Chapter Fifteen

Allison gave Hermione a pointed look before facing me with an obvious forced smile.

"Introduce us then." she said.

"What?"

"Introduce us. We want to meet them."

"Don't you already know them?"

"We do but not officially, like the way you know them. No one but you in the entire school talks with them."

"Dustin talks to them too you know?"

"Yeah, but Dustin hates us." Joyce interjected. I saw Hermione flinch from where she was sitting.

"I'm sorry guys but I don't think they will just talk to you." I said trying to sound as nice as possible.

"They talk to you." Joyce said.

Okay that hurt.

"Uh, I'm gonna go."

I stood up from the table and didn't say anything to them as I walked away from their table.

I felt a hand grab my wrist and I turned to see Clark.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"My best friend being a douche friend." I said.

He looked at me, for a really long time might I add. Then he burst out laughing.

"That was cliche."

"What? Best friend being a douche friend?"

"Yup. Never say that again. Being cliche is so not you."

I rolled my eyes.

"But seriously what the hell was that?" he asked just as we reached our table.

"Well, it seems like the Mean Girls of East Ville High are your number one fans."

"Really? You mean those hot ladies over there?" Fred asked pointing at the exact table I was just a few minutes ago.

"Yup. That table."

"Cool. Did you tell them they could come over?"

"No."

He pouted.

"Why not?"

"I didn't know if you would be comfortable with it." I said carrying a spoon of rice into my mouth.

"Oh look one is waving at me." Fred said with glee in his voice. I turned and saw that it was Joyce. To say I was disgusted was an understatement. Then Fred did a beckoning sign with his hand.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Inviting them to come over." Fred said looking in the direction of the W(B)itches.

"If you do that, I'm leaving."

That got his attention. He gave me a pout and said in a whining voice: "awwn. C'mon Trace. You don't have to say anything. You can be all stoic like Caesar. It's no biggie."

"And that is all the reason to make me want to leave. You know I don't want to be stoic like Mr Ice over here, no offense Caesar."

"Fine." he said with a resigned look. I kinda felt bad for him.

He looked up and his eyes widened. I wondered why until I smelt a fragrance I knew so well.

Shit!

"Hi guys." I didn't look at them but I knew it was Allison. Only her could make a simple greeting sound so poisonous.

"Hello. Please sit down."

Fred was the only excited person at this table. Caesar was well, stoic. Jayden wasn't really focusing on them but I did see him give small glances at Hermione. And Clark, well he, was as disinterested as Caesar.

"I'm Allison."

"Frederick. But everyone calls me Frederick."

No one calls him that. He gave me a side look and I suddenly realized he was being casual and formal, because of me.

Awwwwwnnnn!

"I thought it was Fred?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah but that's just my fam. Even my buds here call me Frederick. Right guys?" he asked looking at us.

"Right. Fred-eh-rick." Clark said breaking the name down. Jayden and I were hiding our smile and even Caesar's lips were quirking up.

The W(B)itches were looking at us probably wondering what was happening.

"Fred-aye-rick." Jayden whispered to me and I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

Only Fred and the W(B)itches weren't finding it funny. The W(B)itches because they were obviously lost and Fred because he knew we were making fun of him.

"I'm Joyce."

"I'm Katrina."

"Beautiful names for beautiful girls."

Clark mimed vomiting and Jayden pretended to gag. Caesar was trying so hard to hide his smile.

I've never seen him smile.

He's cute.

"Am I the only one or was that line so cliche?" Jayden asked.

"The line was so cliche." Clark answered.

"Even romance authors hardly use it." I added.

"And these are my friends." Fred said rather loudly.

He knows we're making fun of him.

"Clark. But everyone calls me Clarkson."

I gave him a look.

His real name is Clarkson?

Not that it isn't obvious. It's just Clarkson doesn't suit him at all. I can see why he adopted Clark.

"Jayden. Every calls me Jayden."

"Cease. But everyone calls me Caesar."

I snorted.

Was Caesar trying to be funny?

The W(B)itches obviously didn't suspect a thing. But I knew Hermione knew. She gave me a look that I pretended not to notice.

"Hi Cease." Katrina said, a little flirtatiously might I add.

So the W(B)itches sat with us throughout lunch and when the bell rang, Allison invited them her party that was happening tonight.

"Yay, a party. Is Tracy invited?"

She gave me cold once over before giving Fred a sweet, poisonous smile.

"Of course. The more the merrier." she said before giving him a peck on the cheek. "See you tonight."

Before going to class, Jayden held my hair while I puked my lunch into the trashcan by the cafeteria.

"You okay?" he asked as I drank from the fountain.

"Yeah. Aside from the fact that Fred already has a crush on Allison, the girl who made my life miserable, and you giving my is she my best friend, is she not my best friend looks, I'm completely fine."

Okay, that sounded harsher than I expected.

He gave me a sheepish look.

"I'm sorry. It's just, it's weird for me y'know?"

"I feel you Trace." he still wasn't looking at me. "I'll see you after school."

And he left me, standing alone by the fountain and, my puke in the, trashcan.