Start a Revolution

"How is your project working out?" Lisa asks Drew as they sit down at their lunch table, her books dropping onto the wood surface loudly.

The shorter girl shrugs. "It's okay. We've only gotten together once and we barely did any working during that time. John was a pain in the ass." She rolls her eyes as she stretches her arms above her head, a yawn escaping her pink lips.

"Oh, is that what you think of me?"

Drew's eyes pop open at the cocky voice, her heart plummeting, but beating faster at the same time. She turns around in her chair quickly, a grimace that was trying to hide a smile appearing along her mouth. John struts over to the chair beside her, his lanky body settling in next to the younger girl. His friends Garrett and Kennedy join, the latter boy not-so-subtly choosing the chair next to Lisa.

"Actually, it is what I think of you, O'Callaghan," she retaliates, smirking a tad as she leans back in her seat. Usually, the sight of him would make the devil inside of her come out, but she suddenly felt comfortable with him sitting beside her.

John gasps, his eyes wide. "I can't believe it. I thought we were madly in love."

"Ha," Garrett snorts, his lips turning up into a snarky smirk. "You wish she was in love with you." John narrows his eyes at his best friend, but Drew didn't catch the hint.

"Oh, I know he does," the short girl replies, grinning. "He can't help but love me."

A flash of relief washes over John as he plays along, loosely hanging his arm off the back of her chair. "So true. Oh, Drew, what will I ever do without you in my life? But soft, through light what yonder window breaks. It is the East, and Drew-liet is the sun. I couldn't have said it any better."

Drew bursts out laughing, causing a smile to light up John's face. "Nice use of the quote," she commends, propping her feet up on the table. She noticed his arm was still around her chair. "I'm glad you're taking this assignment seriously."

"Only because I know you'll kill me if I don't."

The Hemingway girl giggles, agreeing.

Everyone at the lunch table goes into talking, discussing practically nothing important as they chatted, their free hour whizzing by. But then something caught Drew's ears.

At the table behind her, she could hear voices. And at the table beside her, she could hear even more voices. And the table in front of her, and in front of that, and beside that...what were they all saying? She looks around, many heads turning when they see her staring. Her eyebrows crinkle in worry. Are they talking about her?

"What's wrong?" John asks, immediately noticing her change in mood.

Drew swallows, glancing around. More heads turn away. Some girls even giggled when they caught her eye. "Everyone is staring," she mutters, flicking her eyes at the older boy momentarily. "I want to know why."

He looks around like her, indeed seeing the amount of people whispering and gazing over.

"It's because we're getting along," he answers, bringing his eyes back to the concerned girl beside him. He noticed the way her brows were pulled down. "And my arm is around you."

"It is?" she asks, looking down. "Oh. I forgot you'd put it there."

"It's because you were love-struck," Garrett cuts in, grinning widely and batting his eyelashes. "Girls tend to do that around John. He's dreamy." Garrett says this last sentence in falsetto, pouting his lips like a girl. John laughs, but shoves his friend's shoulder, silently telling him to not give anything way.

Drew just smiles, but shakes her head. "John could never love-strike me. I'm too used to his charm for that to happen." She winks up at the boy next to her, not knowing that that movement set his heart beating rapidly.

Kennedy smirks. "His charm? Yeah, because he's been using charm on your for the past seventeen years."

"Really?" Drew gasps fakely. "Hmm. I never would have guessed."

"Hey, I have charm!" John protests as everyone starts laughing. "I have more charm then Kennedy does. I mean, at least I can admit when I like a girl."

All four people turn on Kennedy as his cheeks turn a light shade of pink, his eyes averting. Lisa looked hopeful, a grin curling her lips. Garrett just rolls his eyes, stretching his arms over his head before resting them against the back of his neck. "I don't need a dame in my life," he drawls, "being single is the life, bitches."

John smirks. "Yeah, that's what you were saying last night when you were sobbing at Friends With Benefits." His arm moved closer to Drew's shoulders. She didn't object.

"Hey!" Garrett gasps. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Everyone shares another hearty laugh. As Drew opens her eyes as her giggles die down, she locks gaze with a person across the lunch room. He was sitting with his own friends, but she could see the way his face drooped at the sight of John's arm around her chair. She bites her bottom lip before hastily standing.

John sits forward instantly, almost as if to follow her suit and get to his feet. "Where are you going?" he asks. Garrett, Kennedy, and Lisa don't even pay attention, continuing their conversation about the new History project.

"Uhm," she flicks her eyes to Joey, then back again. "I need to speak with someone."

The older boy hesitates, but nods. It's not like he can just tell her what she can and can't do. "Okay." She nods back and trails over to where Joey was sitting.

John watched her go, his blood boiling when he sees her take a tentative seat next to Joey Rhimes. He and Joey have never seen eye to eye, and to find out he had been the one Drew dated back in the day just set his lungs on fire. He is nowhere near good enough for Drew Hemingway. Just the sight of her sitting and talking to him, no physical contact presenting itself, made John itch to hurt something.

He couldn't hear what they were discussing because they were too far away, but he was dying to know. So he stands up, claiming to have to pee, and walks over to a lunch line that was near the table Joey and Drew were at, grinning when he picks up on their conversation.

"...I'm sorry," she was saying, a frown alight in her voice. "I wasn't expecting you to admit that."

"I wasn't expecting to admit it either," Joey chuckles, John's skin prickling at the noise. "I didn't mean to tell you. I guess I was so...upset about what you told me about John. It just kind of came out."

"It was nice to hear," she grins. "And I know I still care for you. I mean..."

"What?" Joey asks, and John could hear the glint of hope in his tone.

"Maybe we could reconnect down the road," Drew grins and the eavesdropping boy had to turn at her voice, seeing her place her hand over Joey's. White hot anger bubbled inside of him. "But right now...I need time to collect my thoughts."

Joey nods, completely understanding. John hated that about him. "I get it. Just give me a call when you decide, right?" Drew giggles and nods.

Then she kissed his cheek.

John couldn't describe the flash of heat that went through him. Whether or not it was pain or anger or defiance...he couldn't explain what it was. All he knew was that the sight of Drew kissing another man just brought out the worst in him. But he used all of his willpower to shove that feeling to the back of his brain as he watches Drew stand up from her place, beginning her walk back to her original table.

The O'Callaghan boy takes a few moments to compose himself before he moves back to the table himself, his mind still picturing the way she had leaned forward, her small, delicate mouth pressing against Joey Rhimes disgusting face. Shivers ran along his spine.

"Where did you run off to, O'Callaghan?" Drew grins as he takes his previous seat, her expression portraying that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

John smiles, but he knew it was forced. "Had to pee. Couldn't hold it."

She nods, his brain releasing content when she thinks nothing of it. Even as they all slip back into a normal discussion, his brain wouldn't stop replaying that peck on the cheek.