WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

(22)

"Congrats teammate!" Keira exclaimed when Owen and I reached my locker at lunch time. Tyler, Landon, Miles and Rosco were chatting together behind her.

"For real?" I asked and she nodded making her high ponytail jump behind her head. "Cool!" And I meant it. That was probably the first real good news I'd received since... Well, since forever.

"Ready?" Landon asked us so I nodded and followed them to the lunchroom.

Tyler fell back next to me and took my hand, making my heart beat furiously inside my chest. It was the second time now and in between that and my wearing his hoodie, people would soon be wondering what was going on.

"Aren't you scared people will think we're together?" I murmured so that only he could hear.

He laughed again.

"That's the whole point, Poppy. I want them to know you're mine..." He replied not so quietly and I cringed when I saw the looks it got us.

He laughed some more when he saw my embarrassment so I narrowed my eyes at him.

But more than embarrassed, I was confused, really. I knew he'd already told me that growing up he thought I was the ideal girl after he saw me climbing up trees in cute dresses, but surely it wasn't enough to maintain an interest throughout high school.

"Has your Dad put you up to this or something?" I asked gesturing between the two of us. "Or is it because you feel you owe me because of Leo?"

His face fell slightly at my question.

"Stop, Poppy." He muttered softly.

"Stop what?" I asked him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Stop pushing me away..." He whispered just as we reached the end of the queue.

I asked for some stir-fried veggies with white rice and chicken, a fruit salad and a bottle of water, and handed my card to the lunch lady before following Landon to their usual table.

I was surprised to see that my announcer didn't manifest himself today and when I saw him at a table near the center, I sent him a questioning glance but he only lowered his head, looking ashamed.

"What's wrong with alert-boy?" I asked Landon who'd just witnessed the scene.

"You mean Peter Brooke?" He said loudly enough for all to hear and I cringed. "He must have heard that you were legacy..." He went on. "And now he's worried you're going to tell his Dad..."

The boy visibly shrank in his chair and feeling totally ill at ease now, I pulled on Landon's blazer's sleeve and dragged him to our table.

"That was really unnecessary!" I hissed once we were seated.

"The Dude's been humiliating you every single day since school started, Poppy!" He yell-whispered. "He deserved much worse!"

"Oh come on, Grassi, don't tell me you're one of those an eye for an eye's defenders?!" I exclaimed. "I truly thought he was funny." I added. "I mean, I'd have understood your gesture if I'd been miserable because of him but you knew it wasn't the case..." I finished with a deep frown.

"You know that's the only thing I'm still undecided when you're concerned, Poppy..." He interjected. "How could you find him funny? Did you actually listen to the words he used to describe you, to what he warned people against you for?"

"Landon. He doesn't know me. So why would his insults affect me?!" I shot back. "Now when your best friend here starts showing his claws, that's slightly different because he does know quite a bit about me... See the difference?" I went on. "Why would I get obfuscated when people accuse me of sleeping with all of you guys, of having sucked my way to my first proper car, or of being a trashy gold-digger?"