Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 4-

The lunchroom was full of food and friends.

There were tables that specific seniors chose to declare. At the beginning of the year, seniors went in the lunch room and picked them out. But it was on a first-come-first-serve basis. Charlie got a good table, one that wasn’t near the garbage cans, and it was right next to the soda fountain.

Seniors that didn’t pick a table could sit wherever. But the Juniors and lower had to ask the main person of that table if they could sit there.

When I went to lunch that day, I didn’t ask Charlie, I just sat right down. He tried to make a big fuss about it, but I shushed him and ate my chicken.

Today, I went to the sub-station and got myself a 6 inch meatball sub. Yum.

I walked to the table and Charlie was already there, with a guy I didn’t recognize. Probably a new senior getting in on our awesome football team before he goes off to college.

“Hey,” I said as I sat down next to Charlie. The new guy was staring at me.

“Tiana, this is Arizona Lewis, he just transferred from Lakeview,” Charlie introduced.

I smiled politely. “Hey,” I said again.

He grinned. “Hey Miss Red,” he said and winked. I slightly blushed, but I don’t think it was noticeable because of all that makeup from this morning.

To my side I felt Charlie slightly tense. I looked around for some other conversation starter, and I saw Lamb storming over angrily.

“I swear, Mr. Brody is going to get my foot up his ass,” She exhaled angrily.

I laughed. “Why?”

“He told me to take off my hat, so I said, ‘Why Mr. Brody? It’s an original!’ and then he said I was sassing him, and I said I wasn’t, and then he gave me detention.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I almost got detention this morning, but I purposely ‘sassed’ him, you did it because you were lost in your fashion.”

She rolled her eyes and sat down next to Arizona. Arizona just stared at her like she was crazy.

She brushed her hair out of her face. “So, plans for today?”

Charlie took an intake of breath. “Well, there is supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight…” he said and looked at me.

I looked at him, and I felt Lamb’s eyes fall on me. “What?”

Lamb started bouncing up and down in her seat. “The lightning?!”

“Ohhh!” I said in recognition.

Arizona looked at us all confused. “Haha, uh, I’m lost?”

I explained. “Ever since we were little kids, Lamb, Charlie, and I would go on my back patio and watch the lightning. We have a cover area, so it’s all safe.”

He nodded. “Cool… mind if I join? I like lightning.”

I looked at Charlie, who rolled his eyes clearly not liking Arizona as much as he did before I sat down, and Lamb, who was inspecting her fingernails.

“Uh, sure I guess,” I said and wrote down my address on his arm in Sharpie. “Don’t lose that,” I said playfully. “Oh and here,” I wrote down my phone number on his hand.

He smiled. “What time? Is 7 ok?”

“Come around 7, and the rest depends on when Mother Nature is making her strike,” I said.

He nodded. “The line’s died down at the sandwich place, I’m going to go get one, and I’ll be back.”

Once he left, Charlie finally looked at me. “What?” I asked.

“Why did you say yes to him coming over tonight?” he asked. “It should be just the originals.”

Lamb popped up. “I don’t really mind, he was kind of hot,” she stated, and I agreed.

Charlie’s face was annoyed. “Whatever man,” he said.

The bell rang, and the lunchroom started to empty. Arizona came back with a sandwich and said, “Oh… I guess I’ll see you guys later?”

Walking out of the lunchroom, Charlie grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side.

“What?!” I almost yelled.

“You don’t even know that guy! And you’re inviting him to your house?”

“You know, if I never met him, you two would be best friends. You just don’t like him because I met him, and it looks like he likes me.”

He hesitated. “That is not… true.”

I tapped my foot, growing impatient. “You know it’s true. And if I’m late for class, I will kick your butt.”

Charlie’s attitude switched to humorous in almost an instant. He playfully put his butt up in the air. “Go ahead!”

Laughing, I pushed his butt, and he fell forward and landed on his face. I quickly walked away before he could get up and catch me.

-*-*-

At 3:00, school let out. Usually, Lamb, Charlie, and I met up, but today, it was just me and Charlie since Mr. Brody gave Lamb detention.

But I, though, was going to be late.

Walking down the hallway, I ran into Ms. Graham.

“Tiana!” she stopped me. “Can you do me a favor?”

I said of course, I mean, who could say no to her?

She asked me to help prepare her class for tomorrow. Oh yeah, I got a sneak peek.

-*-*-

After setting up paints and arranging the class with Ms. Graham, it was 20 after 3. Charlie is going to be mad I kept him waiting!

I rushed out of the school, and got a clear view of Charlie’s car… and Charlie… talking to Arizona?

Charlie was laughing with his head back, and Arizona was smiling successfully for making Charlie laugh. It was usually him who cracked the jokes.

When I walked over there, I said, “Hey, you two! What are you talking about?”

Arizona was the one who answered. “We were talking about the size of his sister’s ego.”

I smacked him and Charlie on the arm. “That’s my best friend!”

Charlie was the next to say something. “But you know what we mean.”

“I ran into her in the hallway and she told me to back off and not ruin her hair or scuff her new shoes?” Arizona said.

I pondered for a moment. “Be nice to her, when you were getting a sandwich at lunch, she said you were hot,” I said and gave a little wink.

Arizona smiled, and said, “I don’t know if I want her to be the one saying that…”

I blushed, and was about to reply, but Charlie hastily interrupted. “Don’t worry, Arizona, I feel the same way!” he said and gave Arizona a bear hug.

“Hey!” Arizona yelled and laughed. I was on the hood of Charlie’s car laughing. Charlie let go of him and smirked, and Arizona said, “Ay, man, there is such a thing as personal space!”

Charlie winked at him. “We’ll continue later tonight.”

Arizona looked confused, but he let it go. He waved goodbye to me and started across the lot.

I climbed into the passenger side of Charlie’s car. He closed the door and started across the front to the driver’s side.

“Hey, I’m sorry I was late,” I said as he opened his door. He looked at me, then shrugged.

“I don’t care, in that 20 minutes, I got to know Arizona better. He’s a pretty cool guy, and I guess you were right earlier,” he said and turned he’s key in the ignition.

I crossed my arms, satisfied that he admitted to me being right.

We pulled out of the parking lot, and rain started to fall on the windshield.

“Oh wow, if it’s starting this early, it’s going to be pouring tonight,” I said and watched the rain land. “I hope Arizona finds and makes it to my house okay.”

Charlie glanced at me. “Don’t push it, I just started to like the guy 5 minutes ago.”

I rolled my eyes. “Keep your eyes on the road!” I scolded him.

“Relax, I’m certified in driving excellence.”

“Yeah right,” I said. I looked out the window, and I could barely see the street. The windshield wipers were going 90 to nothing, and th-

“CHARLIE LOOK OUT!!” I screamed, and he jerked the wheel to the right.