CHAPTER 34: Discretion is clearly not her talent

The first thing that catches my eyes is the contrast between his dark, black shirt and the colorful booths. His long, bony fingers fiddle with his silver chain and his eyes are fixated on me surprisingly. Why the fuck is the whole gang here? I turn to look at Noel for some answers but his eyes avoid mine at all costs.

Will someone please translate this situation?

Stealing a gaze at Spencer, I walk hastily towards their booth.

"Hey! WHAT are you guys doing here?" I grit my teeth but smile pretentiously at the same time.

"It's milkshake time, isn't it Shawn?" Caleb's calm voice replies and he smirks at me. I glare at him and judging from all their faces, something doesn't seem right to me. There is no way this entire thing is a mere coincidence and that Caleb and company just decided to bring their asses here and sip on some stupid milkshakes.

Okay, not stupid. Apologies, Mr. Owner. Good heavenly milkshakes.

As much as I hate to harbor this particular feeling of relief upon seeing their faces, it still doesn't change the fact that Caleb is up to something. The constant smirks from him are a total giveaway to something for sure. I just can't place my finger on what exactly the reason could be for him popping up here totally uninvited. Coming here with Spencer was by fluke, all because of stupid Maddie. Not to sound mean or anything of the sort, but it felt good seeing Maddie and rest of the boys. Wait, what?

Maddie is here.

Of fucking course.

What the hell is she doing here despite her knowing that I was to come here with Spencer? In fact, Blake, Noel, and Shawn also knew about this.

Woah.

My doubts on them just quadrupled.

I realize everyone is waiting for me to speak while I just blanked out like an idiot. What the hell do I even do?

"Why don't you guys join us then? A small get-together right...? You don't mind, right Spencer...?" My voice drawls out and I almost slap myself for asking permission from a stranger.

Then again, a stranger I'm on a date with.

"Why would he mind? He's a friend, aren't you now, Spencer Gilbert?" I scrunch my eyebrows at Caleb's fake smiles at Spencer who looks like he would choose to be anywhere else but here. He sighs and takes a seat next to Noel who is seated next to where I'm standing. The rest of them move around the round booth, leaving a space next to Caleb.

Hell no.

No way I'm sitting inches away from the guy who makes me feel weird things all over my body.

I signal Maddie, who is in the middle, to scoot and I then sit next to Spencer. We exchange smiles and I see Caleb gripping his glass of chocolate milkshake tightly.

What...?

"So, Spencer, how was the game?"

I sigh annoyingly from within as Caleb starts talking.

"It was fun. Good game, you guys." I realize Spencer and I never ordered anything and just as I'm about to get away from the tension-filled space, Caleb interrupts me with a rather mortifying question.

"Summer, you enjoying your date?"

I so badly want to shove his glass down his fucking throat.

What the fuck is up with him?

Did someone spike his protein shake?

"Sure was until someone came along." His tough expression somehow falters at my sarcastic reply but Shawn's loud bang on the table averts my gaze.

"That was just rude, Summer Jones!"

"Well...we actually did ruin her date...technically," Maddie speaks up and looks at me guiltily.

"Technically, is it even a date? I mean, you guys just met a couple of hours ago." What is this boy playing at?!

"It definitely is. People still meet and instantly have a connection you know?" I feel Spencer's gaze scanning the side of my face but I keep my head hung low in ignorance.

Connection... I don't know about that.

"How cute. Connection. What kind of connection?"

I instantly look up, glaring icily at Caleb for the shenanigans he is currently pulling off that too at the wrong time, wrong place and definitely in front of the wrong people.

"Um...man, it's hard to explain that."

"Don't you have a girlfriend? I mean, you're the captain of your school's team after all. Sure cheerleaders are pining for you."

"Not everyone's like you, Caleb." My stupid motor mouth utters and the tension thickens as everyone becomes quiet. Caleb's eyes narrow at me and something flashes in his eyes. His jaw ticks and he leans back on the booth, his eyes staring out of the window longingly.

"Hey, Spencer, you didn't even order anything. Man, the milkshakes and ice creams here are to die for." Blake tells Spencer and I get up to let them all go to order. Caleb remains seated, his eyes still trying to telekinetically break the windowpane, and I signal Maddie to come with me. We stand and walk towards the central table where a beautiful vase of flowers sits and beneath it are different layers of various cupcakes on a sale. As much as my mouth told me to pounce and grab one, there were much worse things happening at the moment and I could not afford to be distracted.

"Would you care to explain what the hell is going on, Maddie?"

"Hello, I'm confused here too! I don't even know how we all ended up in the same place!" She whisper-screams at me, her dramatic face throwing on all kinds of expressions.

"What do you mean you don't know? Was I speaking Mandarin when I said this is the place I'll be coming with Spencer to? Or did I stutter?"

"Well, ...we weren't paying attention. Fine, sorry. It's our fault. Caleb and Noel suggested this place for a small group celebration before heading off for the party and we just tagged along."

Caleb and Noel.

Caleb and Noel.

Right.

Those two.

So, my supposed 'real' date was interrupted because of these two buffoons? Again, why?

"Noel knew I was coming here," I mumble to myself, trying my best to think of why these two would do this. And more so, why did that grey-eyed boy follow me all the way here?

"Are you even understanding any of this? I think Caleb is jealous." I gape at Maddie's ridiculous answer.

"Have you lost it?"

"Think about it. Why else would he come here on purpose and even go to the extent of provoking your date?"

"He's not my date!" I realize what I just said and stammer, "I mean...I...no...I didn't mean that...I don't like him, okay?!"

"See where you're at?" She points towards Spencer and then towards Caleb.

Discretion is clearly not her talent.

"What the hell should I do then?"

"Dump Spencer and then kiss the hell out of Caleb!" Maddie jumps excitedly and I gasp at her horrid answer, smacking her until she calms down.

"First of all, I'm not dumping Spencer because I'm not just dating him. I will just have to find a way to turn him down. And looking back at everything, this is all your fault!" I whisper and hit her again.

"Ow. Why you gotta be so mean? See, if you weren't here right now, you wouldn't have realized your feelings for Spencer and Caleb."

"What the fuck, Maddie? There are no feelings for either of them. Especially Caleb. None at all." I clarify and cross my arms across my chest, pursing my lips with determination over my answer. But even I know deep down, even if I don't like Caleb, there are still some strings that pull us together at times. Things that happen and are out of our hands. Unexplainable things.

"So you're saying Caleb being jealous doesn't matter to you...?" She drawls out as she picks up a cupcake and swipes a finger across the icing, licking it and winking at me. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Not at all, Maddie. Not...at all.

"Him being here doesn't matter to you?" I look at him and slowly shake my head. No...it doesn't matter whether he's here or not.

"Well, you know what?" Her chirpy voice brings my focus back on her and she smiles mischievously.

"What?"

"I think he does matter to you!" Before I could process what she said, a huge portion of the icing lands on my right cheek and Maddie runs towards the boys, giggling all the way.

"Bitch, you're dead to me." I debate running after her but I take a step back and instead walk to the washrooms in order to save myself from any further embarrassments.

I pass a few people seated on the booths, staring at me weirdly but since I don't really care about anything or anyone, I sassily walk in the ladies' washroom. The white walls are absolutely immaculate and reflect the dull light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. There is a full line of mirrors and sinks beneath them and three cubicles at the end. I start wiping the vanilla icing off my cheek with a tissue, barely controlling the shameless side of me from licking it off.

"Summer!"

I gasp and flinch at the deep voice reverberating through the walls, dropping my tissue on the floor and tightly gripping the sink counter. My heart continues beating even faster as I take in the disheveled look of Caleb Anderson breathing heavily and looking at me with a strange concern swimming in his stormy gray eyes.