Tutoring My Ex

15 | Competition

[ DELLA'S POV ]

"So..." I began while shifting on my feet, "Are you having lunch with me today or what?"

"Why does it sound like you're wishing for me to be somewhere else instead?"

The laugh that came from me was forced. "It's not like that. Just that you always seem to have something to do during break."

Ashley turned after gathering her things. "Sorry to burst your bubble honey but today I'm sticking around."

"Really?"

She shot me a deadpan look. 

I scratched the back of my head. "Great...that's great."

The girl smirked. "Be honest. You've got plans with that Meyers kid don't you?"

"You do know that Luca is older than you right?"

"Like I care," her eyes rolled back in her head. "With Trump as president such things as formality do not exist in my vocabulary."

"Must be a world crisis. My heart goes out to you."

"Shut up, Anderson," she chuckled. "Are you or are you not planning on giving it up over the weekend?"

My nose scrunched up. "Ew, no."

Pulling the straps of her backpack over her shoulders more she eyed me. "Liar."

My cheeks flushed. "I-I don't do that okay?"

At least not anymore.

"You expect me to believe that you're still one of Mother Mary's daughters? Why don't you humor me some more?" 

The wrapper of the strawberry flavoured gum was tossed but she missed her target. I stopped and bent to retrieve it and threw it in the garbage bin like she'd intended. I jogged to catch up back to her.

"I mean," she continued, "You dated a hottie like Meyers and still didn't make use of that body?"

"You make him sound like some kind of toy."

"A sex toy, yes!" She exploded and I had to cover her mouth. 

The physics teacher was coming out of the lab on cue and she shot disapproving looks in our direction. 

"Sorry." I apologized meekly.

She huffed in response.

I glanced sideways. Ashley merely shrugged and did not cease the irritating act of chewing her gum. As much as I adored her and valued our friendship, I found it hard to digest how ruthlessly blunt she could sometimes be.

"Come on," she tugged me towards the lunch queue just as I spotted a head of dark hair leave the line and saunter to a table in the middle. 

"Speaking of the devil." 

I paid her words no mind as I continued watching him. He was surrounded by his clique as usual but a smile in the crowd stuck out like a sore thumb and I found myself rubbing my eyes to see if I was imagining things.

"Ashley," she hummed at her name. "Who is she?"

She finally looked up at my question. Her eyes followed mine and she winced as if she saw something horrifying. "That's Paige McNally,"

"She's the new girl. Every dog here- sorry, boy here, seems to be completely whipped by her but she won't give them the time of the day because her number one victim is- drum roll please!- your fuck boy, Meyers." 

"What?" I was still reeling from the fact that the girl from a few days ago was here. It wasn't just a figment of my imagination. That flirt was by Luca's side.