The Kings of Kentworth

51.

Caleb and Trevor had just finished Chemistry, and Caleb and Nadia had noticed how he had been avoiding Lance throughout the class and didn't even want to sit near him when the teacher had told him to because Lance was the only one on his table.

"Hey dude," Caleb tapped his hands on Trevor's shoulder as the three of them made their way out of the lab after ditching their lab coats in the lockers. "You okay?"

Trevor looked up at him with a weak smile and sighed with a nod. "Kinda."

Nadia rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's the bet, isn't it?"

Trevor looked up and gave her a wry smile.
Nadia reached out and gave him a side hug. "Awww, just hang in there okay," she cooed playfully. "Prom is just a month away."

"Or," Caleb began with a voice laced with frustration. "You could just tell Bruce you're done with the bet and return the bloody money."

"Oh I'm sorry, are you going to give him three thousand dollars?" Nadia replied with a feigned politeness.

Trevor looked away from her and faced Caleb. "That's a good question actually," Trevor said.

Caleb said nothing. He just looked away from the both of them and sighed.

"But I don't still get why you're avoiding him though," Nadia went on as they turned the corner and walked into the gymnasium. "I mean, aren't you supposed to make him like you?"

Trevor dropped his shoulders. "That's the thing," Trevor groaned. "I think he already does."

"See?" Nadia widened her eyes and tapped Trevor's belly. "That's a good thing, right?"

"No, Nadia, It's not," Caleb hissed from the other side of Trevor. "Trevor doesn't like him,remember?"

"That's the whole point, jackass," Nadia fired back. "It's called a bet for a reason."

"The other, after our tutorials, he invited me over for coffee," Trevor said with his eyes on the floor as they kept walking towards the bleachers.

"...And?" Nadia placed her hands on Trevor's shoulders to stop him from walking, before he turned and looked into her expectant brown eyes.

"I said no," Trevor raised his shoulder. "What did you want me to say?"

Nadia looked away and slapped her palm across her forehead. "O Jesus, Trevor," she grunted.

"Okay," Caleb stepped in. "Now, I know I'm against this bet and all, but it's kind of bad idea when you decline an invitation made by someone whom you are trying to get to like you."

"Thank you," Nadia uttered as she gestured to Caleb.

Trevor exhaled and threw his head backwards. "Declining a coffee break won't change anything, guys, come on."

"Fine whatever," Nadia raised her shoulder and looked away flippantly. "All I'm saying is that you've gotten the opportunity now. Use it."

"Dickson!" Someone yells from behind them. They all spun and saw Stephanie walking quickly to catch up with them. Caleb instinctively looked away from an approaching Stephanie and turned to see Trevor smirking at him mischievously.

"Who is she?" Nadia observed Stephanie with a sneer as she approached.

"A very, very, very close friend of a friend," Trevor uttered with his eyes still on Caleb and his mischievous smirk now a full smile.

Caleb glared at Trevor, before he raised his middle finger at him; a gesture that made Trevor tilt his head back in laughter.

"Come on Nadia," Trevor said as he reached out and pulled Nadia away with his eyes still on his friend. "Let's give these two some privacy, shall we?"

Caleb rolled his eyes away from them and faced forward in time to see Stephanie coming to a halt right in front of him.

"Hey," Stephanie uttered with a smile but Caleb said nothing. He just smiled down at her with his eyes searching hers. Stephanie looked to the ground and swallowed before she looked up again.

"I just wanted to-"

"It's Caleb." He interrupted with a smile still on his face.

Stephanie paused. "What?"

Caleb leaned in a little closer for her to hear him better. "My name is Caleb."

"Oh," Stephanie suddenly felt uneasy as she adjusted her glasses at the sight of his green eyes boring into her. "Alright then, Caleb."

Caleb's smile slowly grew wider as his eyes seemed to travel to every feature on her face.

"I just wanted to apo-" Stephanie stopped again when Caleb just started to chuckle over nothing.

"What's so funny?" She frowned.

Caleb looked up at her with a smile that now exposed his pearly white teeth. "Why are you so short?"

Stephanie's frown disappeared and her eyes narrowed at Caleb with rage. "Excuse me?"

"You're very close to being a midget, you know," Caleb said.

Stephanie inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It took everything in her not to scream at Caleb, and besides, she had a motive. She had a goal, and she wasn't going to let Caleb's condescending behaviour get in her way, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to let him have it. She finally opened her eyes and gave him a fake smile.

"You know, I was about to apologise for my rude behaviour the other day, hoping you would do the same and we could be friends at least," she said.

Caleb said nothing. He just kept his eyes on hers and his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His smile seemed to be permanent as he observed her.

"..But I guess that wouldn't be necessary,"
Stephanie said before she turned and started to walk away.

Caleb stood there, watching her move away. Deep down, it took everything in him to stop himself from running after her. Even the way she matched away in anger seemed to make him smile.

"Stephanie Morris," Caleb whispered to himself as he watched the red haired girl walk out of the gymnasium door.