Pacific Bell High

> XXVIII <

Ciara had jumped off of the swing and landed on her two feet. She looked back at Justin, who had been leaning against the bar of the swing set, and smiled at him.

"How was that?" She asked as she rubbed her hands together then blew into it. It was starting to grow cold.

"It only took ten attempts," He started as he pushed himself off of the bar and walked up to her. She frowned at him and he shrugged his shoulders, "But, it was good."

"'It was?'" Ciara scoffed then rolled her eyes. "You're such an ass, Justin."

He chuckled and shook his head. Ciara pulled out her phone from her back pocket and unlocked it to look at the time.

"Alright," she started as she locked her phone and placed it back into her pocket, "let's head back to school."

Justin nodded his head and reached up to flick her nose lightly. She rolled her eyes and walked past him, mumbling out, "That's so childish."

He chuckled as he turned to follow after her.

On the car ride back, Ciara had put the radio on full blast--she felt like if the radio wasn't on, she would just stick to watching Justin from the corner of her eye. And she was not about to pull off a full Cristina move on him.

Justin looked over at her, then reached his hand out to lower the volume of the radio.

She looked up at him questioningly and he shook his head slowly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

It was her turn to shake her head slowly. It was the second time he asked. "Just 'cause we skipped lunch, it wouldn't mean that I'm hungry." Then she tilted her head sideways and he turned to look towards the road. "Are you hungry?"

He shook his head sideways and she sucked her teeth, then crossed her arms across her chest. "You expect me to believe you?" He didn't answer her and she rubbed her jawline. "Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Justin barely nodded as he kept his gaze on the road. She bit her tongue to refrain herself from saying something like, 'That was a great way to start conversation, Justin.'

She reached over to the radio and brought the volume back to how high it had originally been.

When they had returned to the school, through the entrance that Ciara had showed him the first time, and got out of Justin's car, Ciara had looked at him and asked, "Are you ready for a run?"

He chuckled and nodded his head.

After a few trips (from Ciara) and an almost suspension with a school aide if it wasn't for Ciara shoving herself into a locker and Justin fluently lying through his teeth about changing his shirt, they had appeared on the first floor, right when their classmates had bursted through the lunchroom doors.

The firsts ones to come out were Mia and Cristina, who were talking about this Friday's game and the techniques.

Cristina looked forward and the biggest smile formed on her face. "Hey, Justin!"

She left Mia, who looked at her with an annoyed expression, and rushed up to Justin. (She had completely ignored Ciara—shocker—and even stood a bit in between her and Justin.)