Chapter 6 ( Get Your Lunch On )

• Blossom's POV
• "YOU ALMOST KISSED JEVAN HOLLEN?" both Nina and Sophia asked at the same time when I told them about Jevan's rescue last Friday night after the game.
• It was now Monday and we were heading to our last class before lunch.
• As we rounded the corner, books in hands, I walked into a wall.. Or at least I thought it was a wall.
• I stumbled backwards, books spilling from my arms as I almost hit the floor. I was caught just in the nick of time and stabled back to my feet.
• "Damn. I'm so sorry. I'm rushing to practice and I didn't see you. Are you okay?"
• "I bet she is now," Nina answered in her usual teasing manner. Sophia giggled softly besides her before turning her head to avert her eyes.
• "It's... It's.. Okay," I stuttered. There was a lingering electricity on my arm where he had caught me. My heart raced around in my chest that I thought it would move to another part of my body.
• "Let me make it up to you. Sit with me at lunch?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes filled with hope.
• I heard when both my friends gasped but they played it off as if they had been minding their own business all along.
• "Your friends are invited too," he added quickly when I looked to them for approval. They nodded yes.
• "Okay. See you at lunch," I responded.
• "Awesome," he said and continued on his way.
• A squealing Nina and Sophia ran towards me.
• "OMG. I can't believe we're invited to sit with Jevan at lunch."
• "I think he's starting to like you, Blossom."
• "What? No. Jevan is just being nice," I covered but I was bursting with delight internally.
• "Why is he being nice to you though? It's not like he owes you anything," Nina said and we started our walk to class again.
• _____________
• I couldn't focus in class. I kept daydreaming about Jevan and his lips, how close it was to mine and how it would have been to have kiss him in his car.
• ______
• Eventually, the bell rang, ending class and starting lunch. I leaped from my seat and rushed through the door and met my friends in the halls. Together, we walked into the cafeteria.
• There was no sign of Jevan anywhere.
• Sophia, Nina and I joined the food line and simultaneously selected our food and cast our eyes out to locate Jevan.
• Still no sign of him.
• "I can't believe he would stoop so low," Nina frowned as she stabbed her fork into a bed of salad. The meals today were not tasty.
• "Let's give him the benefit of the doubt here. Maybe he's caught up in practice. You know that coach is a pain in the ass," Sophia said.
• I was silent as a lamb. Too hurt to speak.
• "Excuse me. Nina, Sophia and Blossom, right?" a voice came from behind us at our table. It was one of Jevan's friends.
• "Yes," we answered.
• "Follow me," he said.
• We picked our food trays up.
• "Leave the trays and just follow me," he said again.
• "But.. But.. Our food," Nina pleaded but her words fell on deaf ears. We followed Connor out into the halls and up a flight of stairs I never knew existed.
• Higher and higher we climbed until we emerged into a private room with air conditioning units and a big wooden table already set for six. And behind the table, at the seat on the right, sat Jevan.
• I couldn't stop the smile. He smiled back at me and waved me over to him.
• We sat down next to our significant other.
• "I must admit. I've been here since freshman year and I never knew this room was existed," Nina started.
• "Most unpopular students don't," Nick responded, his words doing a bit of damage.
• An awkward silence fell into place until Jevan cleared his throat.
• "Oh.. I didn't mean anything by it," Nick apologised in his own way.
• "It's fine. We know we don't fit into the power ups category," Sophia said now.
• "Power ups?" Jevan asked.
• "Yeah. That's how we call you guys," she answered.
• "Why?" he asked again.
• "Because of your money, and your influences at this school and your popularity," she responded.
• "I had no idea that there was a special name for us," Connor chimed in.
• "Me too," Jevan said with the shake of his head while laughing.
• "You guys know you're super popular. Don't try to be humble with us. You're basically above everyone around here," Nina protested.
• "I can understand why you feel that way but I like to see myself as everyone else. As a regular student," Nick said.
• "Well do you see any regular students up here?" I asked now.
• "She does have a point," Jevan answered with a loud laugh that was surprisingly cute.
• ______
• The food before us was in abundance and it was a mystery as to why this wasn't served in the cafeteria. I filled my plate with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies, some fried potatoes wedges and salad, and to wash it all down, a glass of chilled orange juice.
• After we stuffed ourselves, we chatted to each other as if we were all best friends until the chatters turned into private conversation.
• Nina was the corner with Connor and Sophia was speaking to Nick and smiling at his words.
• Jevan's hand found mine underneath the table and my attention immediately turned to him.
• "Tell me something about you."
• "What do you wish to know?" I asked him.
• "Anything. As long as its about you."
• "Well... for starters.. I come from a country in Africa. I'm a scholarship student. I don't have any siblings," I was going on but he stopped me.
• "No. Tell me something about you. Like what do you like to do for fun? Where do you like going to have fun?"
• "Nowhere. Since coming here, it's just been school and home. Nina and Sophia are the only friends I've ever had."
• "You had no friends in Africa?"
• "I had family. I came from a village where nothing was ever enough. In other words, I grew up very poorly. My mama cried and praised God for days when I got this once in a lifetime scholarship education to your country and school. And mama found a job with some good people as well."
• "Well, I'm happy you're here now and I'm sorry you had to grow up that way."
• "I'm not. That part of me makes me who I am today. That no matter what life throws at me, I have to over it."
• "I've never heard anyone speak like that, especially a young woman as yourself. Most girls at this school, especially the popular ones, only complain about silly stuff and things that doesn't even matter.
• You're amazing, Blossom. Don't let anyone tell you different."
• "Thank you Jevan."
• He just complimented me and told me I was amazing.
• I squealed mentally but contained myself. The last thing I wanted to do was to make myself a fool in front of the most handsome and nicest guy in the school.
• The bell rang, ending lunch. We groaned but stood up and filed out of the room.
• "Wait! Aren't we supposed to clean up?" Nina asked.
• "Nah. There's someone who takes care of that for us," Connor told her.
• We walked through the halls, side by side, all eyes falling on us. Students started whispering with questions and I felt like I wasn't invisible anymore.
• "See you later?" Jevan asked me.
• "Sure."
• "Okay then." I watched his wonderful figure walked away.
• I went into the ladies washroom to do my business before class. At the sink, I washed my hands and felt an unfriendly presence behind me.
• Brooke.
• "Are you messing around with my boyfriend?" she asked, eyes blazing and piercing through to my soul with her friends at her side as usual.
• "You're about to learn your first lesson, Africa's baboon! Beat her ass!" she commanded to her minions and they both latched onto me like bull sharks.
• ________________