Cheerleader, blonde, good grades and a winning smile all wrapped into one petite little package. Yes, Jenna was no doubt the poster girl for the All-American girl, a heartbreaker for more reason than one. Denying boys left and right with an explanation that she’s focusing on cheering and studying, the real reason hidden behind that sympathetic smile…
I really did miss her.
It was math class, that much I knew, because Mr. Hunter was at the front of the class berating our scores on last week’s test. He really sounded quite frustrated. Beyond that I honestly wasn’t paying attention, my textbook wasn’t even open in front of me. No, all my attention was spent looking out of the corner of my eye to the girl to the left of me, who never even once glanced my way. Then again I should’ve been used to that, considering she did the same thing the last few months in a very pointed attempt to not let anything slip about our relationship.
Yep, there was more than one reason Jenna denied the attention of the guys in our little clique, and as far as I knew I was the only one who knew. She was far less open about who she was than me, even if Ryan, my best friend of years, was the only other person who was aware of me being the same. Well, he was supposed to be the only one that knew; in truth it was probably the worst kept secret of the jocks. Imagine my surprise when Jenna had first approached me seeming to know of my little ‘secret’. Not that I should’ve been, it’s not as though I have ever hidden my appreciative glances that so often lined up with those of the male members’ of my team, and I’ve certainly never lied when asked.
Just no one ever bothers to ask.
“-two, Alena?” I couldn’t help but jump at suddenly being addressed in a very angry voice, only to curse – thankfully in my native tongue – as my knee hit the bottom of the desk hard enough to make the frame rattle. My face skin began to heat up at growing snickers around me as I fumbled to get myself together and meet the gaze of Mr. Hunter, who certainly wasn’t looking as amused as those around me.
“Seven,” A masculine voice whispered beside me, and fumbling for an answer I parroted it loudly to Mr. Hunter.
“Seven!” The class burst into laughter, the loudest being my supposedly best friend at my side, who was absolutely dying with laughter.
“Two… plus… two,” Ryan managed to wheeze out between laughs at my confused look. I immediately turned redder and met the increasingly angry look of Mr. Hunter. The only thing I could do was slump uselessly down my chair in a vain attempt to look smaller.
A glance over at Jenna showed her hiding her laughter behind her hand in some attempt to muffle it, blonde strands falling in her face as her shoulders shook. Mr. Hunter’s angry tirade continued, and my heart couldn’t help but ache.
“Oh come on, you’re not still angry about that are you?” A heavy hand clapped me on the back, one that would’ve sent a smaller person stumbling to their knees. All it did was make my features twist into a scowl as I gave Ryan a glare, the large quarterback grinning in return. “It was funny!”
"Tupoy,” I huffed in mock irritation and turned my nose up, in turn almost knocking a girl over who was at least a head shorter than me as I was no longer focused on looking where I was going. Before I could even apologize the black-clad girl hissed something under her breath and stomped off, leaving me looking after her with a slight frown. My attention was soon drawn back to Ryan as he continued, seeming to not even look where he was going as he plowed through people in the hallway. It wasn’t exactly hard – between the two of us it was a solid wall of muscle and mass.
“Aw, the Russian? Really? I bet that was an insult too, you giant jerk,” He guffawed at his own pun, and I felt a smile begin to twitch the corner of my lips upward before he focused on me once again, this time a more serious expression present. “Besides, you’ve been down the whole day. Where’s that bundle of energy? Where’s the smile? Wait – wait, I got it-“
“Ryan!” I couldn’t help but laugh as I ducked away from the broad hands reaching for my face, or more specifically my mouth in an attempt to forcefully make me smile. I swear, if there was a goofball clique he’d fit right in. Even now he just grinned right in return at having made me laugh.
“There we go, that wasn’t so hard now was it? Now come on, our table awaits,” The brunette gestured grandly to the cafeteria, but I stopped short seeing the flash of blonde hair going towards it.
“Ah, not today Ryan,” The quarterback raised a brow at my response, but I just gave a small shrug and dropped my voice, “Between you and me, I think I need some space.” I tilted my head and Ryan followed it to where I looked, just to make an ‘ahh’ of understanding.
“Want me to come with?”
“Nawh, go have fun Ryan,”
“Gotcha boss- oof!” He stumbled forward at the brutally hard clap to his back, and when he met my gaze I just smiled innocently in return. That’s what he gets for earlier. Finally he just laughed and waved me off as we parted ways. After that it didn’t take long for me to find my way to the now familiar staircase up to the roof, taking them two at a time as I ventured up.
As soon as the sun hit my face a broad grin crossed it, probably the biggest one I’ve had today. Maybe it was Ryan’s influence but combined with the perfect weather? It certainly lifted my spirits. The company wasn’t too bad either, even if I never expected to find myself in the presence of these people. I learned quickly that cliques never mixed, which was a shame. After all there was so much more to everyone than just one aspect! Maybe someday I’d even get the courage to ask Izzy for help with English – so far I hadn’t worked up the nerve. If she didn’t think I was an idiot before then she certainly would afterward. Hell, maybe some day they’d all get to share each other’s company outside this windy woof. I’m sure Srah could explain her ‘tabletop’ games in a way that wouldn’t puzzle me, maybe I’d even go swimming with Ray, or sacrifice puppies with Jake!
Okay, maybe that last one is a little exaggerated. Really, some of the rumors spread between each clique are vicious. It was rather worrisome.
“No thanks,” I waved off Jake’s offer of a beer to go right to the edge of the roof, or at least as close as I could get without wandering eyes seeing me. Why anyone would be looking to the roof I have no idea, but it was better safe than sorry. Feeling right at home I began to stretch my arms above my head, cracking my back in the process. Being cramped into too-small desks all day made me stiff.
It wasn’t long before everyone had congregated in our little hangout, a somewhat rare occasion. How often could we all be here after all? Usually I was absent quite a bit just on my own – practice was demanding. I finally turned around to look to my unusual compatriots, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans and tuning in to the conversation only to brighten visibly. I had to bite the inside of my cheek not to just burst into the conversation and completely domineer it with talking about how fun dances were. Well, aside from the awkward little aspect of dating in my respect. Then again Sarah seemed to be in the same boat.
“I could take you Sarah,” I mused out-loud, just to laugh and rub the back of my head. “I mean, I’m usually considered one of the guys anyway.” Ah yes, the usual half-hearted back-tracking of that certain aspect with a joke. ’Secret’ indeed.
I never did get an answer though, as a foreign girl basically stumbled into our little gathering. Well then.
Despite knowing it was rude I couldn’t help but run my eyes over the girl’s frame in that tense moment of silence after her first entrance, where she didn’t even seem to see us. Just leaned against the door and slid down. She certainly wasn’t bad looking, but there was probably more pressing matters at the moment. Of course then Jake took the lead and offered her a beer once she noticed them.
Yes, excellent idea. Friendship is what kept us from revealing each other after all! Though, maybe not with a beer…
“No beers needed, though!” My accent still tumbled through my words lightly, even as I practically leapt to this foreign addition’s side. My hand slapped onto her back reminiscent of Ryan’s earlier, heedless of my own strength. “You’re welcome to stay! Fresh air, good company, what more could one want, eh comrade?” The last word, stereotypical as it was, was added on as a small joke. When I first came to this country Ryan used to tease me with it it long before we became friends – and afterward he still did, but in a much friendlier way.
Really, why couldn’t everyone in this school be that way? Maybe with less headbutting though.