7

Love is not something you go out and look for, love finds you and when it does, it'll be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

Chapter Seven

N O E L

"So, do you have a date for homecoming?"

"Yea, Luke asked me out already," Liv answers, grinning from ear to ear.

Yep, I finally found out his name was Luke and not Duke. It was really embarrassing coz I was busy calling him Duke and he wouldn't answer. I thought he was deaf.

"How do you guys communicate with Duke," I had asked Nadine during lunch the day before yesterday.

"Who's Duke?" She asked me talking so slow like we were some kind of spies.

"The guy with the brown eyes, sitting and talking to Liv," I whispered back pointing subtly at him.

"Oh that's not Duke, its Luke. I don't know any Duke except Channing Tatum in She's the man." Nadine whispered back.

"Oh," I say loudly, everybody in the table turns to look at me and I decide to test him. "Luke?"

He raised his brows, "yes?"

"Hmm you're not deaf." I say quite surprised.

"Yes… fortunately," He was looking at me like am some weirdo. I bend my head down focusing on my apple.

Back to present day...

Liv and Luke is a thing. They were always together and had most classes together. They kiss a lot, giggle and talk a lot to themselves like love struck teenagers--- well they are love struck and they are teenagers so I guess their reaction is just right.

"Nobody asked me yet," Peyton grumbled.

"Me too, but I have this strong feeling that Pete is going to ask me out." Nadine says smiling brightly.

"Pete, from History class?" Peyton asked her eyes widening. Nadine nods, "he's a jock, and how does he even know you?"

"We're seat mates and last year we patterned up for a project. We talk a lot and yesterday he asked if I had a date to homecoming and I said no."

"So...he didn't ask you then? Why what did he do next." Peyton asked. Peyton's appearance looks like a shy, withdrawn, nerdy nerd. But when you hang out with her you'll find out that she's feisty. Intelligent-- yes. And she can stand up for herself.

"He didn't do anything. He just nodded and continued our work in silence."

"Dummy, that doesn't guarantee that he would ask you out."

"It does."

"It doesn't."

"It does."

"Noel?!" They both shouted startling me.

"What?" I asked confused.

"What's your opinion on the matter?" Nadine asked.

I gulp, "I agree with Peyton on this one. You shouldn’t put your mind to it else you might get heartbroken."

"See," Peyton said proudly.

"Whatever," Nadine says losing her bright and cheerful face.

"What about you Noel, anybody asked you out?" Liv asked.

I shake my head, "nope."

"Not even AL?" Nadine asked.

I sigh, "No, we're not a thing. I barely know him."

"So?" Nadine says like it’s nothing important, "you should see the way he looks at you Noel, AL digs you."

"No he doesn't." I reply I wonder where Nadine is getting her idea from. A part of me also thought that maybe, maybe he likes me that's why he keeps pestering me and escorting me to classes but that part of me was let down when I saw him kissing a girl by his locker. Ugh so disgusting.

"Even though he doesn't like you, you're still lucky girl; at least he pays attention to you. Up until you came no girl here was worthy of his attention. He only talks with the pretty half naked mean girls of our school." Peyton explains hugging her book to herself.

"Well that's just sad," I say looking at Peyton; she seemed to be going through something that I can't place my finger on. She is looking very emotional as she talks, "I mean why on earth should the girls think they aren't good enough for him. Maybe he isn't good enough for them."

Peyton gives me a small smile and I turn to Nadine, she mouths, 'I'll tell you later.' I nod, "so what the hell is pretty half naked mean girls?"

"Oh that's the popular elite girls of our school; Quinn, Lora and Madison. They practically run this school. They have all the boys at their finger tips. All except, AL and Jesse, like Peyton said no one is good enough for them not even the best." Nadine says.

"Ok, I'm going off to my class now. You guys are coming to watch the football match right?" Liv said walking ahead then turning back to look at us.

"Yea, for sure Pete's playing." Nadine says.

"Yea and we get to see muscle hitting muscle... Rawr." Peyton says causing them to cackle up.

"I'm not coming." I say, I'll rather go home.

"Why not Noel?" Nadine whined.

"I'm not in the mood that's all." I say shrugging.

"You're coming Noel. You have to mingle with people not just running home all the time." Peyton says with finality. I wave at them as they all go in different routes to their various classes.

"I'm still not coming." I mutter to myself as I make it to my chemistry class.

I see everyone standing in front of the class. Oh it's today they are reassigning seats. For two days now I've been alone because somebody thought it was a good idea to ditch class.

"Hi Noel," a voice says behind me.

I sigh knowing that voice that I've come to be familiar with.  I turn to him with a wide smile, "Hi Aaron."

He takes a step back raising his brow at me. "Why the creepy smile?"

"I'm just so happy." I say not wiping the smile off my face.

"What's making you so happy?"

"We are reassigning seats, which means I won't get to be your partner anymore, see? Happiness."

He scoffed placing a frown on his face. I reached up and pat his cheek. "Now that's more like it." I stifle back my laugh, so I don't get punished.

Mr. Tanner starts calling the name alphabetically, students start taking seats starting from the front roll. "Allen and Almandine, Altamira and... Atkins."

Aaron leaves to go take his seat. I don't move from my position, still waiting for Mr. Tanner to call my name "Noel?" He calls.

"Yes?"

“You should move to your seat, with Aaron."

"What!" I say shocked. "No, there's another Atkins here, not me."

"It you, now move on." He says sternly.

"I can't believe there isn't another student with A anything before T that can pair with Aaron?" I ask, no this can't be happening. I already bragged about not seating with him.

"No Noel beat it." I frown as I make my way over to where Aaron is sat, I angry plop down on the seat avoiding eye contact. But that doesn't last long and soon enough I look up at him, he was already staring.

"You don't want to seat with me so badly?" He asks his eyes never leaving mine.

I'm taken off guard I expected him to tease me; I slowly nod hoping he changes seats with someone.

"Well..." He paused, and then his eye light up in amusement, "that's too bad then because you're stuck with me for the rest of the year."

I frown, my face getting all red. He leans forward; his hands pat my cheek in a similar manner. "Now that's more like it." With that he burst out laughing attracting everyone's attention.

I dislike him. I really do.

*

"Jeez you're so funny Noel, I can't believe that you can't run two laps round the field." Raymond says laughing at me.

Did I ever say I hate P.E, tch my bad. What I meant to say was I HATE P. E. The couch potato thing is really true.

"The field...it’s just too big. And I'm no exercise girl." I say panting. I relax on somebody's locker and slide all the way to the ground.

Our P.E. teacher decided to punish everyone for noise making. We were told to run three laps round the field. I did one, on the second one I was crawling. I didn't even finish the second one before I was sprawled on the grass like a dead person. Thankfully she let me off the hook.

Raymond squats down bringing his eye level to mine. He shakes his head at me. "You're so lazy."

"Hey, in my defense that field was way too big. Large is an understatement. Oh I feel dead." I grumbled closing my eyes. All I need now is my bed. Or at least my comfortable pillow.

"I could carry you," Raymond suggests.

I peek at him through one eye, "to my house?"

"If you want," He says shrugging.

I laugh weakly, "you can't, and you’re not that strong."

"I am. I'm a macho man." He says, “and I'm sure you don't weight much. "

"Ok, go ahead carry me. I don't even have the strength to walk, just...just take me to my locker. I'll be fine there." I say. Raymond turns his back and I climb on piggy back way.

He stands up with a grunt but he doesn't say anything, or comment on my weight. "Do you have a date for homecoming?" He asks out of the blue.

"No, why?"

"Well, I'd love to take you." He says.

I frown, "oh I'm not going."

"Really why?"

"Uh…" Lie come to me. "Um...I have an appointment that day. A very important one." Yep, an appointment with my couch and PlayStation.

"Oh, ok then. I'll just ask someone else."

"Peyton, ask Peyton." I suggest. We reach my locker and I jump down, my knees feel numb for a minute before it becomes normal again. "Thanks Raymond."

"Anytime," he smiles at me then walks off.

I gulp than water and get some energy back. Then I decide to play a little game before I vacate the school premises. I settle for Spiderman 3.

"Hey Atkins," Aaron calls, I hear his footsteps walking towards me and when they stop, I spare him a seconds glance. I'm not willing to leave my game for more than a second.

"Oh so we're now on last name bases, when did the demotion occur," I ask my eyes on Spiderman as he swings around eating up coins.

"What's going on with you and simpleton?" He says and immediately my spider steps on a bomb, he blows off and I'm back to level one.

I groaned, "Who the hell is simpleton?"

He scoffs, "you don't even know the name of the guy you were clinging unto a minute ago."

Raymond? I roll my eyes. "It’s not simpleton it’s Raymond Templeton."

"Yea, I know. Simpleton," He says again.

I nod realizing that he's doing it on purpose. "Leave me alone Aaron." I go back to my game.

I hear him sigh. "Ok, are you going to attend the match? It starts in 10 minutes time." He says changing subjects.

"No. I'm going home from here." I answer.

"Why? To do what?" He relaxed on the locker next to mine.

"Sleep, eat, sleep" I look up at him. "It’s so much fun."

"You're coming to the game. Come on, I'm playing." He says.

I scoff turning to look at him, “you say that like I’m supposed to care if you’re playing or not.”

He smirks, “you are.”

"No thanks, I'm not going." I say.

"You are," he says then snatches my phone out of my hand.

"Hey, give that back." I say getting angry and jumping up at him.

"Spiderman? Really?" He asks laughing.

I groaned, "Aaron give me back my phone." I'm jumping up but he stretched his hand so far up, I have no chance of reaching my phone.

"Say you'll come watch me play." He asks.

I stop jumping, cross my hand in front of me then narrow my eyes at him. "No."

"If you don't come, I'll, I'll put your phone inside my boxers" he declares.

I scrunch my face up, "ew, you wouldn't dare."

He narrows his eyes at me daringly. He lifts his shirt up a little, revealing the hem of his boxers to me. I want to look away but I don't. He loosened his, he pulls it a little, then starts lowering my phone. My mouth drop a little, my phone was almost in when I cried out.

"Stop!" I have no money to buy a new phone. "Stop, I'll watch the game."

He smirked victoriously; he puts my phone in his back pocket. "I'll return it to you, after the game. Bye Noel."

He runs off and as I look at his retreating figure, I think of all the ways I can kill him. I go to our field. The bleachers are almost filled up. I buy popcorn and juice, and then climb up. It didn't take long to find the group I'm familiar with. I walk up to them and sit.

"Ah Noel, you came," Nadine says.

"Yea," I answer. Then I spot Aaron talking to his coach. "Nadine, do you know anything about how to castrate a human?"

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