11

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Warnings: mild cursing.

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Caleb Chartier

I stepped into the lunchroom and was so close to yelling. Kane wouldn't back the fuck away from me.

"Quit following me!" I angrily shouted, glaring back at him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he grinned down at me.

"Did you say something, midget? Can't hear you from all the way up here." Kane said, raising a brow. I was about to wax his brow off and punch him in the face if he didn't shut up.

After Spanish, Kane just randomly started following me towards the lunchroom. I hadn't thought anything of it, assuming he was just also heading towards the lunchroom. But, with every step I took, he took it too. He even tried making small talk and a conversation but I brushed him off. I did not want to talk with Kane of all people.

Gosh, I was so gonna tell Grace this at lunch.

It took me a second. Right. She's not here.

She recently hadn't been texting me and whenever I try to talk to her, she ghosts me. I haven't thought anything of it until now. Something was going on with Grace and I was too much of an idiot to notice. I guess Kane saw the sheer regret in eyes eyes and made a comment.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning down towards me.

"Nothing." I said.

"You looked like you just realized something important though. What was it?"

"Nothing." I said again.

"But you really looked conflicted. Cmon Caleb, tell me."

"It's nothing!"

"Really though?"

"Yes, really."

"Aw come on tell me." Kane prodded.

"Okay fine! If I tell you will you shut the fuck up?!" I angrily asked. I wasn't big on swearing and only ever did it when necessaryl but Kane was bringing out the worst in me.

"I will." Kane confirmed, sealing his mouth shut in a zipper motion.

"Fine it's just my friend. I'm just having problems with her, okay?"

Kane paused for a moment. "Is it that curly haired girl? I usually see her with you all the time, but she hasn't been around." he asked.

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah. Spot on. Hooray.."

"Why don't you just try talking to her?"

"Are you an idiot? I've already tried but she's just avoiding me!"

"Have you tried asking her why she's avoiding you? Have you tried apologizing?" Kane asked. I paused for a second. First off, no I haven't. And secondly, what should I apologize for? It's not like I'd done anything wrong to her. I never said anything mean, laid a finger on her or made fun of her!

And that's when it hit me. Grace had said something at the party but I was too busy drinking to hear. I hated how Kane actually gave me good advice. Fucking stupid Kane.

Kane noticed my silence and spoke up. "How about you give me your phone number?" he asked, leaning a bit closer to me that I could feel his shirt against mine.

"First off, back off! And no— I will never give my number to you!"

Kane pouted. "Please? I promise I won't annoy you anymore." And if it wasn't Kane, I would've not given in. But seeing the Kane pout was just too overwhelming to even move let alone think.

"I—I.. fine! Just leave me alone after this! I don't think I can take seeing your face another day." I pulled out my phone and Kane pulled out his. We made sure to turn away from the lunch ladies so they didn't put our phone in the office.

He peaked at my contacts.

"What kind of name is Glint?" Kane asked. I pulled my phone away.

"Don't look at my contacts!" I exclaimed. I forgot that Glint could be watching us. Watching my every move— judging me. Probably making it something nasty and sexual. He seemed like that kind of stalker.

"Damn whatever, just give me your number." Kane said, pulling me by my wrist. His hands were surprisingly soft and someone who looked so.. hard and cold. I found out he also played football too and was thinking of going into engineering. How could someone like that have soft hands?

I pushed my phone towards him reluctantly. He typed in his number and added him to my contacts. I did the same to his phone.

"I'll be texting you Caleb." Kane said, wiggling his phone in the air as he walked away to his friend group. In my opinion, his friend group was massive and filled with a bunch of jocks and pretty-boys. There was a mix of drug-dealers in there too.

No one like me though. It made me realize how much I didn't fit into anything. Not even my own family was willing to accept me. And the one person was Grace. I pushed her away.

Who knew what Kane found interesting in me anyway. Maybe he found it odd that I didn't act how I looked. I was sure he'd throw me away after finding out who I truly was: a self sabotaging, useless excuse of a man (if you could even count me as one).

It was only seconds later that Sam approached me, immediately asking me a question.

"Why were you with Kane?" he asked, too suddenly— to precise.

"What?"

"Why were you with Kane?" he asked again, this time louder.

"Jeez why do you sound so pushy.." I muttered.

Sam pulled at my sleeve. "Cmon Caleb im not playing."

I sighed. "It was nothing. He just followed me all the way here."

Sam nodded and dropped my sleeve down.

"You shouldn't go near him. He hangs out with bad people and just gives me the creeps."

I raised a brow. "But you hang out with him."

"And you're not me." Sam said, leaving no room for argument.

I was taken aback. Why was he so pressed? All I did was talk to Kane for a bit.

"Okay.. good to know." I said, taking my tray and walking the other way.

"And I think you should know that me and Kane— we aren't friends." I clearly stated. I hope Sam heard me because he was acting like me being friends with Kane was the worst thing in the world.

I couldn't help but agree.

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Sam and Kane.. hmmm..

QUESTION: Why do you think Sam said that? 💬🫣

Thanks for reading up the the 11th chapter! I'm so happy to have made it this far with whatever reader is reading this now. I know my story may not be popular (currently at 56 reads), but I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Who knows, maybe I'll come back years later and read my own writing.

Don't give up guys and keep on going!

Words: 1138