Underneath

Chapter 1

"You psyched for the game today?" Dean asked as we waited in the lunch line. I held my egg bagel and water bottle. Dean held his Pepsi in one hand and had fries in the other.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a tough one but I think we'll pull it off. Are you gonna come watch?"

"Definitely. And Connor too." Dean said as he tucked his soda under his arm and reached for a hamburger.

"Cool. God, someones got an appetite today." I said laughing slightly after. 

"What can I say, when you've got a big football game you need all the carbs you can get." He said taking a fry, chomping on it and then winking at me. I shook my head and smiled as I payed for my lunch. Dean and his younger brother Connor moved into the house next door when I was two. I don't know why but I have always been closer to Dean than I was with Connor, who was a freshman this year.

He payed for his lunch and met up with a couple of other football players who laughed and ate some of his fries as they walked to his table. I hung a right and sat down at the end of the table I sat everyday. I usually get their earlier and don't end up on the edge, but I was running late today and got to the lunch line when it was out the door.

"Don't think we didn't see that wink back there." Rachel shouted from the other side of the table. "Someone's got a new bf on the football team?" She asked sarcastically flashing a huge smile. Her blonde hair bouncing in a high ponytail with a bow in it. Rachel was the captain of the cheer leading team and as she keeps reminding everyone was going to win homecoming queen. She's dated about half the school, and thinks she's all that, but we've been friends since 2nd grade.

"As if." I said rolling my eyes and opening my water bottle to take a sip. The entire table made fun of how close I was with Dean, he's like a big brother to me, but they always joke that it's something more.

"You guys would make a cute couple." Liz said joking and winked again making the whole table laugh. I just smiled and unwrapped the plastic wrap from my bagel.

"Did you guys see that James was back?" Sarah said, and with that the whole table gasped and started to turn around searching desperately for him. "Guys, guys, don't make it obvious we're freak hunting." Everyone except for me laughed hysterically.

"Why is he back all of the sudden after being gone for what, three months?" Linsey asked. I was wondering that too. James had just moved to my town about four or five months ago. He was really quiet when he came to school like most new kids are. Everyone wanted to talk to him, but any time anyone tried to talk to him, he just kind of ignored them. He was in a majority of my classes and got the highest grades in my class, but he didn't talk very much. He seemed like he didn't want anyone to talk to him so people assumed the worst. Rumours started that he was a druggie, and if people asked him about it he wouldn't even look at them. Then when he left school the rumours spread even faster

"Back from rehab probably." Lauren said taking a bite from her salad.

"Do you actually think those rumours are true?" I asked looking over at Lauren

"Well you never know. Why else would he leave school all the sudden and not come back for three months? Maybe the cops caught him, I heard he was in Franklin Park..."

"Okay, just stop spreading these fricking rumours!" I said a little louder than I intended, cutting her off, and the entire table looked back at me shocked.

"What? Someone favoring the freak now?" Sarah asked snarkally

"I'm just saying stop assuming things. He never talks enough for anyone to know what goes on in his life." and with that the bell rang, and I got up and walked away, not looking back at the table, but heard the faint whispers of them talking about me.