“Can’t you even apologize to us?” Hayley asks, her eyes rounding as she pouts.
I stare at them, my mouth falling open as I mumble whispered nothings.
Dominica’s eyes narrow at me. “What's wrong with you? Why can't you talk properly?”
Hayley huffs, averting her eyes. “She’s so frustrating.”
“Let’s just leave,” Leah says gruffly, turning away. “She can go back to sitting with all the guys.”
Hayley’s groan reverberates. “How does she pull that off? So many guys are drawn to her.”
Dominica smirks. “That’s the frustrating part.”
As the girls move away, Leah grumbles, “I bet she doesn’t see how lucky she is.”
My mouth hangs open. As the girls disappear toward their lunch table, it finally puffs out of me. “Lucky?”
One, why did they start talking about me like I wasn’t there? Two, are they jealous I hang out with guys?
A feeble excuse for laughter hums out of me. Now, that’s a joke. Do they think I can easily get a boyfriend? Oh, please!
Okay, so let’s recap. The Miss Perfects call me a tomboy loser who’ll never get a boyfriend. Now my soccer teammates are jealous because I’m friends with boys. How am I lucky to be constantly friend-zoned?
Alternatively, Christie thought I was dating Milo.Eww. Did she really think Milo was the best I could do? It’s because of him I missed training this morning and now my teammates hate me more than they already did.
Grrr! That’s it.
I stomp my feet, curl my hands into fists to the point they sting, and march toward my lunch table.
“I’m going to practice with you guys after school,” I blurt as I screech a chair out.
Kai jolts, dropping his sandwich. He looks up at me, asking, “What, like to watch?”
My eyes widen as I shake my head and plop down on the seat. “Nope. I’m doing drills with you.”
“All right,” Tyler cheers with a loud clap. “It’s been ages since we kicked the ball around with you.”
Kai’s eyebrows twitch as he leans in. “Didn’t your coach say you couldn’t touch a ball unless he was training you?”
I shrug. “Screw it.”
Tabitha leans around Kai. “Is it normal for a girl to play on the boys' team?”
I lean forward and scream at her, “Butt out!”
When a horrified look crosses her face, I sit back. But I almost slip off the side of the chair. Because I wasn’t leaning forward. My throat isn’t scratchy. Because I didn’t yell.
It was a very vivid daydream.
And now, as per usual, everyone is staring at me, wondering why I still haven’t spoken.
I slide on my chair, sitting properly, and thump my elbows on the table.
Kai nudges his lunch tray by me. “Hungry?”
When I reach for a fry, Tabitha clears her throat and says, “Ah, babe, I wasn’t done.”
A blush sweeps across Kai’s cheeks and his eyes vibrate like he’s making the hardest decision of his life. Keep the tray by his best friend or nudge it across to his girlfriend.
