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Chapter 3- In Which Ethan is The Smart One

"My favorite lesson! Finally!" Lauryn exclaimed as we entered the cafeteria.

"You know, most people won't count lunch as a lesson" I said.

"Pfft," Lauryn replied, "I know lots of people." I rolled my eyes.

We now stood, looking for our friends, trays in our hands. Our eyes searched the large room, scanning every nook and cranny. Well, Lauryn was. I was just wondering if people actually said nook and cranny anymore. I'm practically blind when it came to spotting people anyway.

"There they are!" Lauryn said grinning as if she just found Waldo in one of those books. "Large table to the left" she prompted noticing the blank look on my face.

"Ohh." I stupidly replied following Lauryn who had already begun to make her way to the table.

"Hey guys" Alyssa waved at us to sit down in the empty seats beside her.

"Where've you guys been? It's like 10 minutes into lunch already" Ryan asked as the rest of the table acknowledged our presence.

"Math" Lauryn groaned as she sat down. If you couldn't tell, Lauryn hated math. Ok. That was an understatement. I hate math. Lauryn despises  it. Our math teacher had asked her to stay back to discuss her grades. Apparently, she need to raise her average up from a D to a C+ if she wanted to pass the class and being the good friend I was patiently waited for her- seeing as it was one of the few classes we still shared.

"Why can't I be like you Mai? You hate the subject yet at least you're getting B's!" Lauryn whined. "Or you, Ethan! You get straight A's and you don't even study! That's like so unfair."

Ethan simply shrugged. Not even bothering to deny it. "I could tutor you if you want?" He asked. Lauryn nodded enthusiastically bringing the subject to an end.

"Anyway," Alyssa said, facing me "So Mai, Jodie and I were thinking; Zach Jordan or Luke Daniels for the next Assailant movie?"

My eyes lit up as I eagerly joined the conversation only pausing to glare at Lauryn who had stolen a fry from me and Ethan who Lauryn had dared to steal another.

"I still think Daniels is better" Ryan shrugged interrupting the discussion.

"You can't just choose someone because they have the same last name as y-" Alyssa began frustrated. I turned around to see what had made my friend lose her voice. I squinted at the person standing at such close proximity. Lena. I rolled my eyes, quickly glancing back to my friends' stupid expressions. Remind me to take a picture later. This is totally blackmail worthy.

"Mai!" Lena grinned "Just the person I wanted to see!"

I choked on my drink. "Hi?" When was Lena ever this nice to me?

"So, I won't be able to give you a ride home today." Lena began. "Except if you're willing to stay back for the entire length of cheerleading practice- which I doubt you are. You have like the attention span of a fruit fly-" That's the Lena I know and love.

"Wait, wait, wait" I interrupted "I thought you had to quit cheerleading after you became head of the student body?" Our parents had practically forced her to make a decision between the two. Lena's inability to stop signing up for stuff meant she was going into stress overload. Cough cough, perfect overload, more like.

"Yes and I did." Lena explained. "But Beth and the other girls wanted me to come to their last practice before the semis. You'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah..." I sighed, not that I had a choice, "I'll just hitch a ride or something."

"Are you sure?" Lena asked doubtfully. "I mean, Mom would kill me if anything happened to you."

"I'll be fine, Lena. You can go to your cheerleading practice."

Lena flashed one of her signature smiles, "You're the best, Mai. Anyway, I better go now." I feebly waved back as she casually walked back to her slightly intimidating group friends who were waiting a couple feet away.

"So..." Lauryn began "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine" I said shrugging "I'll just walk."

"You live like 20 minutes away. By car." Jodie deadpanned. She moved her dark ponytail to the other side of her shoulder then took a sip of her drink.

"Ignore my pessimistic twin" Ryan said aiming a pointed look at Jodie- who just shrugged in response "It's only 20 minutes on a bad day. It's usually no more than 15."

"Wow. That makes me feel so much better." I replied sarcastically.

"I'd offer you a ride, seeing as my brother is picking me up today, and I live the closest to you" Alyssa offered, twisting her copper curls as she usually did when deep in thought "but...I have cheerleading practice too."

"You guys know there's this thing called a bus, right?" Ethan interrupted. "There's one that stops a couple blocks from your place." He added looking up from his phone.

"And this is why you, my friend, are the smart one" I said grinning at Ethan.

"Hey!" Ryan said faking offense "What am I then?"

"You can be the dumb jock"  Lauryn waved offhandedly, earning a playful shove from Ryan.

The table erupted in a series of "oohs" and "burns" as comments of what everyone else was in our not-so-little friendship group went flying.

I'm pretty sure, to anyone else, we looked - and sounded - like a bunch of cackling witches who were high on something.