Keeping Up With Cade

Chapter Eighteen: Just smile and walk away

Chapter eighteen.

After what felt like an amazingly long weekend, Blair found herself back at school approaching their final semester and exams fast. She briefly wondered how on earth she'd been so unfocused the last few weeks. She'd promised herself by this time of the year she'd have an airtight study plan that would map out her final months at school.

Unfortunately all she had now was a ridiculous situation with a certain sullen boy whom she lived with...and a best friend who she was keeping a huge secret from.

Blair made the decision right then to start focusing on her studies again. She'd always said she wasn't one of those girls who dropped everything for a guy. She'd made fun of those girls, how silly they were screwing up their education for someone who would statistically disappear from their lives as soon as they started university.

Plus it had already happened to her once with Noah, she was only glad it happened in a year where the exams had no impact on her future. This was her final year and no one was going to ruin it for her.

'I'll catch you later B,' Hailey said with a wave as she headed off to her first class leaving Blair standing at her locker trying to remember her timetable.

'Yeah B, I'll catch you later,' Cade said from behind her mocking Hailey in a high-pitched tone.

Blair turned around rolling her eyes at him, 'Oh very mature.'

'Why does she call you that? It's not like it's hard to say Blair, it's only one syllable?' Cade leant against the locker next to Blair's seeming interested.

'It's stupid, don't worry about it,' Blair dismissed him taking out her math book and tucking it under her arm.

'No, I want to know. It's so lame, I'm sure it has an equally lame story behind it,' Cade smirked at her.

Blair raised an eyebrow, 'Ok if you really want to know, I had a little trouble when I was younger pronouncing my name and spelling it...' She trailed off watching his face for reaction, 'I called myself B for years, thanks to my parents giving me such a hard-to-pronounce name for a kid with speech difficulties.'

Cade eyed her for a minute as though not sure if she was winding him up, when he was satisfied she was telling the truth he burst into laughter. 'Oh man you're being serious! That is hilarious.'

Blair was tempted to frown and be annoyed at him again for making fun of her and for the sake if it, but she could see the funny side of it. She found herself giggling along with him, 'Oh shut up Cade, I was young!' But she was smiling at him.

'I'll see you later B,' he winked at her and headed off down the hallway.

Blair tried to wipe the stupid smile off her face as she made her way to her next class but someone crashed into her from the side causing her to bump into some lockers.

'Hey Blair.'

Blair turned her head when she heard the sickly sweet voice of Lacy.

'What do you want Lacy?' Blair didn't actually care but she thought it might be easier than trying to just walk away.

'You and Cade seemed pretty cosy just then, what was that all about?' She demanded, even putting her hands on her hips causing Blair to roll her eyes in disbelief.

'Cade and I are not cosy,' She replied with disdain. 'But even if we were, what does that have to do with you? Would you try and steal him too?'

Lacy laughed coldly, 'Still upset about that? You need to get over it loser, you never had a chance with Noah once I decided he was mine.'