Hello Carlo

Chapter 3

Scarlett

The cafeteria buzzed with students filling every crook and corner and voices masking my thoughts. It was only fifteen minutes into the one hour break and a queue was beginning to form when I slipped into the line. My eyes bounced around the whole place till they landed on April's table. It was the widest table with two tables joined to form one. They made it seem like it's purpose exceeded lunchtime.

Around it were April, the Edward twins, Ethan, Ryan and Yvonne. That made six of them in a clique and unfortunately for me, I would be the seventh joining them that afternoon. I was already acquainted with April and the Edward twins, Whitney and Maya. Ethan was the captain of the soccer team and I wouldn't say he won his way up there. His father was a popular soccer player and his son was trailing right behind him. He'd joined our school just a year ago and already made it to the top of the social chain, something only money and influence could do. Ryan, on the other hand was the captain of the swimming team and I would say he actually worked his way up there because he's been swimming for as long as I can remember. Yvonne was the head of the cheer leading team and she's not the nicest. Not since elementary school. So yeah, you can say it was a group for the best.

April and the Edward twins were just very influential on social media and everyone knew them even before they got transferred to this school. It's almost as if everyone was waiting to pour our attention on them even before they came.

My hands gripped the edges of the food tray and the one minute I acted like I was walking somewhere besides their table, I heard April call out to me. I have no way out basically and it couldn't be that bad, it's just something of twenty to thirty minutes. How bad could it be?

"Hi April" I said, taking my seat at the edge of the table. Everyone's eyes got fixed on me the moment I sat down and some were even smiling, one or two excessively. "Thanks for inviting me"

"You can always sit with us Scarlett, the invitation has been opened for you since" Whitney said, throwing me a wink.

"Scarlett Sky" Ryan began "Now becoming the school's sensation I see.

"I think you have the wrong Scarlett Sky, I'm just a_"

"Don't be shy" Yvonne piped in "Everyone literally knows about you now" She let out an awkward laugh and gave everyone else on the table aside me this look, almost like those eyes spoke more than they looked. I had the feeling something was up, I could just sense how wrong everything was "And your little shot at Carlo"

This can't possibly be going on right now, I'd been accused of this for the second time that day and I really needed an opportunity to explain this. I told April already, it's logical she already told her friends but even if she didn't, what's the fuss with this Carlo issue? It's not like anyone spoke about it before that day. Everyone segregated the boy like the odd one out and although he had quite the influence, no one spoke of him. You would hardly even hear a rumor about him.

"Not now Yvonne" April said, throwing her a glare from her side of the table.

"Why not now?" I asked, not caring what would happen after. I never really liked Yvonne to begin with, her reign as cheer leading captain was the worst over the years and countless thing I'd heard and seen her do. I'd seen her spill food all over a guy, pull dumb pranks on people and move from person to person like a flu. Yet, there she was questioning my acquaintance with Carlo.

"Well, we have other important things to discuss about, like the wedding which we will all be attending, right guys?"

Ah, I see what it's all about. For one, these kids didn't like me at all and the fact Carlo was my partner was an even bigger problem. They didn't give two cents about me, all they wanted was an invitation to a celebrity wedding cause that's what people like them do. Anything for the gram.

If it was in a different situation and I was a different person, I could have pudding on my head now with flashes of camera and my locker vandalized the next day. It's funny how money and influence had saved me from all of that but something bit inside. The feeling that even after I thought being in the right place in society would put me in a good societal position, I was just mistaken cause everyone's fake.

"For the record, Carlo is my Biology partner, one you would have known if your starfish brained self brought yourself to class and second, none of you will ever get an invitation to my sister's wedding. It's a VIP only wedding not for fake snobs"

That was the most I'd ever said in my entire life and I didn't even know how I could say such words and to these people. These were the same people I always looked up to back in junior year cause I thought they had the perfect friendship and that was the only thing lacking in my life. First, because my looks weren't enough to make me have friends and second, because I couldn't maintain a good conversation with anyone.

I wasn't angry, I was hurt but my words had drawn daggers and April looked like she was about to pop. She slammed her hands on the table, gaining attention from everyone in the room and walked away with a few trailing behind her. My eyes went round the whole place, that was the first time I'd gotten so much attention from people. My gaze landed on Carlo who sat alone at the corner. His eyes left mine the moment they met and it was such a short connection but it gave me shivers.

"Well, that escalated quickly" Ryan laughed.

"She's your girlfriend, you're supposed to follow her" Maya said, giving him a push at the side. The player laughed his way out of the cafeteria like what happened was a joke. Well, I wouldn't expect more.

"You're literally so lucky April even invited you to come sit with us"

"And I'm delighted" I said, standing up to take my leave before someone decides the pudding would look good on my shirt, these people were as brainless as they were unpredictable. "Please do not invite me to sit with you again, just as I wouldn't be inviting you to the wedding"

I couldn't wait to pour all of the out to Kiara but unfortunately I'd be alone for the next few days and there wasn't really anyone to talk to besides the Guardian, Nana. This is the reason why Kiara always complained at times that I didn't talk much about school or my life. By the time she's back, it's too late to even talk about anything and before I know it, she's out again.

I walked out of the cafeteria with eyes trailing and whispers in every corner. There were always whispers, gossip at every crook and corner, rumors to share, something to talk about cause apparently, this society only delights in the matters of others as an excuse to ignore the torment of theirs.

There's always been whispers since my sister met her fiancee, whispers I was gold digger and so is my sister, whispers I moved out of my parent's to move in with my sister, whispers I live in a bigger house, whispers my sister's getting married and now she's suddenly not a gold digger anymore just because her surname's going to be different. The truth is, there will always be something to say and with matters now revolving around my family, there will always be a trending topic with my name in it.

"Nice of you to speak up for yourself, didn't tag you as one to be so confident." Ethan stood behind me, now away from his other friends. I realized he was almost entirely quiet throughout the little time I spent at their table. I couldn't remember a word from him, he was on his own throughout the whole ordeal and there he was, yet again, standing behind me with a smile on his face.

I didn't know what to say or a proper response. I'd made it away from the crowd at the cafeteria and I didn't want to speak with anyone at all but it looked like a conversation would be one I wouldn't be able to ignore.

"Are you here for the invitation?"

"No, I don't care about an invitation to your sister's wedding. I'm not even interested in stuff like that, that was April's idea"

"Then what are you here for?"

"Not everyone you meet wants something from you, some of us are actually nice"

"Really? Prove it"

"Well" He paused "I know a nice coffee place"