The 7 Year Endearment. √

Chapter 2.

"Coffee, please." I was in the cafeteria, placing my order, when someone gently tapped my shoulder. I casually turned back, and once I realised who it was, I couldn't help but look genuinely confused.

"Uh," he was holding my black and white checkered handkerchief and thrust it to me, as he slid his other restless hand in his pocket, "You dropped this, outside homeroom class."

"Oh, thanks Peter." I turned around to take my coffee and then my handkerchief from his hand and I smiled at him greatfully for his kind gesture.

"Okay." He returned the smile and stood for a few seconds before realising that the conversation was over. He gave me a two- finger salute and went towards his group of friends, playing catch in the middle table.

"What was that about?" Beth looked curiously in Peters direction as I made my way to the table of five placed in the left corner of the hall. It wasn't only me and Beth, but Jessica, Paris and Sarah.

We became friends around two years back, when we were assigned for a project together. Over the course of the time, I even found out that they were really close to Jason, which was surprising, honestly. Jessica said they were all family friends, and Jason was like a protective brother always looking for them. He sometimes even stopped by our table to tease them but never sat with us, as Paris explained, that he tends to be shy and reserved towards people he didn't know. Given that them not sitting on Jason's table was unconvincing, Sarah told that they never liked Rebecca who always hovered over Jason like a fly. Something bad seemed to go down between them but they never said what it was.

"Nothing, he was just kind enough to give me this back." I swayed the handkerchief in front of her face, and she slapped my hand for doing it.

"If you haven't noticed, Peter has been clocking you since this morning." She smirked.

"Who is clocking who?" Sarah's green eyes lit up and darted from me and Beth, who gave her an awkward smile.

"Don't change the topic, and tell us about George!" Jessica said making my ears perk up.

This time it was my blue and Beth's brown eyes lighting up with the statement.

"George?" Beth asked teasingly and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, yes." Paris butted in and nudged Sarah with her elbow, "They both were caught sinning in the deserted corridors."

She giggled while me and Beth were staring wide-eyed in Sarah's direction whose cheeks were flaming up.

"Oh shut up, guys." Sarah rolled her eyes and diverted their attention to me by saying, "By the way," she smirked, "Jason was asking about Eleanor, the other day, right girls?"

"W-what?" My cheeks had taken the turn to heat up in flames, while all of them stared at me in amusement.

"Yeah, El. No kidding." Jessica said which looked like mock seriousness, "He asked if you could lend him your notes on History."

And they started laughing.

Oh.

And here I thought he asked something about ME.

"You know what El," Paris suggested something which I didn't want to hear again, "You should actually tell him, about your feelings."

"Yeah, get it off your chest." Jessica agreed.

"Uh, no." I said and fidgeted with my now warm coffee. I took a sip and made a face about the way it tasted and set it aside.

"I just told her the same thing yesterday." Beth sighed in relief that she wasn't the only one who thought about that.