The Deal

Chapter 2: Trouble Brewing.

Lily above^^^

The Deal

The next two weeks of college passed uneventfully for the most part, except for one thing: Lily started dating a girl named Megan, and things seemed to be going pretty well. That is, until one fateful date night.

It started innocently enough—good conversation, plenty of laughs, and a plate of Lily's beloved chicken nuggets. But then Megan made a rookie mistake. She reached over and took a nugget from Lily's plate.

Now, if you don't know Lily like I do, her reaction might have seemed... extreme. But trust me, I've known her long enough to understand one unshakable truth: you never, ever mess with her chicken nuggets.

Mason has been more annoying—and creepier—than usual lately. He's constantly trying to talk to me and keeps asking me out on dates. Honestly, it's starting to feel pretty desperate and, if you ask me, more than a little pathetic.

He must think I don't notice him flirting with other girls before swaggering over to me with those cringy pickup lines. It's always something ridiculous, like, "They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, but clearly, they've never stood next to you," or the classic, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Honestly, it's hard to decide what's worse—his lack of originality or the fact that he thinks it'll work on me.

I honestly have no idea what I ever saw in him, but one thing's for sure—I'm so glad he's not my problem anymore.

Whenever Mason spots West, Callum, or Jace, he either turns and walks the other way or goes out of his way to provoke them.

I honestly have no idea what's going on between them or if they even know each other, but one way or another, I'll figure it out.

What's strange, though, is that the three of them don't talk to anyone—except me. Occasionally, they'll say something to Lily, but only if she's with me.

No, we haven't talked a lot, but Callum never misses a chance to flirt with me—or to tell Lily that being a lesbian is hot. Everyone else seems too scared to even look at them, let alone strike up a conversation. Personally, I think they're just misunderstood. Or maybe I'm just not as intimidated as everyone else.

I've picked up a few things about each of them. For starters, West Shaw is twenty and definitely the least friendly of the three.

He doesn't say much, but when he does, let's just say his language could use a good scrubbing with soap and water.

West has a younger brother named Caleb, who's actually my age. They couldn't be more different. Caleb has blonde hair and brown eyes, while West has dark brown hair and striking deep blue eyes. And, unlike his brother, Caleb's a lot more approachable and friendly.

Caleb and I have talked quite a bit since he's in my English class. In fact, we're currently working on a couple of projects together.

Then there's Callum Reed, who's by far the biggest flirt I've ever met. He's also the most cheerful of the three, always grinning and full of energy.

I've seen Callum playing football in his spare time—he's definitely more into sports than academics. Lily's in a different English class than I am, but she shares one with Callum. All she does is complain about how clueless he is.

Apparently, he started copying her work and when she told him to fuck off he started paying someone to do his homework for him.

Then there's Jace Porter, who's honestly a sweetheart. He's a bit old-fashioned and tends to keep to himself, but whenever he passes me in the corridor or we have a conversation, he always seems to light up.