The Fight In You [18+]

5 - Eighteen Candles

"Dude...come on."

"What?" I sighed, begrudgingly tearing my eyes away from the pretty blonde three tables over.

Jason kicked me under the table until I finally looked at him. Yes, somehow the guy I nearly pummeled on the first day had somehow become my best friend. When I stood up to him that day, he mistakenly assumed I was her boyfriend. I explained that I wasn't, but I still didn't want him messing with Corri.

"Please stop staring at her. It's embarrassing."

I growled in frustration as I tore into my cheeseburger and pouted at my carton of milk. "I wasn't staring," I huffed. "Just keeping an eye on her."

"You are so-oo-oo jealous," Jason sing-songed. "Fuck, I don't know why you just don't go tell her how you feel."

"Quit it," I warned. "You know it's not like that between us."

"You can't convince me you don't want her," he countered with a knowing look.

"Whatever," I shrugged. "I already told you her dad told me to stay away."

Jason nodded slowly before glancing over my head. "So what would her dad say about Trent Smith giving her the goo-goo eyes."

My head snapped in her direction, noting that she was indeed smiling at a guy sitting across from her. I could feel my scalp tingle with a feeling I had become all too familiar with. "Who is that guy?"

He chuckled, "I knew you were jealous." Jason regarded my scowl and raised his hands. "Sorry. That's Trent. Super smart kid. He's in honor society and student council. Pretty sure he's a good guy, Colt. Definitely not a player."

"Unlike some people we know," I teased, then ducking as he tossed a napkin toward my head. Jason Young turned out to not be the bad guy I thought he was. Even Corri finally forgave him when she realized we had become friends. I just liked teasing him about being a player. The truth was, pretty girls made him nervous. And no one was prettier than my Corri.

I watched Trent a little longer and then reached for Jason's juice. "Were you gonna drink this?"

"Don't do it, dude."

"What?" I feigned ignorance, grabbing the carton from his tray and shaking it as I stood. "I'm just gonna go say hi."

"You're so obsessed," Jason sighed dramatically. "Just ask her out."

"I can't hear you," I laughed, retreating across the lunch room in my quest to learn more about Corri's would-be suitor.

Neither of them noticed me as I lowered myself onto Corri's side of the bench. I straddled the seat and sat much closer than necessary, but my possessive side was coming out hard that day. "Hey, butterfly."