"So you must be the new student. Care for me to show you how things work around here in the lunchroom? You", directing herself to me, "are free to leave."

"Oh I'd love to." Then this entitled prick held my hand. I immediately tried to get her attention to tell him to get off but she sighed and assumed we were dating. Immediately once we got into the cafeteria, she went on and on about gym class athletes, drug baron wannabes, douchebags who wanna be trendy, the cool people that can vibe with anyone but doesn't stick to one group, and the chill people that just tried to graduate and stayed away from the drama, and other things I could care less about. But as people started quickly filling up the cafeteria, my daydream completely fell apart right in front of me.

When the fudge, oh sorry, I'm not one of those teens that puts the f word 10 times in one sentence, deal with it. Anyways, when the fudge did this school get a tour guide about the dumb cliques that form and push people away? It's been two months since school started, but people can figure it out in two days. Shouldn't a victim of that like me be a better guide? Whatever, here we go.

I tried to elbow him several times in the chest but it didn't work. Yet people were clearly seeing me struggle and no one was bothering to help. Like what the heck? Eventually I struck a nerve but as we kept walking, the girls from class offered me to sit with them. And I wasn't quite okay with that. They never really talked to me. We sat, rather he sat me down to the edge of the bench with the space. Oddly enough, Sydney and Abigail were there too. Come to think of it,while Sydney would be around that group in my class, Abigail tended to stay away from that.

"So, Siya, and um, Jace right? Only one day and you two are hooking up?" I think her name was Cora, usually I'm guessing was in the middle of the gossip. I don't really hate her, but if you're leaving me out of conversations even when I go up to you to ask you as basic as a study question, then you obviously don't care about me. Why not?

"Absolutely not."

"She's playing hard to get."

They're not seriously going to buy this, are they?

"I didn't know that's how you played."

"The hell does that mean?"

"I mean", another classmate, Cora asks, "you're always looking at us, so I kinda assumed something else."

Huh, I didn't see that coming. "So, that's a bad thing? I'm not but it would be a problem if I was?"

Awkward silences hit the whole table. Amigas, okay, you aren't my friends, but it's 2019, y'all still doing this?

To break the tension, Sydney asked Jace where he was from, but he kept giving these vague answers: not too far from here, new family, distant relatives, being a ladies man, some accident, I honestly could care less.

My face said it all, but my tummy began roaring. I'm hungry darnit. I got up to get food for myself when Jace stopped me, telling them, "oh I generously offer my pale packs to deliver her this decently good lunch delicacies." I would have laughed if he wasn't treating me like a piece of meat and tried to shove him aside.

"How romantic."

"I don't like him. He's like uber possessive."

"You've just haven't had much experience with guys."

Okay, that part was true, but kind of unnecessary.

"Look thanks, but I'm not interested. He's creepy."

"Are you interested in someone else then? I saw you checking out the guys in class", another one jumped in. That wasn't...okay, somewhat true, but 1 out of 20 is not 100%, and my face was desperately trying to avoid blushing and focus more on their stupidity, and I can't believe I was thinking that.

"I'll take him off your hands."

"Just stay away from him. He's-"

"Yours, girl, we totally get it."

"No he's dangerous."

"That's my type of guy."

I can't tell them that he's a vampire but honestly I need a cure for idiocy, who would want to date this toxic pale piece of crap.

"I'm not interested, you'd want someone to just push you around and expect you to follow them. That's not cute, that's creepy."

Jace returned and sat down, probably not hearing anything between us. I grabbed the tray and before I could eat, I noticed something.

"Ohh garlic sauce." I grabbed it and put it between us, but Jace etched away.

"What's the matter Jace? It's just garlic sauce."

Just to make sure, I handed him a piece of garlic but once the words processed from the whispering my ears were silently catching on to, I split my attention to both sides of the table. Might as well say what's been on my own.

"By the way, have I done anything wrong to any of you since school started? I've just been trying to just be chill and do what I gotta do, but everyone's been so distant. It just feels kinda odd, so can y'all let me know."

Abigail lit up, but the rest of the girls were scrambling for what to say.

"Yeah, we'd talk to you more but you're so hard to understand. Like you're so different."

"You're just really hard to talk to. Like you should speak to us more and maybe we might listen."

What the?

"Is that, what you all think of me?"

I stood up, getting to leave.

"Siya, wait."

Jace complied with their concerns, but I just wanted to stick a stake into his body and end it.

"Get your hands off of me."

I threw my lunch tray straight in his face much to the surprise of everyone. That didn't stop him, and I knew he was going to follow me immediately

Channeling all the rage into my hand I swung my him hard across the face and ran off.

He gets up and comes after me, and honestly, I didn't care what happens next as I roundhouse him in the face, grab someone's lunch, eat a burger, and toss the tray on the floor, knowing he would come after me. He trips on it as one of the teachers there notices and knocks his head on one of the pillars. The entire lunchroom went silent, all eyes on me and I could care less. Without context, it could look really cool or really bad for me, and immediately , the teacher called me out.

"To the principal's office, I know!"

Someone called my name, but I just flip my hair and storm out. I look back to see Jace's face contorting into a devilish smile from a horror movie trailer, but I twist back and continue my walk. He's not about to take over my life.