Reasons to Love You- Sokeefe Human AU

Chapter 5

o-O-o

I weaved around the glossy glass tables of the cafeteria, trying to ignore the glares and whispers the entire school was giving me. Rumors of 'The Great Foster Explosion' as Keefe had dubbed it had spread throughout the school like a wildfire. My original plan of going about school unnoticed was a total bust. I couldn't go anywhere without people pointing and gossiping.

Holding my tray over my head, I attempted to step over the multiple legs and feet that were trying to trip me. The last thing I needed was falling flat on my face in front of the entire school.

I wished that I had at least a couple of my morning classes with one of my friends, so that they could ward off all the unwanted attention I had been getting. Really, what had been thinking? Sitting next to a popular boy was one thing, but trying to do a chemistry experiment was a whole other disaster. He's just a boy, I chided myself. Your supposed to be immune to the charms of stupid popular cool amazing mischievous boys!

No. He's a regular boy. Not cool, not amazing. Just a regular boy.

Oh, why do I even bother trying to convince myself?

I spotted Marella waving at me across the room and inwardly groaned. Of course she was excited. She lived for this kind of event.

"Spill. Now. Tell us everything!" She told me once I had sat down, gripping my forearm. Even Dex and Tam were leaning forward, curious to hear the story while Linh, of course, was already up in my face.

"I was late to class, the only seat was next to Keefe, we briefly talked, I accidentally exploded the experiment, he took me to the nurse. That's all, ok?"

Marella shrieked like this was the juiciest piece of gossip ever. Which it wasn't. I hoped. Maybe a miracle will happen, and this will be interesting for a couple of days and then die down?

I really need to stop lying to myself.

I did my best to ignore Marella's excited ramblings as I cast my eyes around the room, searching for Keefe. Where was he?

Not that I cared.

I quickly found him, since he was in the exact spot I expected him to be in.

He was naturally in the center of the cafeteria, one of the king bees, (is that a thing?) and was sitting on top of the table. A stunningly beautiful chocolate-haired, teal-eyed boy sat next to him. The boy was talking to someone next to him who looked like his sister. The resemblance between the two of them was obvious, from her glossy chocolate hair to her brilliant teal eyes to her perfect heart-shaped lips.

They were surrounded by a crowd of admiring fans, and it looked like Keefe was flirting with at least two of them. The girl meanwhile had her arms wrapped around a muscular, sandy-haired boy who was shaking his head like a dog and spraying sweat everywhere. Eww.

Idly, I wondered who the other two were. Marella had mentioned them once, I think. Was it Vacklen? Zackler?

Suddenly, Keefe's head snapped up. He's gaze met mine and he smiled crookedly and winked. I blushed and ducked my head down, but I could still feel his gaze on me.

"Stop staring at Keefe and spill!" Marella snapped at me, jolting me back to the conversation at the table. She inched her face closer. "Well? What did he say? Did he get hurt? Did he flirt with you? Is he nice? Tell me all of his facial expressions!"

I gently pushed her and everybody else away. "Well, first of all, personal space, remember?" Everyone reluctantly sat back down.

"He didn't get hurt, but he got knocked over by the force of the explosion. Yeah, he's nice I think, we didn't talk for long. Yes, he flirted with me. Just a little bit. What's the big deal?" My face flamed.

Marella and the others exchanged glances. Uh oh. "Are you done with lunch?" Linh asked. "Yeah," I said, glancing down at my untouched food. I wasn't hungry anymore. "Why?"

"We have a free period next. Let's go back to the dorm. We need to talk."

o-O-o

"Do you know who Keefe is?" Marella asked me exasperatedly once we were back in the dorm. I shook my head, confused. Dex was sitting on my bed and typing furiously on his laptop. "Did you really not listen to my rundown of all the cliques of the school?"

"Umm, ya, you said a bunch of famous people went to the school. One of them was...the Tacklens, right? The boy and girl sitting next to Keefe in the cafeteria."

Marella rolled her eyes. "Vackers, Sophie, the Vackers. They're best friends with Keefe and one of the most famous people, like, ever. And Keefe? He's one of the people who hangs out with the Vackers." She wrinkled her nose.

"What's the big deal with that?"

"Let me tell you who Keefe is. He's the rich, spoiled, and famous son of Cassius Sencen, billionaire head of a technology empire, and Lady Gisela Sencen, famous actress and model." Dex said with disgust.

He scrolled through millions of pictures on his laptop until he stopped at one with a severe-looking, cold man with gelled white-blond hair and ice-blue eyes. Next to him stood a devastatingly beautiful but snobby-looking woman with glittering blue eyes and bright blonde hair that was coiled into a complex bun. She was wearing a stiff silver-blue dress with smoky diamonds. DIAMONDS.

And in between them stood Keefe. His hair was it's usual mussed self, but his eyes were dead and cold, and he was wearing an expensive-looking suit. His entire body was tense, as if he was going to run any second. They were all posing in front of a red carpet, obviously at some important event. The photo was a far cry from the mischievous, flirty boy I met this morning. 

Dex pointed at Keefe on the screen. "He's had at least 5 girlfriends in the past two years, and never stays with him for more than two weeks."

"Hundreds of magazines and fashion shows want him to model, but he barely ever accepts," Marella said, tossing her hair and joining us at the computer. "He's constantly flirting with people, and always leading them on before dropping them. He's the heir to billions, and is known for being a playboy."

"Sophie, I know you think he's all nice here, but he's not," Linh continued, lying on her bed and sketching something in her sketchpad. "The media follows him constantly, and all of his 'girlfriends.' You need to be careful."

"Wha- no- I'm not planning on being his girlfriend! I don't even have the slightest crush on him! I just met him!" I spluttered. Everybody stared at me as if saying, "keep telling yourself that." I shook my head vigorously. "Really!"

They glanced at each other then rolled their eyes endearingly. I could tell that they were thinking, "Isn't she the cutest?"

I wasn't doing this to be cute! I was serious!

"You can't have him anyways," Tam said from Linh's bed, looking at something on his phone. "He doesn't officially have a girlfriend right now, but Biana Vacker has her eyes on him. That's why she keeps having different boyfriends. So that she could make him jealous. It's not working, but man, that girl is vicious."

Everyone stared at him, shocked that he actually knew any relevant gossip. He looked up. "What?" He asked immediately defensive. "Me and Linh used to almost be friends with the Vackers, remember?" He elbowed Linh.

She looked up from her sketchbook. "What are you..." Tam shot her a look. "Ohhh ya, I, um, forgot about that!" Linh babbled. "Our mom kept trying to stick us with them, but we weren't quite in their league, ya know? They just ignored us most of the time and everything so ya-" Tam elbowed her again. She flushed lightly. "I'll stop talking now." She ducked her head and focused on her sketchbook again.

Huh. That was weird.

"So your point is..." I asked.

"Stay away from Keefe." They all said in unison. "And stay away from the Vackers too. Fitz is a whole new realm of fame and royalty. Biana as well," Marella added. "Just stay away from the entire group."

"But Keefe's my lab partner and I have Chemistry twice a week..." I trailed off, noticing the glares the group was giving me. "Ok, ok." I held up my hands in surrender. "I'll just ignore him, I guess." Everyone nodded approvingly. I rubbed my temples. School just became a whole lot more complicated.

o-O-o