Awkward

~MIKAELA /PART 1/~

-EPISODE 4.

~/•/~

I know the answer but I ask, "What's the catch?"

Callum puts a hand on my shoulder and all his boys squeeze in as well.
"The catch?"

Jonah got me to school earlier than usual and now I've been summoned by Callum and his gang, along the wall - just inside the gates - at 8 on a Monday morning. Callum said that he could help me 'redeem myself' and now he's telling me that asking out "Mikaela" is the way.

• I know Mikaela and I know this idea is stupid.

"Yeah, the catch." I repeat, bravely. "In this case, you've told me all the good stuff, but if that's the whole story then why haven't you... you know.. taken Mikaela for yourself?"

The whole group bombs into laughter. And then when they're done and out of breath, Callum speaks for everyone.
"Turner, the catch is, Mikaela is a merciless beast that will rip your heart in three." The way he grins when he says it confirms for me that he's trying to set me up. "If you let her," he adds.

There we go.

"Happened to me," a guy in the group mumbles.

"Mikaela..." Callum starts, "Now, Turner, I've never known if you're a dweeb but if you are then you know that Mikaela is among the objects that the dweeb society here look at when they touch themselves."

Ew, man.

"I've seen it for myself," says a guy in the group. "I regret it," he adds, as he gets disgusted stares.

"An evil temptress," Callum continues.

"Evil!" shouts a guy in the group.

"A siren, a call girl, a tart, a player, a sister of the street."

"The street!!"

The lucky students who Callum doesn't know freely walk through the gates and chill in groups, some already starting to go to their first class.

"But a good looking one," states Callum. "And that's all you need."

"That's all, brother!!"

"She looks so good — that her socials look f——g edited."

"Slim waist, pretty face and she's got curves in the right place," raps one of the guys in the group, PoLo. The group lets out a low 'mmmm' as he gestures her figure with his hands. As you've guessed, he's the rapper of Callum's boys.

"If you want a Valentine, if you don't want to keep being known as 'the guy who got rejected' and if you want to temporarily get back at that blonde sort of b—-h, Mikaela is the girl."

Ava isn't a b—-h.

"But the catch is... if you want anything more than that, Mikaela is not the girl."
The whole group bursts into laughter again, shouting 'Facts! Yeppp! Not the one!!'

"What?" I shout over them. I hate how they're laughing when I'm just trying to have a conversation.

Callum takes his hand off my shoulder.
"Bruv. Take it from her ex right here," He puts his hand on DeMarcus's head. "Mikaela is not human."

DeMarcus frees himself and steps right up to me instead. I know that they broke up at around the time I transferred to Redwood and the only thing I know about what happened is that this man has been "focusing on the gang" ever since.

"Advice," DeMarcus says, "Don't let her get in your head."

"Nice."
I hope he can feel my sarcasm.