5 Kendall's Problem?

I guess that was enough to convince Jerk Face that I was the devil’s incarnate because he stopped trying to rizz me up with his poor ‘charming’ skills.

He turned to his friends, and I didn’t miss the way they turned to me while he whispered something to them.

I made a face at them and stared right back at them, raising my brows with sass until they turned away.

They probably thought I had a screw loose in my head.

Look, don’t get me wrong, Jerk Face is cute, but he is not available. Even if he was, I wouldn’t make a move. He belongs to Blondie, and I have seen what girls like Blondie do to girls who they think are trying to steal their boyfriends, and the boys don’t even have to be cute for them to make the girls’ lives hell.

Anyway, I’m not trying to cause any trouble for myself.

I took my book out of my bag and flipped the pages Mrs. Pascal wanted us to work on.

English. Nothing too difficult.

I don’t get bored with classes. It’s like listening to music; you use the sounds to drown the sound of your own thoughts out, and if you are like me, the voices in your head are louder than the ones around you.

“There is a comprehension exercise on page 43, attempt it and write and submit the essay after that as an assignment. To be submitted on Wednesday.”

The class groaned collectively.

“On Wednesday without fail,” Mrs. Pascal emphasised.

A minute later, the bell went off signalling the end of the class. I didn’t even have time to prepare myself before Kendall slapped her hands on my desk.

The whole class, which had become noisy as soon as Mrs. Pascal walked out, suddenly became quiet.

“You.”

I lifted my gaze to hers. Blue eyes were like ice as they bore into mine.

She was not alone. Redhead from the hallway was with her, and there was a brunette too.

Beautiful girls, by the way, especially brunette. Her chin-length short hair did wonders for her heart-shaped face.

I cocked my head to the side as I studied their faces.

“I take it you guys are not here to make friends with the new kid,” I said sweetly.

“You think you are so smart aren’t you?” Kendall said. “I have my eyes on you.”

“Hmm, you’re not the only one,” I jerked my finger toward her boyfriend. “He’s had eyes on me throughout class today.”

Kendall’s gaze flew to him, her brows narrowed so tight they nearly joined together. She opened her mouth to talk when the Redhead nudged her.

“Don’t fall for it, she’s just trying to piss you off.”

Kendall sucked in a measured breath. “You’re right, Briella. She’s not even worth it. Look here, newbie,” she leaned in, her breath hot and minty on my face. “Watch your back. I rule this school, my girls and I. Don’t you dare get in our way, got that?”

The sensible part of my brain told me to apologise, shrink into my clothes and stay away, but something, probably my own foolishness, made me open my mouth to tease her. “Your mint must be pretty good if your boyfriend didn’t suck it all off. Or maybe he isn’t that good of a kisser as he thinks he is.”

I saw the way her jaw tightened. I thought she was going to lash out, but Kendall was the perfect mean girl, the kind who plotted without losing her cool. She smiled.

“Oh, you have a mouth on you, girl.” She straightened to her full height and flicked her hair, drawing the attention of everyone as if we weren’t already the centre of attention. “You have crossed paths with me, and I am going to show you what happens when anyone dares to do that.”

“I hope you wouldn’t be doing that in my class, Miss Richie?”

The next teacher had walked in. Everyone else immediately went back to their seats to get ready for the next class. Even the redhead, Kendall called Briella, hurried to her seat, but Kendall and the brunette remained.

Kendall narrowed her eyes at me, and I stared right back. Seriously, did changing schools make me forget how much I hate being in the spotlight?

A tiny smile curved Kendall’s lips as she said, “No Mr. Jerry, just saying hi to the new kid, that’s all.”

She turned, her luscious blond hair flying behind her as she catwalked to her seat.

I didn’t miss the way every guy in class seemed to have their eyes stuck on her. She was pretty. She was on top of the food chain.

Great, now what?

Will her minions trap me like a rat in a corner after school and hold me down while she empties the trash can over my head?

I managed to get through another class. This one was History, but John Manheim must be using a slower curriculum because the topic we were learning was something we already did in Sunder.

Lunch wasn’t until 1: 00 pm.

Frankly, I expected Kendall and her pals to come over and continue their intimidation where they left off, but to my surprise, they left the class together, and I heaved a grateful sigh of relief.

I wasn’t really hungry, but I also didn’t want to sit in class and give Jerk Face the chance to make another failed attempt at charming me, so I joined the throng of students moving to the cafeteria.

I had to admit, as I walked into the brightly lit cafeteria, that there were perks to being in a private school. In Sunders, the floor would have been slippery with spilt food and milk, but here the ground was not only clean but bright enough to serve as a mirror.

The students lined up in an orderly manner to receive their pizza (topped generously with veggies and meat), juice boxes and various pastries for dessert.

I went to get a tray and passed my brother Harry on the line.

As with any other sibling, I pretended that I didn’t know him, and he thankfully did the same, giving me a stink eye as he looked away.

Harry had unsurprisingly made two friends. He always has been the social butterfly. Back at Sunders, he made more than enough friends for the two of us.

I know damn well that he still talks with those guys, whereas I, on the other hand, have no one to talk to back home.

I made my way to the line, collected my lunch and found a table near the door. It was the only table with no one sitting on it.

I started to open my yoghurt when two trays dropped on my table.

“Why are you eating alone?”

I swallowed a groan at the overly enthusiastic voice.

Lea.

I shrugged. “Privacy?”

“In a school environment?” she scoffed. “You’re funny.” She swung around the seat and made herself comfortable. Her brother did the same.

They looked so much alike. If they weren’t of different genders, it would have been hard to tell them apart. Lea’s hair was black and glossy and long, while Leo's was short and styled in a slicked-back style. Not a single strand of hair was out of place.

He had a hint of a moustache sprouting on his top lip and the kindest, eager puppy eyes.

I looked away from him. The last thing I want right now is to encourage him into thinking that I am interested in romance.

“Thank you for helping me with my desk this morning. You didn’t have to.”

“Oh, please,” Lea said with a wave of her hand. “No need to be so kind. Leo loves to help. Also, he thinks that going out of his way to be kind is going to get him a girlfriend.”

“Lea!” Leo said, his face and ears turning red.

“Haha,” I faked a laugh, wishing that they would just disappear.

“So, what do you think of John Manheim so far?”

That you all are weird, talking to strangers as you know them, I wanted to say, but ugh, why do we always have to mince words? Why can’t we just say what we mean without trying to be polite?”

“Well…”

I didn’t even get the chance to respond when Kendall and pals walked in.

Of course, the whole school had to stop and stare.

“Oh brother,” I rolled my eyes.

Lea followed the direction of my gaze. She rolled her eyes and turned back.

“Ugh, I can’t believe they are still doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“The ‘Entrance’”, she quoted the Entrance with her fingers. “It began at the start of our senior year, that was when Kendall decided that she was the top of the food chain. Briella and Trish went ahead with it anyway because they always agree with whatever Kendall says, no matter how stupid it is.”

“But Trish isn’t…”

Lea cut her brother off. “Should I remind you that Trish was the one who pulled that prank on you in junior class?”

That caught my interest. “What prank is that?”

Lea laughed. “Oh, where do I even begin? There are a lot of them. How much time do you have?”

Kendall passed our table, and as she did, she intentionally used her hip to nudge my hand so that my spoon fell in my lap, splashing yoghurt on it.

I closed my eyes and told myself not to react. For once, my body cooperated with my brain. By the time I opened my eyes, everything had returned to normal, but Lea and Leo were staring at me curiously. So were some of the other students in the cafeteria.

“Okay, you know what? Scrap whatever pranks Kendall and her plastics ever played on my brother and me. You’ve only been here for what, 5 hours? What did you do to make her hate you so much?”

“Besides the fact that I caught her and my boyfriend having sex – or about to have sex, in the girls’ bathroom?”

“Boyfriend? Which one of them?”