The Oath, Book 2 of The Coven Series

Chapter Nine

~ Lunch ~

The lunchroom at Westover Academy was exactly like lunchrooms around the world. There was the proverbial lunch line, but instead of questionable mystery meat, there was a wide variety of food that looked not only edible, but yummy. Dozens of tables were scattered around the room and filled with chattering students laughing and talking louder than they should.

I eyeballed the greasy cheeseburger with something akin to lust, but after seeing the Blonde Brigade all opt for healthy choices, I bit my lip and asked for a salad and a fruit bowl. Diet Pepsi completed my lunch. I only hoped I'd be able to choke the drink down. Diet soda was foul and should never ever be consumed by anyone.

Mandy led us to a table in the center of the room. No one had touched it. I assumed it was the Special Table for only the Mega Elite as Jenny had called them. Mandy was flanked by her two flunkies, Lori and Madison. Both were blonde. Lori was the shortest of the three and had hazel eyes. She immediately pulled out her phone and started texting. Madison rolled her eyes and stabbed at her salad. Sebastian came over next and took one of the seats next to me. He slurped at his Coke and dug into his fries. My eyes envied the cheeseburger on his plate.

"That is disgusting, Bas." Mandy grimaced. "How can you eat that?"

"Like this." He popped a fry in his mouth and chewed slowly, making sounds of pleasure.

"You are so gross!"

"It's a guy thing, Mandy," Brandon laughed as he sat down on the other side of me.

I looked at him, startled. Brandon was part of their group? He must have joined after Jenny died. I don't remember her talking about him at all.

"So what was going on with you and Xavier earlier in class?" Brandon asked me. "It seemed pretty intense."

Mr. Nosy was way too observant. "Nothing, really. He asked about my science project, and we got into a debate about the robotics aspect of it. He's smarter than he looks."

"A debate about science?" He gave me a skeptical look.

"Well, that and other things. Xavier has a very high opinion of himself."

Sebastian laughed. "He just wants in your pants."

"He's not getting in them."

"You're very refreshing," he said and smiled at me. "Not at all like the other girls around here."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know," he mused. "Let me think about it, and I'll text you."

"Where's Wes?" Brandon asked around a mouthful of burger.

Wes would be the guy who'd leered at me yesterday. He'd creeped Jenny out too.

"He pissed off Mrs. Eames in second period, and she's making him spend lunch with her going over whatever he's supposed to be reading," Mandy answered. "I definitely won't miss that old bat when we graduate. She's evil."

I picked at my salad, dreading the taste. I didn't do rabbit food. I really, really wanted that cheeseburger.

"Here," Brandon laughed and plopped half his burger down on my plate. "I think you need this more than I do."

I stared from the salad to the burger and back again. What was more important at this moment? Being a Stepford child or appeasing the protests in my stomach by wolfing down the greasy yummy goodness that stared back at me?

My stomach won, hands down.

"Oh my God, that is soooo good!" I sighed after three large mouthfuls.