Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Chapter Three: Resolve

     "Bitch, what the hell? No, you know what? I refuse to believe you're real," Olivia addressed Kiersan as the latter joined her friends at the center table of the cafeteria for lunch. The lunch building was separated from the rest of the school, big enough to hold nearly 300 students and there was an exterior bench area where students could eat as well under a leather pavilion. There were six different lines where four different lunches were served, and on that day's menu, they served nachos, orange chicken, and customizable sandwiches. Despite the food choices, Kiersan had arrived with a bag of Taco Bell in her clutch.

    "What'd I do?" Asked Kiersan defensively, sitting down next to Kingsley Oreno, who she believed was in her math class, and Matthew. Olivia sighed in frustration, looking at the half eaten nachos in her lunch plate.

    "You're really out here looking good in low rise jeans and a crop top, sis. You're not real."

    Kiersan glanced down at her apparel, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She didn't usually wear revealing clothes but an unfortunate instance during Mr.Klein's class had forced her into wearing something she wasn't comfortable in.

    "Actually this isn't a crop top," Kiersan contradicted whilst digging into her Taco Bell bag for her vegetarian Crunchwrap , "I had to cut my shirt off because I dropped chemicals on it during an anatomy lab and there were no clothes in the lost and found bin. That's why I haven't been dress coded."

    "Dude, I was wondering why hell wasn't raining down on you with Ms. Lindon's uptight ass supervising lunch today." Jude said, digging into the Taco Bell bag and retrieving the three bean burritos he had asked Kiersan for before she'd gone to her off-campus class. Kiersan laughed, taking a bite of her Crunchwrap and chewing as quickly as she could. She noticed Matthew's slight stare from the corner of her eye but, at first, decided not to dwell on it. It was on her third bite when she felt forced to confront him about his staring.

    "Matthew, please, I hate it when people watch me eat." Kiersan pleaded with both her diction and her eyes. Matthew's face remained stoic for a second before he broke out into a dazzling smile and went back to eating his sandwich.

    Several minutes later, Kiersan was caught in an active conversation between Olivia, Sophia, a girl from her theatre class named Mia, and the anchor from the school news cast, James Curduroy about the cheerleading team and their annoying entitlement when, almost coincidentally, Seraphina Jones walked into the cafeteria.

    It was like a scene from a movie, the way she glided across the floor, the way people had to stop themselves from staring at her, the way she looked majestic as she strode towards her table. It was her table, because if anyone sat there who wasn't someone she knew or invited, she would humiliate them, as everyone knew. Kiersan had once been the subject to such embarrassment on her first day of high school, as Seraphina had already chosen a table while she practiced with the Varsity cheerleading team during the summer and they took breaks midday, hanging out at the then-closed cafeteria. From day one, she'd had the backing from the girls who were most respected at the school due to their never-ending streak of district championship wins, their charisma, and their 'good-nature'. Now, Seraphina was the backing herself, unconsciously mentoring the few freshmen in the varsity cheerleading team as their leader.

    "I think I might've came in my pants just now, dudes," Jude said, staring open-mouthed at Seraphina. She had sat down, a huge smile on her face as she was warmly greeted by her endless amount of friends. Matthew nodded, a small smile playing on his face.

    "I can't believe my brother's dating her. I might have to check if it's Stockholm Syndrome or something because a girl like her..."

    "Would you guys even believe me if I said she asked me out? I mean, obviously, I sent numerous, obvious signals that I was interested, and maybe I sent poems out to her locker as her secret admirer, but she saw that I would never have the courage to actually ask her so she asked me herself. Seraphina Jones asked me to be her boyfriend."