Julie's pov:

I block out the teachers voice as I nervously but angrily scribble random things on the back of my homework.

Today out of all days.

Seriously!

I always listen to what others have to say...

Mostly.

I have been a good person......

Kinda.

I be the best person I can be......?

Ehh...

I am not lazy?

... I don't want to talk about it.

I got a text from Gianna saying that her parents surprised her with a trip to her Aunts house, which is a beach house, for the next couple days because her dad suddenly got vacation days from work.

Couple days I tell you!!

How will I survive?!

Now I have to find someone to talk to in all my classes, plus having to find somewhere to sit at lunch.

It's hard being a lonely, awkward potato, it really is.

I don't know how I survived this long.

When the bell goes off, I make a loud sigh as it was now lunch time.

I stand in the hallway for a little bit and wait for everyone else to head into the cafeteria before I eventually enter.

Library? Do you think they accept food in there.

I can't deal with insane librarian people, I really can't.

Not again.

I head into the long line and wait behind a small group of freshman girls.

Woah, having friends...

I clearly wouldn't know.

While I'm waiting, and definitely not listening to their conversation...

Because like, who does that?

Heh...

I look around the cafeteria for a place to sit.

I mean, you would think that it doesn't matter where you sit, but from experience, it does matter.

You sit in someone's seat, you are instantly their enemy.

You might have the reputation of being the sweetest person alive, but if you sit in someone's seat...

Well, you're a heartless monster to them.

I can't even possibly make these things up.

People are so petty these days.

I don't even realize the line has moved up until I am shoved forward by someone.

Or something.

...

You didn't hear it from me.

I look over to see the face of Samantha smirking.

I tried my best to be nice to her, I honestly did, but how she is treating Luke just disgusts me.

Obviously Zander and Jake know, maybe Damien, but sometimes Ashton can be as blind as a..

As a...

Blind thing.

...

A bat Julie.

A bat.

"Sorry, you were moving a little.. slow." Samantha says sarcastically, adjusting her fake eyelashes.

I try my best not to comment on her make up.

Or outfit..

Or living ways.

"Oh sorry." I forcefully say through my gritted teeth.

I look over to see Zander and Jake join the lunch line and I never have been so thankful in my life.

"Oh hey Julie!!" Jake says ignoring Samantha's presence.

"Hey guys!!" I say cheerfully.

Samantha scoffs while she crosses her arms.

We all move up in the lunch line, but it looks like we might be here for a while from how slow the line is moving.

"So Julie do you want to sit with us at lunch?" Jake asks.

"Would you guys be alright with that?" I ask just incase.

"Of course!!" Zander says. But then his voice goes very quiet...

"I know someone who would especially be alright with that." He says directing his eyes at Ashton.

Like he was being summoned, he looks up at us to see me and Zander looking at him.

I smile nicely, where as Zander smirks creepily at him, causing Ashton to slowly sink back in his chair.

You know, Zander just has that personality...

That can either make you laugh until you are doubling over in pain...

Or terrify you, causing you to think that he may be silently plotting your murder.

I honestly found this little exchange hilarious. The fact that Zander and Ashton have been friends for so long, but Zander can still make Ashton shrink in his seat.

I would have enjoyed the moment more if Samantha didn't speak up.

"Why would Ashton be more than alright with it?" She asks, quite rudely I may add.

I don't know how Jake suddenly stopped paying attention, but he was looking at the food like it was calling him so I decided not to... interfere.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Sam." Zander says, rolling his eyes.

He wasn't even trying to hide his distaste for her, and I don't blame him.

If he really knew what I knew, that she was only playing Luke, I wouldn't be afraid to hide my anger.

Except I do hide my anger.

Because I know that I don't have the guts to look at someone and confront them.

I wish I could, I really do, but I know deep down I can't.

Sometimes I really hate being a nice person... I really do.

Zander's words seemed to have fueled her anger because she quickly comes back with a nasty comeback.

"It's Samantha to you.. you.. you pervert." She says.

...

Can I take back that whole nasty comeback thing?

...

No really, can I?

"Really? A pervert Samantha? Is that all you got?" Zander rolls his eyes again, crossing his arms while looking away from her.

I know I am one to overuse the word "awkward" a lot, but this...

This is awkward.

If Zander wasn't angry before, he was definitely angry now. He looked like he was about to explode on her, and if it wasn't for all the people around us, maybe he would have.

A few seconds of silence pass as I watch Zander try to calm himself down. I know he is someone who likes to confront people and call them out, so I'm honestly surprised that he was able to control himself.

Feeling my eyes on him, Zander looks back at me and we make eye contact, so I take the chance to mouth "are you okay?" to him while he was looking.

He nods his head a little bit, but I could tell that he was doing everything in his power not to call Samantha out.

At least not here.

The line moves up, and we all take a couple steps forward.

"Can this line move any quicker?" Jake whines, holding onto my arm and shaking it, as if I could make the line magically move quicker.

"It's called being patience Jake." I giggle as he shoots me a glare.

"Excuse you, my patience is immaculate."

"Do you even know what immaculate means?" I tease.

He pauses, before narrowing his eyes at me, "Are you judging my word skills?"

"You mean vocab skills?"

"Shut up." He lightly punches my arm.

"Ow." I hold my arm dramatically, pretending like it actually hurt.

"Oh come on, I barely touched you." Jake argues, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I think my skin is bruised, look it's purple!"

"THERE'S NOT EVEN A-... stop being over dramatic!!" He whines, clutching my arm and shaking me back and forth.

A child.

An actually child.

"But it does! I think I'm going to tell Ashton that you hurt me-..."

"NO! PLEASE NO!! He'd kill me!!! He would-..."

"Not like he would care anyways." Samantha interrupts Jake's words.

We both look at her as she stands there with her hand on her hip, looking at us with a glare.

Jake was about to say something, but he stops as his eyes fall on Zander, his eyes wide.

Confused, I look at Zander too, and I couldn't help but react the same way as Jake.

Zander had his hands held in fists as he looked deadly at Samantha.

"Oh shit." Jake mumbles under his breath, stepping away from Zander like he was a ticking time bomb and quickly runs behind me.

And who's the boxer again?

I think I'm going to need to be a little refreshed on that part.

"Look here you bitch." Zander says loudly bring everyone's attention in the cafeteria to stop and look over at the scene.

Great, attention, just icing to the cake.

"Atleast I'm not some attention seeking hoe who is trying to get not in her boyfriends pants, but his f*ckin best friend's!! Don't you dare try to act all snarky with me, or my friends, f*ck off!!" He screams at her, not even trying to hide is anger anymore.

I internally winced from all the gasps from the students around us. I hated all the stares, the looks, I know that I'm not even the person that they are all looking at... but it still made me feel completely uncomfortable.

I look around, becoming upset that Luke got a lunch detention for back talking a teacher, he really needed to hear this.

He needed to know that he was being used.

I feel someone grab my hand and I look over to see Ashton here by my side.

I try not to say anything as tingles shoot up my arm.

Samantha's face turns bright red from all the eyes, but she doesn't back down.

Before she was about to explode, I feel Ashton step forward a little so half of his body was infront of mine.

I don't know why but I felt like he was trying to somewhat...

Protect me.

"As if!! You are a lying bastard Zander!! You have been trying to get in my pants the second I started dating Luke. Admit it!!" She screams.

But I knew, Ashton knew, Jake knew, Zander knew, and even she knew that what she just said.. definitely wasn't true.

Zander looked like he was on the verge of saying something that he wouldn't be able to take back.

But before he could say anything though, Ashton buts in.

Did I mention he is still holding my hand!!

Not.

The.

Time.

"Zander. Hallway. Now." Ashton states.

I could tell Zander wasn't going to listen but then he caught the eyes of well, everyone, staring at us and he mumbled a "fine" before starting to walk away.

I look up to meet the worried eyes of Ashton and he gives me a head nod before releasing my hand and chasing after him.

I look back at the lunch line to see everyone was so caught up in the fight that the line didn't even move an inch.

I look back at Samantha to see her glaring at me, but I lost my appetite so I just exit the line and head to the nearest bathroom to escape.

I pass by Damien while heading to the doors of the cafeteria.

I give him a head signal to talk to Jake because he looked like he was fuming.

Somehow, he understood me and he walked up to Jake so I opened the doors and left.

What made things worst was on my way there, I walked past the detention room and saw Luke gaze out the window. He had a small, black box on his desk.

In the box was a necklace he bought for Samantha. I saw him show Damien it and it made me feel even more guilty.

I felt so bad for him.

He deserves to know.

I suddenly start to hear quiet shouts from the end of the hallway and I see Ashton and Zander talking back and forth quite harshfully.

I quickly walk into the girls bathroom unseen and luckily I can still hear their conversation.

"Zander what was that all about?! I mean, you may not like her, but you can't be doing this, especially with matches coming up, are you really going to risk being suspended from the team??!"

I feel bad that I am listening in on their private conversation but...

It's for an important cause.

Kinda.

"I had to say something! She was being a cold hearted bitch!!!" Zander says harshfully back.

I hate this.

I hate that they are fighting.

"You know me better than anyone, causing scenes and so what, getting my ass in trouble time after time again, but this is different!"

"How? How is this different? Explain to me Ashton Fuckin Rider."

"Because Luke clearly likes her!! Are you really willing to hurt him because you don't get along with her? He's always been like this and we learned to just ignore it. Why now?"

"Are you really that fuckin dumb."

"What are you even talking about??!" Ashton says in a confused but frustrated tone.

At this point, I am sitting on the toilet, with the toilet seat cover on, and just silently, but painfully, listening in on their conversation.

"She doesn't like Luke!!" Zander says out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Ashton asks, in a more quieter tone.

"Samantha doesn't like Luke. She never did. She likes-.." But before he could finish, another voice was heard.

A voice that made my heart drop instantly.

"..wh- what?" I hear Luke's voice come out in a muffle.

Even though I couldn't really see what was happening, I almost knew for certain that the two of them looked at him in shock and regret.

"Luke I.." but Zander was caught off.

"You're lying!" Luke shouts.

I could almost feel the boys flinch at his tone.

"Luke calm down." I hear Ashton's voice say trying to be calming.

"You liar!!" Luke says again. I could hear his voice crack at the end.

I could hear him sniffle.

I could hear him take steps back.

And worst of all..

I could hear his heart breaking.

"This can't be happening." He keeps mumbling over and over again.

"Luke please understand me." Zander says, his steps coming towards Luke.

"Yeah I understand.. I understand that you are a liar!!!! A jealous asshole who only cares for himself!!" Luke shouts.

"Luke stop. You need to calm down now." Ashton says in a strict tone, trying to stop him before any of this gets out of hand.

"Stop acting like you care!!! You obviously know how much I feel about her!" Luke's voice was now shaking in anger.

"Luke!!! Get your head out of the gutter!! You have known her for a week!! We have known you for years man. Don't call me a fuckin liar when you know I am telling the damn truth." Zander says back just as angrily.

"Don't you EVER speak to me, or Samantha ever again." He shouts before I hear his footsteps retreat down the hallway before they stop.

"Oh and I hope you find a replacement on the team, because I quit." He says, his voice just above a whisper until his footsteps descend rapidly down the hallway.

I didn't know that a tear escaped my eye until I felt it hit my arm.

I felt like this was all my fault.

Maybe I should have tried to stop the fight in the cafeteria before it escalated.

Luke shouldn't have found out like this.

"I...What....what just happened?" Ashton says.

And for the first time ever,

I heard Ashton's voice vulnerable.

"I'll tell you what. He chose a lying scumbag over his true friends." I hear Zander say before I feel his footsteps walk in the other direction.

I felt like I couldn't stay hidden in the bathroom any longer so I walked out.

I looked back to lock eyes with Ashton.

I feel his eyes travel down my face seeing some of my escaped tears falling freely down my cheeks.

Even though I barely knew these boys, I now know that they were always there for me in the short amount of time I have been here.

He started walking over to me and before I could react, his arms engulfed me in a hug.

I felt his head dig into my shoulder and his arms tighten around my waist.

I didn't have to say anything because I knew he knew that I heard everything.

I hugged him back just as tightly as not one of us wanted to let go.

Because I knew that I wasn't the one who needed this hug the most.

He did.

Hey guys. I don't really know what to say after this chapter.

I think I almost started crying from writing this.

Please share this story with others because I feel like they will like it too.

I love you all who vote and comment on my chapters.

Still no posting schedule just going with the flow.

~juls.