Senseless Attraction by Lila Rose Page A

being pulled onto their laps as everyone laughed along with them. I tried to look to Tristan for any kind of help. I found he was the one who seemed to be able to control them, because when he spoke, they listened. But every time I did, he’d turn his scowling face away.
          My dad had always told me to ignore stupid teenaged boys. So I did. I no longer flinched when I felt a pinch or when something was thrown my way. I took it all, and hoped that one day they’d give up.
          I didn't have enough guts to stand up to them. I wished I did. All I wanted to do was go to school, learn, graduate, and move on to university without too many emotional scars to bring me down.
          Letting out another sigh, I pushed my glasses back up my nose and opened the front door to my school. So far so good, no sign of any of them.
          “Hi, Alex.”
          I jumped high and grabbed at my chest when Corbet appeared out of nowhere. Corbet was like me in many ways. We loved to learn. We loved to eat Italian food, listened to eighties music, and studied. He was a great friend to have and I’d been lucky enough to have him since kindergarten. Just like Sarah, who was walking towards us—not the kindergarten part, but being a great friend. Sarah moved here two years ago, and since then, we’d been stuck like glue. Not that anyone could understand it—we were two totally different people.
          “Jeez, Corbet, you gave me a heart-attack,” I complained.
          “I told him not to do it.” Sarah smiled and gave me a quick hug.
          Sometimes, I wondered why Sarah hung out with us. I mean, yes, she liked the things we did, but where Corbet and I both looked the geek part, she didn't. I had dark, ocean-blue eyes. I was small and stubby, and had long, boring brown hair that was always being pushed behind my ears. Corbet was cute in his own way. He was a few inches taller than me, and skinny, with light brown hair and eyes. He also wore glasses, like me. As for Sarah, she was tall, slim, but not rake skinny, and beautiful with her long, dark red hair and light emerald eyes. She was also lucky enough to be so good-looking that no one seemed to bother her.
          “Sorry, Alex. I really should have thought it through,” Corbet said with sympathy in his eyes. He knew who I thought it was. Unfortunately, he got just as much unwanted attention from the ‘three stooges’ as I did.
          “It's all right.” I started to walk with them beside me. We had the same Social Studies class to get to, and the bell was going to ring any second.
          “How was your weekend, girls?” Corbet asked as we reached the door in time. The bell sounded when we walked in.
          “Good, we watched the two Bridget Jones movies; you should have come,” Sarah said. Every weekend we did the same thing: sleep over at my house, rent movies, and pig out on takeaway and junk food. My dad didn't mind; he was usually working on some court case anyway. He liked that I had the company on weekends when he was too busy. Made him feel less guilty. Not that he should, we’d been through enough after my mom passed away from cancer a year-and-a-half ago. Dad threw himself into work, and I threw myself more into studies and my new job at the local library.
          “You know I would have, but I had that thing with the family.” Corbet sighed, sitting in his seat in front of our table and next to Laura Jennings, the class gossip and top cheerleader. He wouldn't usually sit next to her, but she was moved tables when she and her best friend Brittany wouldn't stop texting and talking.
          Corbet was talking about his family’s reunion picnic they had every year. He hated them, but was made to go by his parents, or else he would have spent the night with us as well. Another thing my dad didn't mind; he trusted me.
          The teacher walked in and started speaking, so the class quieted at once.