Whatever Floats your Boat

Chapter Nine

Copyright © Georgie E. - Fruitea on Wattpad  

Chapter 9

"You suck."

I bounced back at the stranger's words as if they were a brick wall. I looked to Nikita and Tristan, my brow furrowed.

"What's she sucking?" Tristan called behind me. I gaped at him as he turned to me with a smile and brought up his thumbs. Is that what he counted as an act of friendship?

"Tristan!" Keet snapped, her fingers squeezing my shoulder in reassurance.

"What?" his eyes rounded as he looked to Keet. She shook her head, unbelieving of our friend. I couldn't quite believe him right now either.

"This is getting weird," I mumbled as we rounded into the cafeteria. "I've had this all morning now."

We were brought with the crowd into the main room. My eyes moved to Beck's table, a habit I had gained over the past three years and hadn't quite broken in the weeks apart. He was right now throwing the contents of his Kettle Crisp packet at his best friend, Harley.

"Maybe you should stop sucking," Tristan advised as he placed a hand on the other shoulder. The two together turned me to a table on the other side of the room. I sighed as I settled into my seat, not being able to see Beck from this angle.

"I don't know what I've done to start the sucking, Tristan."

Tristan smirked; I gaped in shock as I turned to find Keet with a matching smirk. "You don't have to think that hard to think about that," Keet added. Tristan choked on this air whilst my mouth fell further ajar.

What is going on here?!

"You did not just say that, Nikita."

She grinned. "Oh, but I did."

I laughed, digging into my bag for my lunch. The two silenced, not even the rustling of sandwich packets came from them as I rummaged. When I finally brought my sandwich box and sports bottle out, I found out why.

Sirena Ford, Lakes School's gossip girl, was sitting next to me.

"Please go away," I said tiredly as I popped the top of my box. She laughed; airily and sweet. My eyebrows arched, looking for Keet and Tristan for help. They were too busy looking at the beauty next to me.

Sirena was named with her namesake in mind. Blonde curls, heart-shaped face clear of anything untoward, voice made for singing, smile made for bearing – she had all the sailors scared and all the maids envious.

And if that wasn't bad enough she seduced stories out of boys, sympathetic enough to get the worst from the girls. And the ones who couldn't fall under her spell? Well, she was straightforward with them.

"So," she said, snapping on her gum. "I was wondering what's going on with you and Kendal Yates?"

"Kendal Yates, hey?" I said, taking a chunk out of my tuna and pickle sandwich. It was a weird combination, one that had me gagging when my mum told me the new concoction for the café on the lake front. It was surprisingly good though, twisting to the tongue and warming to the stomach.

I placed my sandwich back in the box and turned to Sirena. "Yeah," she nodded. "I heard that you were out with him on Saturday." She giggled, placing her hand over her mouth in a lady-like manor. "Apparently you chowed down on his face, or maybe it was the other way around – I don't know."

Across from us, my two friends were staring. It reminded me of the way the boys had looked at Naiad only days ago; jaws dropped and eyebrows rose, filling falling from Tristan's sandwich and fork hovering before Keet's lips.