He Caught Her Eye (Caught #1)[UNEDITED]

5

RIANA GARCIA

"So, we meet again." I hear someone chuckling not so far from me and I turn to see Theo, who sits down beside me. I'm sitting on the seat here in the waiting area, waiting for my dad to pick me up. It's  already 5:49 p.m, and he hasn't responded to any of my messages yet, which makes me a little anxious.

"Hey, Theo." I don't lock eyes with him when I greet. I just keep glancing at my phone, impatiently waiting for a message from them.

Theo seems to notice my worried expression and eyes my phone for a little while. "I'm sure he'll reply soon, Ri, don't worry."

"Yeah." I turn my phone off and after a couple of seconds, I glare at him with one of my eyebrows raised. "Wait, who? What do you mean? Who will reply soon?"

"Drake," he winks playfully.

I grunt. "Seriously?" He laughs, and I roll my eyes. Theo and I chatted online during the weekend, and he really seemed like a fun guy.

"Riiii!!!" I hear someone scream and immediately know who it is due to how Theo's eyes light up. Also because I hear it almost everyday of my life. I see Vex running towards me. She's wearing her cheerleading attire.

"Whaaaat?" I grown exasperatedly. She pulls my right arm, making me stand up. She looks so excited that she's nearly jumping.

"Guess who's going to be on top of the pyramid for our next routine!" She exclaims, her dimple showing.

I hug her, proud. "That's great!" Although I'm not a fan of cheerleading, I know for a fact that Vex has been trying super hard to be the one lifted on top.

After a long embrace, she finally lets go. "I think this calls for a celebration—"

"I got fifty bucks." I pull out the bill from my left pocket and hand it over. Even when I'm not into dresses and skirts, Harcott High's uniform for high school girls is absolutely acceptable. The skirt has two side pockets — the right one is where I place my handkerchief and the other is for emergency cash which is extremely useful for those who constantly forget their wallets at home.

"Fifty bucks? Ugh. I wish my family is as rich as yours, but anyways, I'm not going to accept that — it's too much. Do you have eight bucks? I think it'll be enough to buy each of us a bar of chocolate and a drink with a side of fries."

I reach for my pocket again. "Nope. But hey, it's going to be fine, Vex. I know you worked hard, and fifty bucks isn't even enough. Just take it." I hand over my fifty bucks and force her to retrieve it.

"Come with me," she pleads. "Come on. Please?"

I suddenly remember that Theo is still on the bench, listening to our conversation and silently wishing he's the one who's talking to Vex.

"I have a stomachache." I comment somberly and place both of my hands on my stomach as I sit down beside Theo, who flinches. "It's really bad, and I conquered all that pain just to congratulate you."

Her smile fades. "Really? Well, are you going to be fine?"

I clear my throat. She so easily bought it. "Yeah, I'll be okay, but I don't want to be a burden or anything. I don't want to prevent you from celebrating, what about you going to the cafeteria together with Theo?" I turn to Theo, who suddenly sits straight. He's obviously nervous, oh god.