Forever

8.

[Alexis]

Lunchtime arrived, and Bella and I walked to the cafeteria and got our food. We found a table and started to eat.

"What does Christian have planned for your date tonight?" Bella asked, her curiosity piqued. I smiled, thinking about the upcoming evening with Christian.

"He said it's going to be a special date," I replied, excited but also a little nervous.

We continued talking, and I enjoyed the moment with Bella. It was nice to have a friend who was supportive and understanding of my situation with Alexis and Christian.

Just as we were deep in conversation, Shantel and her girls appeared, suddenly sitting down at our table.

"Hey, girl!" Shantel greeted Bella, but her eyes were fixed on me. Bella rolled her eyes, knowing that Shantel and her friends were intrusive and had ulterior motives.

"So, tell us more about your date with Christian," Shantel pressed, eager to know details and likely looking for gossip.

"That's none of your business, Shantel. You don't have any right to know what's going on between me and Christian since you're the ones who broke up," I said, trying

"Girl, Christian isn't the type to settle down, what makes you think he wants to with you?" Shantel said, trying to plant seeds of doubt in my mind.

"Because he has real feelings for me," I responded, standing up for myself and my relationship with Christian. "All you ever did was cheat on him and lie."

Shantel's face turned red with anger, but I refused to ba.ck down. I knew that my relationship with Christian was different from her past relationships, and I was determined to make it work.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Shantel snapped, her voice raised. "Christian is just using you, and he'll eventually break your heart."

"I'll take my chances," I replied firmly, not wanting to waste any more time on Shantel's negativity.

Bella, sensing the tension at the table, tried to diffuse the situation. "Alright, ladies, let's not ruin a beautiful day with this nonsense. My friend here has a special date with Christian tonight, and I'm excited for her. Now, let's enjoy our lunch and go about our day."

Bella's intervention helped to calm the situation, and we all focused on our food once again. Despite Shantel's attempts to bring me down, I felt more confident than ever in my relationship with Christian. I knew that as long as I remained true to myself and treated him with love and respect, we could overcome any obstacles that came our way.

[Christian]

After lunch, Marcus and Devon, along with myself, went to basketball practice. We were practicing when our coach called for a break. As we rested, I noticed Shantel approaching me, accompanied by the cheerleaders.

"You should tell your girlfriend to be more careful," she said, crossing her arms and referencing Alexis.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused by her comment.

Shantel leaned in closer, "What you see in her, you don't see in me."

I took a sip of my water and responded, "Well, number one, she's a cheater for a fact. I know she's never lied to me about anything."