The Art of Faking Straight

Chapter Two

         The bells ring every hour in our fine institution of lower learning, and after the third bell everyone is instantly more cheerful. Three rings means lunch, and lunch means no teachers, and who doesn't enjoy that?

         I have no idea why anyone would ever want to be a teacher, you spend the day with a group of students who either hate you or are kissing up to you for a good grade. I'm neither really, I don't hate the teachers, but I don't suck up for an good grade. If I want a good grade, I'll work to get it. That's where Jack and I differ, he hates all things authority, especially teachers, but he doesn't suck up. Though with grades like his, he probably should.

         Throwing my books into my locker takes seconds and then I walk off down the hall. As I make my way into the cafeteria the smell of overcooked meat hits me, and I know I won't be enjoying lunch today.

         I go and stand behind a short kid in a bright green shirt, and wait impatiently in line. I will admit I'm one of those guys that complain about unimportant things, but at least I have enough decency not to jump in front of everyone in line. When people do that it just pisses me off.

         "Hiya there," someone pipes up from behing me. Turning around slowly I spot the object of Jack's teenage lust, also known as Callie Hawkins.

         Terrific.

         "Uh hi."

         "You're Liam right?" she asks smiling wildly, her blue eyes are tinkling, and her blonde hair is flowing straight down her back, with a big cloth headband keeping it in place. She's wearing a skirt that shows too much skin, and a shirt that shows too much cleavage for a girl her age. Just looking at her makes me feel like a pedophile, how could Jack bare to actually get involved with her?

         She has big breasts and a lack of enough brain cells to know to run far away from him, that's probably how.

         "Yeah I am," I mumble as I turn back around to keep my spot in line. Why are lunch lines so long? I've never understood how it could even possibly be difficult to have the lunch ladies toss some sloppy food on your plate, yet it takes so long to get to the front.

         "Have you seen Jack around anywhere? I heard you two associate with each other or something," Callie says.

         "Yeah, I've seen him," I say as I watch the biggest slab of what is supposed to be meatloaf gets tossed onto my plate.

         "Well do you mind mentioning where?" she asks sweetly as she too grabs her own plate.

         "School," I say nonchalantly, because Jack cannot mess around with her. That'll only cause trouble for the both of us. Him for talking to her again, and me simply by association. Jack may be an idiot, but I can't not try to stop my oldest friend from getting in trouble. Especially with the law since it could potentially ruin his football scholarship and he needs that if he plans on ever getting anywhere. I won't let that happen to him, without that scholarship he's doomed to live with his mother for the rest of his miserable life.

         "Obviously, I just want to know where exactly," she says getting bitter. Her facade falls and I realize that she must be as annoyed with me already, as I am with her.

         "Look, he doesn't really need to be seen with you right now. Blabbing to your brothers about whatever the hell you two were doing was probably the end of whatever 'it' was."

         I realize too late that I probably shouldn't have said anything because as soon as the words leave my mouth her face turns red and I can't tell whether she's going to scream or cry. Luckily for me she doesn't choose the latter.