Mr Delightful

Chapter three

•{Chase's POV}•

Vaughn James was a chirpy, upbeat, comic-writing halfwit. The fact that Honor befriended him made me sick.

He marched around like the world was his oyster, and everyone was his friend. Oh, please. If everyone was his friend, why did he sit by himself at lunch and recess?

Until now, that is. Now he sat at our table and modestly chuckled as everyone fawned over him.

During math class, the period before lunch, I tapped Honor on the shoulder.

"Why are you bumming around with Vaughn James?" I asked with a frown. Honor rolled her eyes at me.

"Because I like him, and I think everyone else does too," she insisted.

"Am I part of 'everyone else?'"

"Nope."

That time, it was my turn to roll my eyes. "He's annoying and chirpy," I hissed. Honor waved me off with the flick of her wrist.

"I think he's lovely, and you're just being rude." Honor turned around, whipping me in the face with her with her hair. I scowl at the back of her head, before being pulled out of my anger by the teacher.

"Chase! What's going on back there?" Mr Wilson asked, tapping his toe impatiently. 

"Nothing, Jack," I replied, defiantly referring to him by his first name.

"Then you'll have no problem solving this equation. What's the answer?" He pointed to a question on the board, but I didn't even care to look. I pretended to inspect my nails cockily as I replied.

"The answer is... bite me," I snapped. The class laughed and ooohed, but I just ignored them, looking up from my nails to make hard eye contact with Mr Wilson, challenging him.

"Do you want detention, Chase? Keep it up and that's what you're getting."

"Detention doesn't sound too bad, sir. Spending more time with you is a dream come true!" I smiled cheekily.

"That's it, detention!" He barked. I just smirked.

"Isn't that a treat."

...

Lunch rolls around again and I get the pleasure of hearing Theo and Vaughn exchange ideas on movies.

"I loved Star Wars," Vaughn chirped with an excited grin.

"Not more than Star Trek," Theo said in disbelief. Vaughn nodded.

"A million times more than Star Trek!"

Theo scoffs with a smile, looking Vaughn over as if he was scanning him for the first time. "You look like a Star Trek lover to me."

"Are you a Star Trek lover?"

"Nah, I'm Star Wars all the way."

"Then why did you care?" Vaughn laughed, obviously not expecting an answer. His laugh was high, like a child's. I turned away from the conversation, looking out the window.

"Could you lot shut up," I grumbled, "I have a headache."

"Don't you always?" Lacey teased, jabbing me in the side. I pushed at her, careful not to actually hurt her. It was just a warning shot.

"Sorry, Chase," Vaughn mumbled, keeping his voice annoyingly soft. As if a soft tone could cure a headache.

I didn't reply. I was silent for the rest of lunch, staring out the window while everyone else chatted amongst themselves. I didn't miss how Vaughn stayed speechless the whole time.

...

"So, you don't like Vaughn, then?" Theo asked as we trotted up the stairs in his house. I stuck my hands into my pockets and scoffed.

"How do you figure that?" I barked sarcastically. Theo smiled at me, leading me into his room and shutting the door.

"Don't bite my hand off, I was just stating a fact." He dropped his back pack on the ground and turned on his television, quickly setting up his PlayStation and throwing me a controller. "Why don't you like him?"

I rolled my eyes just at the thought. I sat down beside Theo on the bed, twiddling mindlessly with the controls as I explained.

"He's so... chirpy, and upbeat. He acts like a Disney character for gods sake. He's quite the piece of work."

Theo just laughed, turning on Minecraft battle mode, both of our guilty pleasure.

"I think he's nice. He's positive and creative. You just haven't spoken to him," Theo insisted. I shook my head.

"I know enough about him just by looking. What's the point anyway, Theo? Is Honor trying to prove something with him?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Cause lately she's been having a bit of a boyfriend dry spell. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging, but she usually has guys following her every move."

"Honor is a good girl. She knows how to make good decisions."

I laughed. "You sound like her mom."

"Well you sound like an asshole, like, ninety percent of the time."

I smirked, sneaking up on Theo's blocky Minecraft man and hitting him with a potion of hurting. The impact alone was enough for his character to fly off the edge of the map, falling onto the lava below. I cheered in victory while Theo sat and pouted like a child.

"See, not only do you have bad taste in friends, but you also suck at Minecraft."