Drop Dead.

“Jinx, why are you making me sit in the front?” Gel asks after we separate from Laker at school. “And why are you two avoiding one another?”

I shrug. “We just don’t get along.”

“You’re lying,” she huffs, crossing her arms angrily and kicking me in the shin.

I grunt. “Whatever, it’s none of your business.”

Gel frowns at my tone. I feel bad for snapping at her but it really isn’t her business. If I told her why, she’d go all girl on me and tell me that I like him and I should date him or something ridiculous like that. Just thinking about dating Laker makes me shiver, in a good way.

I reach my locker and get what is needed for first period. When I turn around I nearly have a heart attack because Louie is standing there, towering over me. I shove him away and growl, “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry, shortie,” Louie teases.

“Sorry for not being a freak of nature like you.” Louie is a freak. Apparently he’s 6’5”, which is just preposterous. There should not be guys that tall, makes me feel like a loser.

Louie and I have been getting along so we’ve been hanging out a bit during school. He’s the only person I really talk to beside Amy and Laker…well I should scratch Laker off that list since we haven’t talked since Saturday and it’s now Friday.

Louie knows not to ask about it. I’m not sure how but he does. The moment he saw me take his seat at lunch and force him to sit between Laker and I he knew something was up. All he did was give me a questioning look but said nothing. I’m thankful for that. He, unlike Laker, knows his boundaries.

Sadly, the girls don’t. They’ve been bugging me all the time, which is why I try my best to avoid them. Besides, they’re all pretty annoying. Amy is all right but more often than not she drives me up the wall.

Louie and I make it to first period. We take our seats and just as we do, my favorite person walks in, Reed. I growl, he glares, Louie chuckles.

“Shut up, Louie.” I kick him.

“Reed isn’t worth it man, ignore ‘em.”

“I hate his guts.”

“You hate everyone.”

I shrug. “I suppose…but I hate him more.”

“More than Laker?”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

Louie grins and sits back in his seat. Our teacher walks in, thankfully, and Reed walks to the opposite side of the room. That doesn’t keep me from glaring daggers into the back of his skull. If murder were legal…

I could always get Louie to help me hide the body.

“I’m not helping hide the body.”

“The hell?” I stare wide-eyed at the boy beside me who I swear could read minds.

“You were talking out loud dude,” he laughs, shaking his head at me.

I scowl and look away. For the rest of the day I try to pay attention to the teacher but it really doesn’t work so when lunch rolls around I’m somewhat relieved. Maybe lunch will get my mind off things?

Louie and I get in the lunch line. The two of us end up getting pizza. As we’re standing in line I look around the lunch room for no reason. It doesn’t take long for my eyes to land on a familiar head of brown. My eyes narrow when I see a small blonde girl sitting next to him in my Louie’s seat. She has her arms wrapped around his bicep. She’s leaning in way too close and giggling like she’s in love with every word he says. He’s smiling softly, like he’s actually enjoying her company.

“Who’s that?” I ask, nudging Louie so that he tears his eyes away from the pizza, which he has already started to eat before paying for it. After chewing and swallowing he replies.

“Brittany. She’s been after Laker since…fuck I don’t know…ninth grade maybe. Hot as hell but a total slut.”

“They look good together.” They do. She has beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes that could be mistaken for the sky. She has tan skin that actually works for her and straight white teeth. With her sitting next to him it actually looks like they’re a couple - and a good one.

“Mm, they do but Laker won’t go for her.”

“Why not?”

Brittany leans up and presses a kiss to Laker’s cheek. Without thinking I grip onto my tray a little too hard and it cracks. The shock causes me to drop everything to the floor, creating a huge mess. A few people laugh, Louie being one of them.

“Why do you care?” Louie asks, walking with me to get napkins and a mop to clean it up.

“I don’t,” I snap. “What makes you think I do?”

“Someone sounds a little jealous,” Louie teases. “But whatever man…he won’t go for her cause he likes someone.”

“Who?!” I swear I didn’t mean to shout it so angrily but I did. I ignore the odd stares coming from others and stare at Louie, who is grinning still.

“You’re jealous.”

“Fuck you.”

“I don’t think you’d enjoy me as much as you’d enjoy Laker.”

“Kill yourself, faggot.”

“A faggot calling someone a faggot isn’t an insult, faggot,” Louie laughs, grabbing some napkins and walking away from me.

He’s worse than Laker.