troublemakers.”
“We were freshmen once.”
“Yeah,” Alec agreed. “And we were troublemakers.” He grinned. “Apparently, we never grew out of it.”
“Ain’t that the truth!” Matt chuckled and held out a fist, which Alec immediately tapped with his own.
As the two made their way into the hallway, Matt added, “How about we hang out after classes today? We could pick up some fast food somewhere and chill out at my place.”
Alec bobbed his head in agreement. “I’ve got nothing going on tonight. That sounds good.” He shot his friend a teasing grin. “I’ll see you then, troublemaker. I’ll meet you in the student parking lot. I drove this morning. Got my car all fixed up.”
“Sweet!” Matt gave a wave over his shoulder as he broke off in the direction of Ms. Patterson’s classroom.
Alec veered toward the cafeteria. He pushed through the doors and started in the direction of the food lines. His jovial mood plummeted the instant his eyes fell on his usual table.
Ellie sat chattering away with Jake Phillips. She was so involved in her conversation that she seemed oblivious to everything else around her.
Scowling, Alec headed over to the lunch line and filled his tray with a quantity of food only a jock could get away with. After paying the lunch lady for his excessive lunch, he made his way almost territorially over to his usual spot. “So you’re eating with us now,” he directed at Jake with displeasure. He dropped his tray loudly to the table and scooted into the seat on Ellie’s left, glowering all the while.
Jake gave a bright smile, as if he didn’t even realize his presence had not been well received. “Sure am. I want to spend as much time with Ellie as I can.” Grabbing Ellie’s hand, he tugged her forward and planted a firm kiss on her lips.
She gave a delighted, tittering laugh. “I like spending time with you, too.”
Alec growled under his breath and aggressively unwrapped one of his burgers. He stuffed it into his mouth and took a large, vicious bite. As he chewed, he pretended it was Jake’s perfect face he was grinding between his teeth.
“Speaking of spending time together…” Jake reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two laminated slips of paper. “I bought our prom tickets this afternoon. You’ll do the honor of attending me, won’t you?” He chuckled lightly. “I hope so. Otherwise, I look pretty foolish right now.”
Ellie jolted in her seat, her mouth forming a little ‘O’ of surprise. “Oh…thank you. Of…of course I’ll be your date,” she said with flustered pleasure.
Jake beamed, flashing a set of pearly white teeth. “You’ve just made me the luckiest boy at Noble High.”
Alec rolled his eyes and took another angry bite of his burger. Even Jake’s teeth annoyed him. They were too perfect.
As if to taunt Alec, Jake’s grin widened as he climbed to his feet. “I hate to cut this short, but I promised I’d help the prom committee select this year’s theme.” He scooped up the sandwich he had on his tray and took a bite. “I was told by Mrs. Evans that she demanded my handsome face be present.” He winked. “I think she’s trying to be my campaign manager for prom king.”
At the mention of handsome faces, Alec self-consciously ran his fingers over the puckered flesh of his injured forehead. He knew he wasn’t bad to look at, and girls were always flirting with him, but he was no Jake Phillips. He would never have those perfect looks, the flawless attire. He was more appealing in a rugged, messy way.
“Oh don’t worry, man,” Jake said nonchalantly after glancing in Alec’s direction. “I’m sure that will heal before picture time.” Seemingly oblivious to the glare this comment earned him, Jake bent down to give Ellie a one-armed hug. “I’ll catch you later, sweets.” Then with a whistle, he sauntered from the room.
Alec’s glare followed him the entire way out of the cafeteria. Then he stared at the
“We were freshmen once.”
“Yeah,” Alec agreed. “And we were troublemakers.” He grinned. “Apparently, we never grew out of it.”
“Ain’t that the truth!” Matt chuckled and held out a fist, which Alec immediately tapped with his own.
As the two made their way into the hallway, Matt added, “How about we hang out after classes today? We could pick up some fast food somewhere and chill out at my place.”
Alec bobbed his head in agreement. “I’ve got nothing going on tonight. That sounds good.” He shot his friend a teasing grin. “I’ll see you then, troublemaker. I’ll meet you in the student parking lot. I drove this morning. Got my car all fixed up.”
“Sweet!” Matt gave a wave over his shoulder as he broke off in the direction of Ms. Patterson’s classroom.
Alec veered toward the cafeteria. He pushed through the doors and started in the direction of the food lines. His jovial mood plummeted the instant his eyes fell on his usual table.
Ellie sat chattering away with Jake Phillips. She was so involved in her conversation that she seemed oblivious to everything else around her.
Scowling, Alec headed over to the lunch line and filled his tray with a quantity of food only a jock could get away with. After paying the lunch lady for his excessive lunch, he made his way almost territorially over to his usual spot. “So you’re eating with us now,” he directed at Jake with displeasure. He dropped his tray loudly to the table and scooted into the seat on Ellie’s left, glowering all the while.
Jake gave a bright smile, as if he didn’t even realize his presence had not been well received. “Sure am. I want to spend as much time with Ellie as I can.” Grabbing Ellie’s hand, he tugged her forward and planted a firm kiss on her lips.
She gave a delighted, tittering laugh. “I like spending time with you, too.”
Alec growled under his breath and aggressively unwrapped one of his burgers. He stuffed it into his mouth and took a large, vicious bite. As he chewed, he pretended it was Jake’s perfect face he was grinding between his teeth.
“Speaking of spending time together…” Jake reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two laminated slips of paper. “I bought our prom tickets this afternoon. You’ll do the honor of attending me, won’t you?” He chuckled lightly. “I hope so. Otherwise, I look pretty foolish right now.”
Ellie jolted in her seat, her mouth forming a little ‘O’ of surprise. “Oh…thank you. Of…of course I’ll be your date,” she said with flustered pleasure.
Jake beamed, flashing a set of pearly white teeth. “You’ve just made me the luckiest boy at Noble High.”
Alec rolled his eyes and took another angry bite of his burger. Even Jake’s teeth annoyed him. They were too perfect.
As if to taunt Alec, Jake’s grin widened as he climbed to his feet. “I hate to cut this short, but I promised I’d help the prom committee select this year’s theme.” He scooped up the sandwich he had on his tray and took a bite. “I was told by Mrs. Evans that she demanded my handsome face be present.” He winked. “I think she’s trying to be my campaign manager for prom king.”
At the mention of handsome faces, Alec self-consciously ran his fingers over the puckered flesh of his injured forehead. He knew he wasn’t bad to look at, and girls were always flirting with him, but he was no Jake Phillips. He would never have those perfect looks, the flawless attire. He was more appealing in a rugged, messy way.
“Oh don’t worry, man,” Jake said nonchalantly after glancing in Alec’s direction. “I’m sure that will heal before picture time.” Seemingly oblivious to the glare this comment earned him, Jake bent down to give Ellie a one-armed hug. “I’ll catch you later, sweets.” Then with a whistle, he sauntered from the room.
Alec’s glare followed him the entire way out of the cafeteria. Then he stared at the
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