My Best Friend's Boyfriend | BxB

7. She Is In Love

It was lunchtime on Thursday the following week, Emily was in line for lunch when she felt a tap on her shoulder, then Gale spoke from behind her. "Hey."

She turned, gave him a short smile, then turned back and moved up in the line. "Hey."

"What's up?" He asked, keeping up with her.

She shrugged. "Nothing."

"You are awfully quiet, there has to be something," he insisted.

"You are being awfully nosy, what's up with you?" She shot back, finally making her lunch order.

Rolling his eyes, he looked over her shoulder to see what she was having. His nose scrunched up on seeing the lonely apple and juice on her tray. "Are you dieting?"

"Mind your own business, Anderson."

She left in a hurry to their table, where he joined her seconds later. Bran and Lou were already there, and Gale sat across from Lou, in direct view of one of the hall's double doors. Lou immediately turned to Emily, wanting an opinion on the new top she was wearing. Bran gave a loud sigh, relieved that the questions had shifted from him. His focus switched to his phone.

Gale waited for an opening in Lou's rant about the new mall in town and asked Emily, "Where's Matt?"

Emily looked up at him, her eyes uncharacteristically hostile. "Why should I know that?"

He twirled his fork between his thumb and forefinger. "Well, you have hardly left his side the entire week, so I'm wondering why he isn't here yet."

Lou clapped her hands and grinned at Emily. "You guys are totally adorbs! You should totally hook up!"

Gale's eyes widened at her. That escalated quickly.

Emily looked at her weirdly and said nothing.

Lou turned to Gale. "I'm right, right Gale?"

"Yes, of course," Gale agreed then turned to strike up a conversation with Bran, just to escape her attention. But when Lou turned to speak to Bran at that same moment, he took his attention elsewhere.

Just in time to see Matt walk into the dining hall, flanked by two tall girls. Mellisa Hayes and Toni Williams, both cheerleaders and both in Emily's and Matt's class. Toni was especially close to him, her hand curled around his arm. Gale swallowed as he took in Matt's expression. Smiling, that dimple out for all to see, obviously charming in the ladies. He looked away and at Emily who was nursing her juice in silence. It didn't require much thinking to finally realise what she was sulking about.

The girls had obviously 'stolen' Matt from her. Literally, since, indeed, as he had said before, the two had spent every school day minute together the entire week.

He watched as the trio made their way up the line, then went to the popular table, where other football players and cheerleaders sat. He sighed and turned away, to find Emily looking that way, too.

Some part of him wanted to celebrate the look on her face. After all, she had practically relegated him to the sidelines while she spent all her time with Matt, it was time she had a taste of her own medicine.

"It's been two weeks, Em. Crush over?" He asked.

She looked at him and nodded. "Yes."

He rolled his eyes. "That why you are sulking because Toni and Mel are all over him?"

She glared. "Off my back, Anderson."

"Well, he is right, I want to know too," Bran put in.

"It's none of your business," Emily answered.

"Are you guys dumb? She is in love," said Lou.

Emily turned to her sharply, her hair flying in her face. "Lou! That's ridiculous."

Lou laughed and clapped. "Just kidding. Shoulda seen the look on your face."

"I'm through anyway," Emily said and rose with her tray.

Gale said nothing as she left in a hurry.

•

"Where's Em?" Matt asked Gale as they headed to the parking lot after practice. "I didn't see her at practice."

Gale shrugged. "She didn't tell me, I thought she talked to you."

Matt swirled his bike keys and shook his head. "No."

Gale kept his inner reactions to himself. Was Emily mad that Matt had not paid her attention during the day, but had hang out with the other girls instead? Very likely, but then again very unlike Emily. She had never missed a practice session without telling him first.

"Okay. See you," he answered simply, annoyed that Emily's frustrations at Matt were getting in the way of their friendship.

He started for his truck but Matt shot his hand forward and grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

Gale stopped and turned to him. His brow raised in question.

"So coach talked to me the other day and said..." he trailed off when he noticed Gale's attention wasn't on him, but on the point where he was still holding onto his arm. He let go of him. "Sorry."

Gale cleared his throat and remained silent, his gaze now somewhere beyond Matt's shoulder.

Matt shifted on his feet and continued, "He said that I needed to make sure I had good grades so I wouldn't risk my place in school tournaments, and my sciences are a bit worrying." He paused and gnawed on his lip. "I asked Em, but she said you were better at sciences and could maybe help me."

Gale's left hand came up to scratch his eyebrow. "Like, tutoring?"

"Uh, yeah. If you don't mind... " he trailed off uneasily, brushing his bang out of his eyes.

Gale didn't even think about it. "Okay."

"You will?" Matt asked, as if he hadn't expected him to say yes.

"Yeah, we will plan it out after the game tomorrow?"

They had a game against another school, St.Peter's High, the next day in the evening. It was the first game of the school year, and everyone was buzzed about it.

"Yeah, okay, thanks."

Gale nodded. "Cool."

They parted then, Gale to his truck and Matt to his Harley.

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Any feedback? I hope it didn't suck too much. Keep reading :)