The Cliche Gone Wrong

Chapter Fifty-Seven

I can't keep the smile off my face as I pass my phone around the table, showing everyone the pictures of my Senior Ball dress.

"Damn girl this shit looks expensive!" Rhea gapes.

Tanya grabs the phone out of Rhea's hand, fed up with having to lean over Rhea's shoulder to check it out.

"Did you ever mention Shills having an older, more attractive, less douchey brother?" Tanya giggles.

"Fuck you!" I laugh with a roll of my eyes, although there isn't any malice behind my laughter.

I stretch across the table to snatch my phone back from her, reaching into my lunch pail with my other hand to start eating my food. A second later Michael gently extracts my phone from my hand, looking at the picture of me trying on my dress.

"Wow," he says quietly. "You look really good in that dress, Ken."

"Awww," I smile as I tear off a piece of my sandwich and toss it into my mouth. "Thanks Mikey!"

He groans at the sappy nickname that I've occasionally called him since middle school as he gives me back my phone. I keep eating my lunch as I participate in the various conversations ongoing around the table. The girls are talking about their dinner plans before Ball while the guys are chatting about hitting up the local tux warehouse to get their tuxes last minute.

"I was going to make the reservation for all of us at Castille's for 5:30 on Saturday night." Asha looks up from her phone for a moment as she looks around the table. "How many of y'all are coming?"

People start piping in, saying whether or not they are planning on going and if they are bringing dates. I listen quietly, unsure of whether or not I should say that I'm not sure what Shills' and my plans are. Maybe I should text Shills and ask what we should do?

I pick up my phone from the table and unlock it, pulling up my conversation with Shills just as Asha turns her attention to me. "What about you and Shills? Are you guys coming?"

I cringe visibly, clearing my throat as I keep looking down at my phone. "Uhhh...I'm not sure. I'll have to ask him when I see him later."

"Well, he's right there, so you can do it now," Asha frowns as she looks behind me and then back down at her phone.

I turn around to see Shills standing at the entrance to the cafeteria, looking around as if he's lost. I expect him to slide up to the front of the cafeteria line like always before he strolls over to his usual table and sits down on top, but he doesn't move. He just stands there, nervously staring at the table where all of his friends are sitting.

What's going on with him?

I try to silently get his attention, hoping he'll look over at me like he always does every few minutes to check in. But his eyes never leave that table, his gaze flickering slightly as he looks around the group again and again. His hands fidget with the hem of his shirt, picking at a nearly invisible string dangling there. Two minutes later I finally excuse myself from the table and walk up to him.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, a gentle smile on my face as I place my hand on his arm. He jumps, startled from the sudden touch.

"Oh, hey babe." He pulls me in for a quick side hug, brushing his lips against my cheek as his attention remains divided.

"What's wrong?" I repeat, trying to get the rest of his attention.

"Nothing, Ken," he shakes his head as if trying to force a thought out of it. "Nothing."

I wait for him to make the next move, but he just continues to stand there, his arm loosely thrown over my shoulders as he gazes at his table.

"Aren't you going to go sit down and eat?" I question.