Project Popularity

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Jamie Vandeviere

After changing out of my gym clothes, I quickly and cowardly left the locker room, afraid that the brave façade would crack under the SAC trio’s scrutinizing stare. Yes, I sounded gutsy back there, but to be honest, I was quite shaken up on the inside. I didn’t know what happened to girls who didn’t back down from Summer’s threat. No one had been courageous or stupid enough to try it. No one until me.

Luke had better make sure his plan worked.

The next two classes went by quickly and it was still weird for me to see all the people that had never bothered to give me the time of day approaching me and acting… friendly. A simple “Hi” from one of the popular kids would have surprised me to no end if it had happened a couple of days ago. Now, I wouldn’t say I’m used to the attention, but the sudden recognition didn’t feel too horrible.

I grabbed a tray from the counter and started putting food on to my plate. When I spotted Lucy and Clara at our usual table waving at me, I smiled and almost bounced my way to them. It was nice to see that even though my appearance had changed and people were acting different toward me, my best friends still treated me the same.

“Hey guys,” I said, just about to slide into the seat across from them. “You’ll never guess what-”

“What on earth are you doing?”

I jumped when Luke’s voice suddenly sounded from behind, throwing me completely off guard. I craned my neck to look at him, clearing my throat.

“I’m just about to eat,” I said, like I was answering a rhetorical question.

“I know that. I meant what are you doing sitting all the way over here? You should eat with us.” With a tilt of his head, he gestured to the Popular Table, and I gulped when I found the majority of the members gawking at Luke and me in confusion.

Breaking away from their gaze, I looked over to Lucy and Clara with a frown. The three of us had been having lunch together since…

“It’s okay, Jamie,” said Lucy, pulling me from my train of thoughts. “Go.”

“You guys want to come?” I asked hesitantly, even though I already knew the answer to that absurd question. Yeah, right. Summer and Lucy at the same table? As if.

“Nah,” she said with a wave. “I like our table better. So much cooler.” Clara giggled at her comment and casted a look of longing at the Popular Table.

“Are you coming or not, Vandeviere?” The impatience in Luke’s tone didn’t escape my notice. Shooting one last look of apology at my friends, I promised them that I would meet up with them after school and followed Luke’s lead to the Table of Doom.

With every step we took toward the Popular Table, my heart accelerated. It was as if my feet suddenly weighed a thousand pounds; I felt as if I had to drag them across the floor to get them moving. On the right side of the long table sat the girls, who were all gaping at me with open curiosity, like they were wondering what made me good enough to receive a face-to-face invitation from Luke Archer. Summer seemed pissed, though she tried her best not to show it. The smile on her face was so stiff and unnatural that it looked as if it were painted there.

The left side of the table, the guys’ side of the table, looked so much less hostile and so much more inviting in comparison. Assuming I would sit next to Luke, I suppose, Roger pulled an extra chair from another table and placed it on Luke’s right.

The second I sat down, all twelve pairs of eyes were glued to me and I turned away when I caught Amanda whispering something to Summer, her glare falling disdainfully to my tray. It was then that it occurred to me that was the only girl at the table eating hamburger, pizza, and fries; the rest of the girls had either gotten a salad, an apple, or a tiny pack of crackers placed in front of them.