared off into space as if he were alone in a quiet room.

 

            Payton’s lips slowly curled back into a grimace, and she shook her head, instantly uninterested. “Outcast. Cole something. You don’t need to worry about him,” she turned back around toward Rachelle and Mike, who were chatting away.

 

            Jennifer frowned at Payton’s lack of information. “How long has he been here?” she pushed, wanting to know more.

 

            Payton gave her a bewildered look. “You’re interested in him?” she accused in shock, as if Jennifer had just committed a crime.

 

            Jennifer rolled her eyes. “How long?”

 

            Payton snickered. “A few months? A year? Who cares, he’ll probably drop out anyway,”

 

            Drop out. Outcast. That’s what he looked like, and that was most certainly what he acted like. When it came to people, Jennifer knew how to manipulate them, how to get her way. But when it came to outcasts that threatened her, she wasn’t sure how to handle that.

 

*  *  *

 

After the final bell, Jennifer walked with Payton down the hall.  It wasn’t that she was afraid of the strange boy named Cole. It was that Payton made her feel normal, almost safe, instead of being watched.

 

As they walked, Payton gasped without warning. “That’s so cute!” her hands flew to her face, covering her mouth in exhilaration. It was a young girl she pulled over, most likely a freshman, whose eyes went wide due to Payton’s sudden enthralled expression. “Where’d you get it?” she asked excitingly.  

 

“Oh, this?” the girl smiled brightly, grabbing the edge of her shirt. “I got it at the mall. My mother bought it for me,” The shirt was a bright green with pink designs weaved into it.

 

It reminded Jennifer of something old people would wear. “It looks so pretty,” Jennifer said, smiling. As soon as the girl walked away, Jennifer turned her head to gag. “Yeah right. It’s hideous,”

 

            Payton laughed, agreeing. “It’s something my grandmother would wear,” The reason the made such good friends; they always had something to laugh about.

 

            Jennifer stopped at her locker, putting in her combination. “So you’ll be there tonight, right?” she asked, opening her locker. She glanced over to see Payton’s animated face.

 

            She grinned, and placed one of her hands on her hip. “Would I miss this?” she asked before answering her own question. “Of course not!” she blew a kiss and waved. “I’ll see you tonight,”

 

            As soon as she left, Jennifer placed the textbooks she’d been carrying all day onto the top shelf of her locker. It was only within a few short seconds when she felt someone’s presence from behind.

 

Hands wrapped around her, lowering to hold her waist. “You didn’t answer me the other day,” Rick murmured, his hot breath brushing her neck, making her shiver.

 

            She closed her locker and twisted around in his arms so she could kiss him once on the lips. “I’m sorry,” Jennifer smiled, apologetic. “I was busy,”

 

            He raised an eyebrow as if to say too busy for me?

 

            She sighed. Even if they’ve only been dating for a few months, there were certain things about Rick that she didn’t like, like how he couldn’t understand how her life didn’t evolve around him.

 

            She moved out of his embrace, and he released her easily to walk down the hall by her side.

 

“So,” Rick started, running his hand through his brown hair. “You coming tonight?”

 

Jennifer gave him a doubtful look; like he had to ask. “Of course,” she answered, letting her hand twine with his.

 

“Good,” he said before taking one long look at her, up and down her body. “Wear something pretty,”

 

In return, Jennifer gave him a dissatisfying look. Didn’t she always look pretty?

 

“Yes,” he nodded, reading her thoughts. “You look beautiful, baby,” He stopped in the middle of the hall, causing other students to swerve around them, and pulled her to him, lowering his head to kiss her. Jennifer smiled against his lips; how could she not love him? He was handsome, charming, and she had to admit; they looked great together. Yes, he annoyed her sometimes and he was a tad bullheaded, but he was hers.

 

When she started to pull away, a small rumble vibrated from the back of his throat; a protest. She smiled apologetically. “I have to go,” They couldn’t kiss forever. Rick had football practice, and she to get home before Riley.

 

He pulled her back, smiling innocently, and began to kiss her again.

 

Jennifer placed her hands on his chest, gently pushing him back. “Rick, I have to go.” As if repeating herself would get through to him… But this time, surprisingly, he listened.

 

His smile was lazy as he sauntered off toward the gym locker rooms at the far end of the hall.  “See you later,”

 

Jennifer watched him disappear before turning down the hall - and just in time to see someone turning away from her; someone that looked like the back of Cole’s head. The long dark hair, the black jacket; actually, she was sure that it was him, and that made her irritation spark.

 

It didn’t help much when Dan Berdy’s head bobbed up from the other students, trying to see pass them as he breezed by. He spotted her almost instantly, standing alone in the middle of the hallway.

 

“Jennifer!” he called out, eyes lighting up. Some bystanders slowly turned heads at the shouting boy. “J-Jennifer!” he came to a halt, slightly winded as he struggled to regain the breath he lost.

 

Jennifer’s eyebrow rose in question.

           

He pushed his glasses back up his slim nose that had managed to loosen when he ran down the hall. “I, um, finished your work.” He informed. Jennifer stared blankly at him, and then he quickly searched through his bag that dangled loosely from his skinny shoulder. Once he found what he was looking for, he pulled out the thin paper and proudly handed it to her. “Here,”

 

Jennifer took the paper, not bothering to look over it as she folded it up, placing it neatly in her bag. “Thanks,” she murmured, turning to walk away from him.

 

He followed along side her, nodding, satisfied. Like a dog eager to please, thought Jennifer, and she thought that it was pathetic.

 

Dan smiled shyly. “So, I was wondering about our date…” he began, fumbling with the hem of his shirt nervously.

 

Did he think that she was serious about it?

 

The frowned made its way on her face and she stopped suddenly to look at him, making sure he saw the disgust there. “Oh, sorry,” she apologized dryly, turning away to leave him there, staring after her. “I’m busy that day,” 

 

Author's Note

I was unsure about this first (Since i don't know how to write as the mean girl) but then was reassured it was decent :S
If you see any misspellings or mistakes, please point it out. Much appreciated :)
Thank you for reading!

Reviews

[Short.Nerd]

Perfect mean girl when she says "Sorry I'm busy that day." As a nerd(even though I'm a chick and not a dude nerd) I would take offense to her snobbyness although if I were the nerd who did her homework I would have ended up giving her all the wrong answers. Anyway.... amazing chapter:D

[Daydreamer54]

Aw, i feel sorry fordan and he should have sjhe was just using him, curse us women and our enticing ways! :P Well at least we know why cole cursed her. anyway, great write and moving on theo the next chapter!

[halflives]

Well that was mean. I mean, can't you at least give a guy a chance? Being a nerd/geek myself, if anyone did that to me, I'd simply fall apart. I feel bad for poor Dan. I'm pretty sure it's the way you wrote it, but you've made us pretty much very-close-to hate Jennifer. She is, as Shnerd said, the perfect mean girl. Excellent chapter, I'm looking for more!

[GrownUpTime]

YAY you posted it! amazing as always!