Friends At First Bite

Stupid Me

I saw the girl everyone was talking about in the lunch line. By second period, before I even met her, may I mind you, I could write you a 10 page essay about her.
Rumors spread like wild fire.
Some people had different ideas about her looks...*coughs* boys...
You know what I mean.
She looked pretty normal to me, except for the fake contacts. I wanted to see what the fuss was about, so...being stupid me like always, walked up to her.

"Hi." I said, slipping my hands in the back pocket of my ripped up jeans. My navy v-neck crop top barely showed my stomach, but more of my back. I loved this top, it went with almost everything. This is my favorite outfit, complete with my strawberry-blond hair put into cascading curls that reached just halfway down my back.

"Hi," she said back with a sheepish smile, "I bet you know who I am."

"That's an understatement."

She gave a soft giggle and looked around the cafeteria.

"Umm...how do you like school so far?"

"It's okay. A girl, Alicia, asked me to sit next her and eat lunch. That's been the highlight of my day. She's super nice."

"Alicia Grey...?"

"Yes! Are you going to sit with us too?" Her faced lit up with excitement.
I just wanted to give her a simple 'No' and walk away, from her eerie cheeriness but I was the one who walked up to her, me being my stupid, Stupid self.

"Oh, no. Me and Alicia aren't the best of friends-"

"Lexi-where's Lexi-" He turned in a quick circle, noticing me- "Hurry up! You have got to hear this..." Nate called, three tables away. Not turning around, spotting West watching me, I gave a slight shrug, and rolled my eyes.

"I'm coming, Nathaniel. One more time, I swear..." I called over my shoulder.

"Don't. Not again. Last time..." I heard Ryan mumble. Oh, yeah, the whole school remembered last time I got annoyed. Smiling silently to myself, I realized someone was still I front of me.
"Sorry...friends..." I said to Madison, as if that was explanation enough. She smiled sweetly, tucking the orange strip of hair behind her ear.

"It's alright, I get it. I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah. See you around."

I walked back up to West, "Hey."

He smiled at me, a gorgeous smile that reached his eyes. "Hi. I see you met new girl." He said as he leaned his back against the wall, stretching his long legs in front of him.

"Yeah, she's okay. She's hanging out with Alicia though..."

"Oh." West raised his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, oh."

Then he started dancing...if you could ever call it that. More like a swish of arms and awkward turns. He grabbed my hand and spun me. I laughed, he knew this would cheer me up. He's actually a good dancer when he wants to be.

"Remind me never to take you anywhere." I laughed.

"Well, if you don't take me, I'll have no choice but to take you. How 'bout Nooks on Friday?
I need something new."

"Is this your way of telling me you're getting hitched...? I don't think I have anything you can barrow in your size. Does it have to be blue?"

"Wow. You're hilarious."

"Yeah, sure, you'll have to pick me up though. Laura will have the car." Nooks was the best enjoy-buying-books-and-drinking-coffee-and reading-fanfiction-in-a-huge-window-nook, place ever.

"Okayyyy," he sung.

"You didn't take your meds today." I stated.

"Correctomendo."

"Is that even a word?"

"Nope."

"Just-don't...die, or make someone kill you."

"I can try..." He said with a sly smile. "That's a serious challenge."

"I know. But you like a challenge."

"I do?"

"Yes." He lifted a brow at me again, giving his features a more boyish look. He looked vulnerable like this, not strained with stress like nowadays. West had a hard home life, it wasn't the worst but;
'Things are rough all over.' Said Cherry Valance, and that was true.
West was in the foster system with me, it was worse for him though. He loved his parents, but once his mom left, his dad started drinking. West practically raised himself.

I, on the other hand, just didn't have parents. I barley remember them, it was a crash. I just turned seven, my memories still blurred in black and white. I remember...