My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter Three

Voices echoed through the large room. I scanned the area in search of the two of my friends who were in B lunch with me. As Freshman, we didn't really have what you would call a "permanent settlement" in the cafeteria. One day we would sit at a table and the next, someone else would be sitting there.

"Bella!" Someone shouted over the loud chatter. My friend Taya was motioning me over to a circular table placed right next to the wall. That's me... A wallflower. I weave through the mass of people spilling from the lunch line and sat at the empty space at the table, placing my backpack in the center with everyone else's bags.

"Where's Alaina?" I asked.

"She's in the lunch line. Her mom got onto her about not eating again..."

"Oh..." We sat in comfortable silence for a while then I proceeded to eat my lunch.

Originally we had a senior sitting with us. He was new and his name was Josh. Alaina, Taya and I had an argument over who would ask him to sit with us after seeing him sitting all alone. I ended up being the one to do it because Alaina and Taya were too scared. Usually, I'm the shy one. But I guess my drive to asking him was that I thought he was cute. He had long black hair, pale skin, blue eyes and his ear was pierced. But he turned out to be a "bad boy" and left us after a few days.

I personally thought things were going okay between us. We talked quite a bit even though he was quiet. Then there was one day when I helped him find his earring. Guess I was wrong...

"Bella," Taya snapped me from my thoughts. "Do you want this?" She pointed to the yogurt parfait on her tray.

"Yes!!" Happily I took the cup and a spoon from her and was about to take a bite when I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I turned my head and locked eyes with an older, attractive looking male who had just left the lunch line. My face blossomed a deep red and I turned away, hiding behind my dark blonde hair. The heat emanating from my face increased as he continued to stare at me and I stared back through my peripheral vision. He looked strangely familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. Awkwardly, I looked to Taya for help, but she wasn't paying any attention.
Then, he started walking toward us. I was screaming on the inside but I kept my eyes low, trying not to move. Thinking he would pass me, I didn't look up, but he stopped right next to me at the table.

"Hey," His voice was perfect. It wasn't deep necessarily but he didn't sound like a little kid either. I probably would have swooned right there had it not been for the wall supporting my weight. "You guys are friends of Alex's, right?"

Finally, Taya turned in his direction.
"Yeah." She adjusted her blue glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Why?"

The boy smiled. Rows of gorgeous teeth flashed from behind his lips. "Oh. Cool. Do you guys want to come sit with us? I'm his brother."

Taya looked at me through strands of her blue stained hair. "I don't know. What do you think, B?"

I kept up my silent act and simply responded with a smile and a nod.

"Do you think Alaina will be upset?" Taya asked me and I shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

The boy raised a tan arm over his shoulder and stretched, pulled up the sleeve of his blue t-shirt revealing his toned biceps. "You don't have to. It's simply an offer."

"We want to." Taya responded.

"Well, we'll be over there." He pointed to a table on the other side of the cafeteria next to the stage with two other people sitting at it. Taya and I gathered our things and started to travel through the hoard of tables.

So many emotions and so many thoughts were bouncing around inside my head. Excitement, fear, happiness, timidness. "What if they don't like me?" Or "What if I say something stupid?". I waited until Taya sat down next to a girl with a boyish blonde haircut and glasses and sat next to her next to Alex's brother. On his left was another attractive young man who appeared to be about his age with layered black hair and brown eyes. He was only slightly more toned than the tan boy sitting next to me.

"So..." My friend's brother drummed his fingers on the surface of the red table. "What's your name?" All eyes were suddenly on me. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't get any words out. Taya, as if sensing my discomfort, responded for me.

"Her name is Bella. I'm Taya."

Out of the corner of my eye, I looked up at him. "I'm Michael." He thrust a thumb in the direction of the male beside him. "That's Thomas. We are both Juniors. And that's Benedetta." The blonde beside Taya smiled and waved. "She's a senior and an Italian foreign exchange student."

"Nice to meet you." Taya smiled around the table. I continued stare at my lap, listening to everyone speak. Taya and Thomas initiated in conversation, somehow getting onto the topic of Marvel super heroes, Michael occasionally butting in to make a comment or rant with them. Surprisingly, I enjoyed just listening to them talk and sneaking a few glances at Michael.

Eventually Alaina got back from the long lunch line and walked toward our original table, looking slightly confused. Taya stood up and called to her and waved from across the room. She looked but then looked away and sat down with another group of friends not three tables away. The smile on Taya's face disappeared and she sat down. I frowned and placed a hand on her arm.

The drone of the bell sounded and people all around stood to leave for their fifth period class. Michael hoisted a large black backpack onto his shoulder and picked up a binder of the same color. "You guys are welcome to sit here tomorrow if you want."

I quickly turned to Taya and grinned, hoping she would catch my drift. She paused for a while then gave a monotoned. "Alright." Michael smiled at us and then walked out of the lunch room, close behind Thomas.