A Recipe for Disaster

[Anabelle’s POV]

I briskly walked down the nearly deserted hallway of Lutherville-Timonium Academy, fixing my skirt with one hand while trying to make it to my advanced Geometry class in time. I reached the door, making it inside just before the bell rang. I sighed in relief, adjusting my books in my arm and taking my seat in the 3rd row next to Jack Barakat. I brushed a strand of dirty blonde hair out of my face, taking out my homework. Jack bumped knees with me under the table, and I turned to him. He smiled and waved at me goofily.

"…Hi, Jack," I said quietly, laughing a bit. "Your voice any better now?" Jack laughed a little himself.

"Yeah, but still not good enough to sing at the show tomorrow," he whispered. "You’re coming, by the way. My best friend Alex is going to be there, and I really want you to meet him." I sighed, looking up and seeing Jack staring at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, I’ll go," I murmured. Jack beamed at me, his brown and blonde bangs flopping over his eyes.

"If we weren’t in class right now, I would totally jump up and down and squeal like a four year-old," he said, excitement lacing his voice. He went still for a moment, eyes widening.

"What? What’s wrong?" I asked.

"…I vibrated," he giggled. I literally face palmed; I sometimes doubted this boy’s sanity. He flipped open his phone under the table, checking the text. "Oh, it’s Alex. Speak of the devil." He quickly typed in a response, flipping his phone shut and sliding it into the front pocket of his uniform pants.

"You know, one of these days you’re going to get caught texting and get your phone taken away," I said, looking at him. He shrugged, tipping his set back slightly and putting his hands behind his head.

"Nah, I won’t," he said, a slight smirk on his face. "I’m a ninja at this kinda thing." He paused again for a minute before pulling his phone back out, beginning to type a reply just as the teacher came by to check their homework.

"Mr. Barakat," the teacher, Mr. Garrison, said, looking sternly at Jack. He looked up, still texting underneath the table.

"Yes, Mr. Garrison?" he asked, hitting ‘send’ and shutting his phone. Mr. Garrison held out his hand, clearing his throat.

"Phone," he said nonchalantly. Jack frowned, handing him his phone. "Thank you." The teacher moved along, checking other people’s homework.

"I hate to say it, but I told you so," I said, trying not to laugh. He glared at me, then down at the table.

"Fuck titty fuck."

--

At the end of class, Jack got his phone back with a warning from the teacher. I waited for him outside of the class, since we had to go to our organized lunch period next. He literally skipped out of the classroom, kissing his phone. I rolled my eyes as he flipped it open to read his missed texts, quickly replying to them all.

"You’re so attached to that phone," I said. "I only use my phone to occasionally text Izzy." Jack made a small gasp-like noise.

"I am not attached," he said. "I just have separation issues." I hit him in the back of the head, adjusting my books in my arm. "Ouch, what was that for?" He rubbed the back of his head, slightly glaring at me.

"For being an idiot," I said as we walked to our lockers. "That’s the same fucking thing.” His phone vibrated again, and he flipped it open, reading it, and then quickly replying. “What are you texting him about anyways?"

"Oh, he found someone to sing back up for him since I can’t do it still," he said, flipping it shut and sliding it back into his front pocket. I let out a small ‘oh’, opening my locker and shoving my books in there before shutting it again.

"Who is it?" I asked, leaning up against the locker.

"Well he said it was his, ‘totally bangin’ female bff’." I raised an eyebrow. "Her name’s Izzy. Izzy Brennan." I nodded, then my eyes widened. "What?"

"Oh, um, Izzy’s my best friend," I mumbled. "I haven’t seen her since before I transferred here, over the summer."

"Oh," he said. "Well, at least you’ll know more people than me. And soon, you’ll know Alex. You’d really like him, he’s really funny." I raised an eyebrow.

"Funnier than you?" I asked.

"Well," Jack started. "We’re about the same, but pretty much no one is funnier than the almighty Barakat." I shook my head.

"Let’s just go to lunch already."