The Perfect Candy

Chapter 4: Cars and Boys

Candice could quite happily say that she'd gone all seventeen years of her life not even being a blip on the radar of the male population. To be honest, she wasn't noticeable to the female half either. For what had to be the hundredth time, she assured herself that everything would be back to normal first thing in the morning. She moved through the halls, relying mostly on memory, until she came to the vicinity of her locker. Squinting at the numbers, it took her a few minutes to find the right one and then she bent low over the lock, frowning as she struggled to twist the right combination.

A hand knocked hers out of the way and she was shuffled to the side. "What's the combination?"

"I really don't−"

"Just give it to me."

Unable to help herself, her gaze darted down the hallway, trying to make out any person-sized blobs. She'd had enough attention to last her a lifetime. "It's 15-36-3...thank you." She didn't look up at Cooper as he twisted the combination, and when he opened it and stepped back, she traded out her history book for math and English, zipped up her bag, and closed the locker gently before turning away from Cooper and starting back down the hall without another word. His hand curled around her elbow and pulled her out of the way of a trash bin as he began to lead her down the hall. "You don't have to guide me," she said a bit sharply. "I keep telling you I'm fine."

"Matt asked me to take you home."

That surprised her and she finally looked over at him with raised brows. "Why would he do that?"

"Might've had something to do with you not being able to see," he replied dryly.

"You bitch!"

Candice flinched, pulling away from Cooper. She didn't have to see the face of the red-haired blur coming towards them to know who it was. When Seraphina got close enough for Candice to make out her face, it was murderous. "First you steal my boyfriend and now him?" Seraphina raised her hand as if to strike, but before she could Cooper's hand wrapped around her wrist and her gaze flew to his. "You're defending her? When you wouldn't even defend me?"

This had to be a nightmare. Candice pulled her arm from Cooper's grip. "I just want things to go back to normal," she muttered, mainly to herself as she backed away from both of them. "I don't want your boyfriend. I don't want him. I just want my normal life."

Pulling her backpack up onto her shoulder, she turned her back on both of them and practically ran down the hall, hand running the length of the lockers in an attempt to avoid obstacles. When she reached the school's main entrance, she found Faith, Hope, and Cyn sitting on the steps and breathed a sigh of relief. All three girls stood up as she exited, Cyn removing an earbud from her left ear as she did. Faith was the first to speak. "Where are your glasses?"

Not wanting to get into it, she let Cyn and Hope hook their arms through hers on either side, casually guiding her toward the parking lot. "They broke."

There was no doubt in her mind that Faith knew there was more to the story, but her friend remained silent as the four of them headed for Cyn's car. "We figured you could use a pick-me-up so Hope already called your mom to tell her you were stuck tutoring Billy Mason, but that you'd asked her to call since your phone died and say you'd be home a little late."

"You shouldn't have lied to her."

"We're teenagers," Cyn said with a shrug. "It's our job to lie."

Feeling more at ease surrounded by friends, ones who had waited outside of the school building for over an hour to make sure she was okay after detention, Candice smiled a little and slid into the back with Faith. "Thanks guys."