22 Flashback 5 (1/2)

April 30th 2013; 12:03pm

”Guys, wait up!” I yelled, placing my bag over my shoulders before slamming my locker shut.

Angel and Rain slowed down and turned around to wait for me, laughing at some shared joke. Rain pushed the red curls that fell exasperatingly onto her face behind her ears and placed her hands on her hips, glancing at Angel with a giggle.

Angel explained something then burst out laughing, leaning on the locker closest to her for support as she bent over and placed her hands on her knees

I walked hastily towards my best friends, pulling down the annoying blue blouse that had been riding up my belly all day, and ran a hand through my blonde curls. I slowed as I neared Angel and Rain, who were bent over in laughter.

”…you should have been there, Rain it was awesome” Angel said as she wiped a few stray tears from her cheek. I smiled and pulled the blouse down once more before crossing my arms over my chest.

”What are you guys talking about?” I said as they linked their arms through mine and we walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria.

”Angel was just telling me about Diana and Hillary's fight in the bathroom” Rain said as she turned to look at Angel, a laugh threatening to burst from her.

”It was epic” Angel said as she chuckled once more, before running her left hand through her hair.

Today, she had gone for an 'Elena' look as she called it, Elena being the character on the television series ”The Vampire Diaries” which was also one of our favorite TV series of all time. I giggled as we walked through the doors of the cafeteria and walked towards the line to get our lunch.

”Hey guys,” Sydney, a shy girl in the grade below us, murmured as we approached the line. I smiled at her and ran my hands through my hair again, placing my left hand on my waist.

”Hey Sydney” I said as the line moved forward slightly. My friends did the same, waving at her before launching into conversation once more. Sydney blushed and turned towards the cook, who had asked her what she would like to get.

”Hey Claire,” the three of us greeted the cook as we stretched out our trays for lunch. Claire smiled and placed servings of lasagna on our plate, before waving as we walked away.

I grabbed a bottle of ginger ale and trailed my friends to our usual table that was smack in the center of the cafeteria. We placed our trays on the table and sat down, and then I turned to Angel who seemed to have the scoop on what had gone down between Hillary and Diana.

”I was just re-applying my make-up in front of the bathroom mirror. Hillary came out of one of the stalls and started making conversation with me…” I looked around the cafeteria as Angel explained, hoping I would spot Hillary. She had become one of our friends and I had to make sure she was okay.

”So Diana walks in with her friend, you know Chloe, and she's bragging so loud about how she hooked up with Darrel last week at Alex's party”

I dragged my gaze back to Angel in shock, and she nodded eagerly, glancing briefly at Rain who was smiling at Angel's enthusiastic behavior ”I know poor Hillary. Anyway…”

Hillary Swan was a new transfer student that had resumed at Moundville High almost four months ago; I had been assigned by the Principal to show her around and that was how we had become friends. A week later, we had gone to hang out at a barbeque hosted by the football team at Justin Hall's place and that's where she met Darrel, who was a wide receiver on the team. A few days later, he asked her out and they had been dating ever since. I just didn't understand why Darrel had done it because I was pretty sure he liked her. Or at least, I thought he did.

Diana on the other hand had a reputation for stealing other people's boyfriends. Rain blamed it on her ridiculously large boob job and wiggly bum.

”Then Hillary starts full out yelling at Diana that she's a slut and that's why no one never wanted to date her and that they all just want to sleep with her,” Angel is doing this crazy and dramatic hand movements with her hands ”so Diana gets so angry and pushes Hillary who stumbled into me. The whole time, I'm just standing there in shock right?”

”Why didn't you stop them?” Rain asked, as she placed a piece of lasagna in her mouth and glanced up at Angel. Angel wiggled her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest in defense.

”Well, I didn't know I had to! It was just a push and I didn't see what happened next coming” she jutted out her chin and took a quick sip of water.

”What happened?” I asked as I cut into the pasta with the plastic knife. Angel smiled and turned towards me, putting the cap back on her bottle of water.

”Well, Hillary flung herself at Diana and knocked her down,” Angel smiled and placed a piece of lasagna in her mouth ”I started laughing then”

”You could have stopped them then,” Rain said matter-of-factly and Angel rolled her eyes at Rain, completely ignoring her remark.

”Diana looked completely hopeless but Hillary just kept throwing punches. I'm not sure who told but Miss Ratzinger burst in then and split them up” Angel said as she gulped down her water ”I say Hillary should have thrown more punches.”

I laughed and shook my head, before cutting into another piece of lasagna

”Who should have thrown more punches?” a voice asked then and I swallowed, glancing up just as Alexander Morris placed his lips on mine.

I smiled into the kiss and returned it.

”Hey guys, eating here” Rain said, scrunching up her nose as she sipped her chocolate milk. I rolled my eyes and pulled away from Alex, before sticking my tongue out at Rain.

”Hey,” he said as Angel made space for him next to me. He sat down and placed his tray on the table. He turned to me and poked my dimple, causing my smile to stretch even wider.

”Who missed me?” a very infuriating voice said, causing my smile to falter slightly. I glanced up and stared as Justin Hall, as well as all the other guys on the football team, a.k.a. my friends approached the table.

”How about no one?” Angel said, rolling her eyes and placing a forkful of her lunch in her mouth to keep herself from throwing insults at Justin. Ever since his party the weekend she had moved here, she had detested him. Especially after he spread the rumor that she put out for anyone and everyone.

”I know you, if not anyone else, missed me the most” Justin said, placing his tray next to Angel's and taking the seat next to her. He placed his arm around her waist and snuggled his face into her neck.

”Eww, get the hell away from me Hall, or I swear I'll make you up with this pasta sauce” Angel threatened, her face going red with frustration as she shoved Justin's arm away from her.

”The day both of you confess your undying love to each other, I would not be surprised” Tony, the team's center, said with a wide smile as he placed an entire brownie into his mouth. Angel looked at him in disgust and sighed irritably.

”Don't even joke,” her voice was low and threatening, causing the rest of us to snigger, Justin smiling at her in amusement.

Alex placed his hand around my shoulders and I shifted closer, intertwining my fingers with the hand that was draped over me.

I placed another piece of lasagna, glancing at Angel who had moved across me to get away from Justin, but he had just followed her.

”Where's Lolita?” her boyfriend Shane asked me as he approached the table, his bag hung loosely over his right shoulder.

Rain shrugged and nudged her head in my direction ”Ask Shay”

”I think she's on the track” I said with a shrug and rolled my eyes as he glanced at me, shooting me a pleading look.

”Thanks,” he said, a grateful smile on his lips as he turned and strode out of the cafeteria. Alex smiled and bumped me gently.