Hide and Kiss

Chapter Ten

[EMMA]

There was a sudden ruckus somewhere within the cafeteria. I gazed over the particular table where the ruckus was all about, only to catch Ryle's face being covered with cake icing by his friends. I continued watching as he wiped the cake icing off his face using his hand.

"What's that all about?" I asked Meg who was standing next to me me in the cafeteria counter line.

"Eh?" She shot me an astonished glare. "You don't know? It's Ryle's birthday today," she replied while placing pudding on her lunch tray.

Ryle's birthday?! Oh no! How could I forget!

"The party they had last Saturday was a pre-celebration remember?", She added. I was reaching for a bottle of orange juice to place on my own lunch tray.

I feel so disappointed with myself for ever forgetting what they it was today. To think that we've been texting nonstop, yet not once has he mentioned that today was his actual special day.

Welp. Maybe he assumed that I knew that fact already since pretty much everyone at Bayford High knows. I did know.  As a matter of fact, Meg even mentioned it once to me the other day. It just really slipped my mind.

"Let's go sit over there," she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I trailed behind her as she made her way passing some tables.

We brushed passed the table where Ryle and his other popular friends where at. They were singing happy birthday and my lips formed a small smirk as I noticed him cringing once his friends started singing.

"..you look like a monkey... And you smell like one tooo..."

I stifled a laugh at the lyrics used. Nobody ever sings happy birthday normally anymore. My opinion. Don't hate me.

Meg and I had gotten to an empty table. We sat on opposites sides; I sat on the side where I could easily see Ryle clearly, while Meg sat in front of me.

The popular table was really creating noise. They were laughing and chanting and clapping like they owned the cafeteria. The others who was here, who's clearly annoyed of the noise, pretended to not be bothered at all. I can confirm it because I overheard someone from the table right behind us did a low tsk.

As much as I tried to pay attention to Meg babbling about Bruno Mars, her self-proclaimed imaginary sugar daddy, my eyes would flicker towards Ryle like it had a mind of its own. I would quickly glance down at my tray whenever I realized I was already ogling at the beautiful man; who was now licking the cake from his palm by the way.

When I took another glimpse at Ryle, I caught his eyes glancing back at me. I quickly averted my gaze once our eyes locked and breathed away the butterflies I felt fluttering from my stomach up to my chest.

"You okay?" Meg questioned when she noticed how tense I suddenly became. She eyed me with a raised eyebrow while chewing on her sandwich.

"Of course. Why?" I tried to give a bit of chuckle, gulping the juice down my throat, along with the invisible lump that was stuck in the middle of my throat.

Meg glanced behind her shoulder then nodded when she turned her head back to me. "Oh I know why you're blushing."

"Blushing? I don't know what you're talking about," I stirred on my seat, blinking away the awkwardness I felt.

"I knew you were into Ryle but I never thought you would be this into him. Your face is as red as that matte lipstick Kylie Jenner was wearing in that commercial," she whisper-yelled.

Oh shiitake mushrooms. Really?!

I unconsciously cupped my cheek, making Meg burst into laughter.