TIFFIN

83

Hey everyone!! So sorry for the late update. The day was crazy. <3 <3
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In the end, I had decided on a nice golden dress that was long-sleeved and stopped at the top of my thighs. It was a bit risky, dressing in something that made me uncomfortable, but it was respectable enough that I didn't feel like I was begging for any unwanted advances.

I only had a few classes and they were short. I had been working as hard as I could to get my grades back up. The semester was a mere few weeks from ending and I was told my only chance of redemption was to complete essays for extra credit.

I still hadn't thought about the job I'd been offered. I didn't doubt Niall's parents had heard about what I said and I didn't bother filling out the application while at the ball. Lately, it seemed I wasn't making the best decisions.

Luke had us dine in at a restaurant near town. It wasn't a place I'd ever heard of and my guess was that it was fairly new. Inside were sleek linoleum chairs and tables, with fancy glass chandeliers hanging from the cieling.

"I hope this is to your liking," Luke said as we waited to be seated, "The restaurant was recently furnished and has the best seafood."

I smiled at this. Thank god, I loved seafood.

"That's perfect," I replied.

When we finally were finally greeted with a hostess for the night, I grew intensely uneasy. She was young- probably about high school age- and pressed her cleavage together when she saw Luke.

Was every guy I dated a magnet for drama?

"Long time, no see!" She squeaked, tightening her silky blonde hair up in a ponytail. "What brings you around here?"

I seriously wanted to stick in earmuffs and put Luke out of his misery. Her voice was grating on the ears.

Luke gathered me close, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm here on a date. This is Kristina."

"Oh." The girl's face fell. "I remember when I was the special girl only a year ago."

"Yeah..." Luke trailed off, focusing on a nearby column. "Hey, so, about that table?"

"Oh, yeah." The girl shook her head. "Right this way."

Once we were seated, the girl huffed in frustration.

"Your waiter will be here shortly."

When she had finally left, I smiled, feeling relieved.

"So, what's the name of this place?"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry about that," Luke apologized. "I've never had that happen. It's called Elevagine's Corner. It used to be a small cafe but the owner wanted to expand."

I nodded. "Oh okay."

"I'm so glad you decided to wear that dress." Luke went on. "You look so good in it and it will be perfect for the club."

My head snapped up at this. "I'm sorry... club?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. I figured we could go burn off some calories and let loose."

I started picking at the paint on the table. "Will we be able to get in? Don't you have to be twenty-one?"

"It won't be a problem," Luke replied, "I know some people. Unless you really don't want to go then I'll cancel."

"No, no!" I exclaimed. "I'll go. It sounds great."

Now, what was that about not making the best decisions?

It wasn't long before our waiter came along and asked for our orders and drinks. He was a nice man, acting more respectfully than the hostess. I had ordered a plate of sushi, while Luke had ordered a lobster dish.

I knew sushi wasn't exactly seafood, but when I saw it on the menu, I couldn't resist.

As we sat eating, Luke wouldn't stop showering me with compliments. I couldn't decide whether I hated it or loved it. He was like the paparazzi, utterly obsessed with me.

"God, you're so pretty. I'm so glad you decided to come on this date."

"Luke," I sighed. "I feel like you overestimate me. There are plenty of pretty girls there in your hall."

Luke shook his head adamantly. "Not even close. In a nutshell, Chico is like Corning. We only have so many types, but they just don't measure up. You're different. You're a girl that has her priorities straight, dresses modestly, and has the looks of a goddess. You're everything any husband could ask for."

"Luke, I-"

I was soon interrupted by a loud disturbance by the restaurant's entrance door. It was a group of people, screaming in excitement. The hostess was frantic, warning them that if they couldn't settle down, she couldn't serve them. They were quite selfish.

As a boy in the group turned, I soon saw that it was Hero.

Fuck.

Now that I paid more attention, I saw that it was the entire gang: Hero, Kylie, and Ellie. Seriously. Just how many restaurants in Chico could there be?

To my horror, Ellie pointed right to our table, slipping the hostess a fifty. If I knew anything, that young girl would need a tip for her new car. Without argument, the hostess led the group to our table, setting down the menus and leaving.

"Oh, what a surprise, Luke." Kylie taunted. "We saw you were in a booth and thought we'd join."

I eyed Luke, hoping he could get us out of this, but like expected, he allowed his friends to intervene. Isn't this what I wanted, though? To make Hero Jealous?

From the look of it, he was fuming.

"Well, scoot over!" Ellie demanded, shocking me by choosing my seat, squishing me against the wall. Kylie joined her with Hero sitting right across from me. I could already tell this meant trouble.

"Oh, wow," Ellie said, "Luke, this doesn't look like the gym."

"Look, I just didn't want to hurt your feelings..." Luke tried to explain.
"What feelings?" Ellie scoffed. "Of course you go after the one girl I told you that I hated!"

I could feel the sting from the unnecessary comment. I knew she hadn't liked me, but she hated me?

"You just like going after everyone's boyfriend, don't you?" Kylie asked nastily.

"Jesus, Kylie!" Hero shouted, looking exasperated. "Can you just shut the fuck up?"

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Why do you care? It's not like you're dating!"

"I know what you're trying to do," Hero fought back. "I'm not fucking dating you either!"

Kylie snickered. "Your loss. Have fun going in the same cycle."

As Luke tended to his lobster, Hero reached for my hand across the table right in view of everyone. I tore my hand away, upset at his audacity.

"I'm sorry for what happened," He began, "I know I shouldn't blame Josephine for what happened."

"Can you just stop?" I hissed. "What's done is done!"

"What?" Kylie challenged. "Are you apologizing to her for the hundredth time? That's right honey, he told us about how funny that was."

"Okay, this is where I put my foot down," Luke threatned. "If you can't play nice, you can leave."

As the space grew quiet, I tried to keep my tears at bay. I was right. He did see me as a joke.

Poor Kristina :(

Is Hero ever going to change?

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