Never Order the Pineapple Pizza

#2 order any pizza apart from pineapple pizza.

Why does cafeteria food have to suck badly? My stomach growled from the lack of food I rejected earlier at the cafeteria. I leaned into my locker, pressing my stomach hard. I could not wait for the class to be over. Cleo bangs her locker door hard. I whined at its sound because I was close to her, seeing as her locker was next to mine.

"gently," I offered.

"Sorry, just mad that Mrs. Dalton gave me an A-" I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Was that such a bad grade?

Liam came from behind to put his hands on her shoulder, and she leaned in close to me.

"Hey, baby"

"fuck please don't call me that," she growled. I followed from behind as Liam escorted us to our AP chemistry class.

"why? Also, I think you should come over after school__ we hardly spend time together nowadays" he stops in the hallway and puts his hands on her hips, drawing her closer to him. I see Cleo getting uncomfortable with the request he was making.

"I think we should all order pizza after school__ it's been a while since we all hung out," she gave, fisting, my eyes widening at my random involvement.

"yeah," he gave a crooked smile.

He leaned in to give her a kiss before he left, but Cleo tilted her face, letting his kiss land on her cheeks.

"sorry, you know I don't like kissing in public" he pulled away, rubbing the back of his head with his hands.

We heard laughs from behind.

"Hey, Liam!__ come to me when you are done playing with little children. I will show you a good time," Addison tells him as she walks past us, giving Liam a flirty stare and us a cold one.

It was no secret that Cleo and Liam were the typical cliché story about a bad boy falling in love with his good girl's best friend. However, Cleo's insecurities kick in every time a comment like this is made.

"you know I won't do that to you."

He tries to explain while holding her arms. She steps back from him and hugs me. I shake my head to him to give her a little space.

I hear her sniffing, trying to hold her tears. Cleo cries easily about anything, be it a bear dying in the north pole or greys anatomy series; she was a crier.

The bell rings, and she pulls away from me.

"let go to class."

"I am coming" I run out to track Addison. I corner her in the girl's bathroom.

She sneered as she saw me.

"Oh, if it isn't the good girl's minion," she said as she retouched her face in the mirror. I take my glasses off my eyes and put them on the side of my back. She paid no attention to what I was doing until I yanked her ponytail.

"Ouhhhhhhhh," but I still held on to the hair.

"you won't get away with this"

"oh, I will" I give her a defined tone, making sure she was looking into my eyes.

"I wonder what the principal will say when he finds out you've been fucking your English teacher since the last term or, better yet, your dad, what of the blow job tape Michael has on you? Imagine if the whole school sees it"

She looked shocked that I knew most of her secrets.

"you don't have proof," she gulped. I smiled, letting her go

"you would know when you say those words to Cleo again or mess with my friends."

I walk out of the bathroom and head back to my class.

"you are late, that's so unusual of you," Miss Felicity said immediately after I entered the class.

"Sorry," I mumbled before taking a seat that Cleo had kept from me.

"what took you so long?" she leaned in and whispered

"I had to use the bathroom," I replied back.

We both faced Miss Felicity as she explained on the board.

We all went to our favorite pizza joint after school. The chairs were like booths. I sat down facing the couple.

"Addison thinks she is all that," I hear Cleo complain while Liam's hands are on her shoulders as she leans toward him. Neither of us said a word.

"Gosh, I hate her. like if the world could just swallow her up or vomit her back where they brought her from."

"yes, baby, you have said that a million times" she gave him a dead stare, which made him pull his hands away from her and stretch out in the empty space between the table and the chair.

"when is the pizza going to be here? I am starving," I grumbled.

"no one told you to not eat in the cafeteria."

I stayed silent, I was too hungry to argue, and secondly, it was pointless to argue with her. You would end up making her annoyed and angry.

I see the cute waiter bring the pizza to the table. The smell hit me; I smiled for a sec.

"Ewww. Christ, who ordered pineapple pizza__ I am sorry, I think you have the wrong order__ none of us eats pineapple pizza."

The cute waiter turned to me, confused. I tried to swallow my drool.

"yes, please take it back" he looked at me again. Damn it, why does your waiter have to know what you always order alone in the evening after work.

I nodded, too pained to say no.

Cleo looks at me weirdly.

"I hate it when they miss my order." Cleo pointed out,

"yeah don't we all" I rolled my eyes. She draws closer to me with a sheepish smile.

"Never mind that I think that waiter guy likes you."

"no"

"yes," she insisted

"no," I denied.

"Liam," he seems distracted

"yeah," he asked

"don't you think that cute waiter over there likes AJ" he scans the room for the waiter, and we all observe him staring at me.

"totally"

"you__" "Nope," I interrupted.

She wanted to say more, but he came with our order, and we ate quietly.

I closed my part job late and craved the pineapple pizza I missed earlier this week. I stopped at the pizza shop, and the cute waiter was no longer there. I felt relieved. I placed my order and waited for it to be delivered to me.

I took the pizza box and was prepared to leave the restaurant when I came faced Axel.

"Are you stalking me?" I said. He rolled his eyes.

"stalking would mean you are someone important" I squeezed my face. I try to move past him, but Axel blocks me.

"what do you want?"

"what in the box?" he asked like he didn't already smell it.

"nothing" I turn my face away. He smirked, opening the pizza box in my hand.

He takes one slice and bites it.

"magnificent," he says, turning his back on me to leave. When he gets to the door, he smiles at me, waving.

"see you later, Avery."

I hope I don't. Once is a charm; twice is a coincidence. Seeing Axel thrice is a disaster.