The Tortoise and His Sunrise | ✓

10. Fear

I started when an arm was thrown over my shoulders.

"Chelsea! Let's get lunch together," Jenna said, offering me a big smile.

"Um," I said, glancing back at her. "I don't think--"

During the lecture today, I'd deliberately chosen to settle down two rows away from where she and Lucas were sitting, pretending not to see her waving enthusiastically at me. I didn't want to have to acknowledge Lucas just to sit beside Jenna, but also I didn't want to be questioned on why I was ignoring him.

Unexpectedly, she was alone. Lucas wasn't anywhere near us. I swept my gaze over the large crowd of students who'd attended the lecture along with us, and I finally managed to catch sight of a mop of brown curls among another cluster.

"It's going to be just the two of us, okay?" she said brightly, as if she had caught on to what the problem was.

Oh. That was okay, then.

"Okay," I said, returning her smile.

"I'm starving," she said, steering me towards the large hallway. "I didn't get to eat breakfast today!"

"Did you wake up late?" I asked, striding faster to keep up with her.

"I slept through my alarm! I barely had time to wash up before my first lecture." Jenna ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it out between her fingers.

I made a sympathetic noise. "That sucks."

"So," she began in a much lower voice, now that we were a little further away from the rest of the students, "is everything alright with you? I noticed that you and Lucas haven't really been talking lately. And I'm pretty sure it's him you're avoiding, because whenever it's just me, you still sit with me in class."

I cast surreptitious glances around our surroundings, checking that no one was listening in on us.

Jenna was a really cool person whom I couldn't see taking Lucas' side once she heard what had happened between us. On the other hand, however, she was still on good terms with him at the moment. What if she brushed it off in favor of giving her friend the benefit of the doubt, simply because she didn't know Nolan personally?

The hesitation must have shown on my face, because she removed her arm from my shoulders and looked concerned.

"Did you get into an argument? Did he do something to you? I tried asking Lucas about it because he didn't seem surprised about your behavior."

"Wait, you asked him about it? What did he tell you?" I asked, fiddling with the bottle cap of my half-finished iced tea.

"Not much," she said. "I'd like to hear your version of it, actually. That's why I'm asking you. Of course, you don't have to tell me what happened if you're not comfortable. I'm just a bit worried because you seem really bothered by his presence."

She was being so sweet. I didn't know what kind of tale Lucas had spun her. I doubted he had told her the whole truth, because I was sure Jenna would have mentioned it and wouldn't be so cool with him. Had he made me sound like I was making a mountain out of a mole hill, had he made up another story entirely, or had he simply brushed off her question?

We left the building and stepped out into the sunshine-filled open air.

"No," I said. "I don't mind telling you. Jen, do you remember when my boyfriend came by to have lunch with me last week?"

"Yeah. His name is ... Nolan, right?"

I grinned slightly as appreciation washed over me. "That's right. A few days ago, I overheard Lucas making fun of him behind my back with my friends."