Perfect Strangers

31| Matchmaker

Chapter 31: Matchmaker (Alex's POV)

"What?" she asked, almost baffled that I would ask her that. 

"Are you all right?" I repeated. 

"Why are you asking me that? All I've done is make things worse for you," she sniffed. 

"That's okay. Let's just say you didn't know what you were doing," I shrugged. 

"Carter didn't budge, huh? He really likes you," she chuckled. 

"Abby, are you ok?" I asked. 

She softly shook her head, "No," she cried. 

"What's wrong?" I questioned. 

"Everything! Don't you see it? Nobody wants me here. My parents, my friends, Hudson. I know he isn't really my boyfriend, but he can't even pretend to like me," she explained, "Everyone just thinks I'm a waste." 

"I don't think you're a waste." She looked up at me, her blue eyes wide. "I think you're annoying. But you're not a waste. Abby, I think you just have to find the right people. The people who make you enjoy where you are. Rather than the ones who make you feel so horrible about yourself." 

"That's the problem. Nobody wants me. If they did, I wouldn't be so horrible to people just to get noticed," she huffed. 

"You can get noticed by being nice too. You can make new friends. You can find a boy who will treat you right. And you're eighteen. More fish in the sea for you," I shrugged. 

"I didn't fail and get held back, I swear. It was because of all the moving around," she explained eagerly. 

"I'm not worried about you being eighteen in a class full of seventeen-year-olds. I'm worried about you getting so upset. Maybe you could use new friends. I know we weren't so welcoming the last time. But we can be nice. I swear," I said while standing up. "We've got one seat available. It's there if you want it," I said before handing her a few tissues and then walking back out. 

I sat back down while Carter walked over with two plates in his hand from the buffet. He placed my plate in front of me and grabbed my hand in his. "Everything ok?" he asked. 

"Yeah," I nodded. He kissed the side of my head before we all ate and talked. 

Someone cleared their throat and we all looked up as she stood there with her plate in her hand. "Is this seat taken?" 

"No, it's yours if you want it," I said before anyone else could say anything. 

She sat down hesitantly in the seat to my left, opposite to Zach's. Hannah stared at me in confusion while Connor figured everything out. Carter knew me well enough to know exactly what I had done and Zach was kind of clueless about our past. "Thank you," she whispered. 

"No problem," I replied. 

"I'm Zach," he held his hand out for her to take. 

"Abby," she smiled while shaking it. 

"You look really pretty," he said.

Carter and I looked at each other before looking between the two. They were stuck staring at each other in awe. 

Did I just unknowingly play matchmaker? 

"And you look really handsome," she chuckled. 

"Quick question, just for my safety, are you eighteen?" he asked. 

He is so stupid. 

"Yeah, I'm eighteen," she laughed. 

"You're eighteen?" Connor asked.