Lethal Friends

A Little too Saucy

My phone sat in my hands and I played tug of war in my head. Do I text him- don't I text him. No this was ridiculous. If I brought it up he'd probably only get annoyed. I shook my head at my own stupidity. Sighing I shoved the device away back into my backpack and leaned back in the crappy plastic school chair.

"Uh-oh someone has a certain someone they're thinking too hard about." Ryan teased and I rolled my eyes.

"Nah she's daydreaming too hard about Logan to be able to think straight about anything," Jordon said.

"Oh just shut up both off you." They had no idea that I finally knew that Logan had had a brother. I didn't even know if they knew either.

"What no sarcastic response? Well this is a change." Jordon commented faking a gasp.

"Does this mean it's true? You and Logan. OH MY GOSH, LONDON, GIRL WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?" Ryan asked.

"Okay stop right there before you start on an overload of fangirling. Nothing happened I swear. I'm just nervous that Logan's going to retaliate soon. It's been a few days." That was true I had a feeling, a strong feeling that something was going to happen.

"Well then, you just crashed my party." Ryan started to pout. He forked a piece of salad and crunched on it pretending to be upset. Unlike most guys Ryan was actually a vegetarian one of the reasons a lot of guys picked on him. If those guys hadn't been jocks with giant muscles I probably would have punched out their lights. Ryan could stand up for himself, though, for the most part.

I frowned not in a particular mood to play along. Plus I had a huge test in Math coming up which I was not excited for.

The cafeteria hummed with quiet chatter around me and I closed my eyes for a split second needing a calm moment and to calm the roaring headache that had attached itself to me during first period. But suddenly and suspiciously it became almost dead silent. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck rose and I felt someone standing behind me. Why was no one talking at all now? I forced my eyes open and stood up. I didn't dare turn around but the expressions on Jordon and Ryan's face were too much not to.

Oh hell's pit of boiling guacamole.

SQUISH! SPLAT! Logan's tray of spaghetti slide off his deliberately tipped tray and directly on to my head. My white button uniform shirt instantly became soaked in red sauce and I was sure most people could see my decidedly bad-choice of today's wardrobe- my bright blue b*a- clear as day.

"You need to learn not to be so saucy sweetheart, otherwise nobody will think you good enough to take." My fists clenched, nails nearly breaking my skin. He had embarrassed me in front of the entire school in the middle of the cafeteria. Why did he think he could take this far?

"That's how you want to play huh?" I whispered and then shouting as loud as I could, "LOGAN HUNT," his teeth immediately grit against each other, annoyed by his name.

"I think it's time he learned a lesson isn't it?" I spun around addressing the entire student body.

They looked back with doubtful and scared eyes.

I shook my head. Really they were so dominated by this bully the entire student body couldn't stand for themselves even though there were almost 500 hundred of them and one of him?

"You don't really think one guy can take all of you down, all 500 hundred of you, do you?" Some shook there head obviously thinking I was stupid, but I had a better plan.

"Well if you can't take him I'm sure you can take one another." I picked up my piece of cake and while Logan looked at the crowd for a response I smashed it into his black hair.

The whole cafeteria gasped, but all I had to say was, "FOOD FIGHT!!"

It didn't take long for them to catch on and lots of people turned on each other- even their own friends- throwing fries, burgers, salads, desserts, soup, and the main meal of the day- spaghetti. I smirked facing Logan. He smirked back, little flecks of chocolate and vanilla icing falling off his head and clinging to his hair.

How could he looked so damn cute even covered in cake and food? I probably looked like a tramping troll. Why was I worrying about what we looked like anyways? Ah screw him for always being able to get into my head.

"Ahhhhhh!!!" We charged each other- me sloshing my milk cartoon on to his head- him attempting to shove peanut butter and apples in my hair.

"What if I was allergic?" I asked grabbing his biceps locking him in a weird fighting stance.

"I wish you were," he said smiling grimly, and although it seemed he meant it, I just knew he couldn't. Could he?

I squeezed his arms trying to be threatening but instead ended seeming as if I was feeling his muscles. I blushed. Damn nonsensical plans.

He quirked an eyebrow, questioning me. I shrugged and let go quickly backing up, but he followed me.

"Oh no you don't," he murmured and somehow over the growing din of the riot I could hear him. I looked across the room, desperate to see anything other than Logan, but only found a horrific disaster of everyone and everything. One girl was covered in a pink sauce from head to toe and everyone behind her slipped on her trail. Was there even anything pink being served today? Another guy, was chucking handful after handful of meatballs from behind the kitchens counter. I can't believe how quickly people actually caught on to this type of thing.

Suddenly I realized I had been walking backward this entire time. I bumped into a table and Logan was right in front of me blocking my only escape. Ryan was too busy squishing his pie in someone's face to notice and even Kayla and Jordon were across the room jokingly throwing food at each other too.

"I gotcha now," he whispered. My eyes darted from his face to his arms now on either side of my waist trapping get me against the table. They were warm and I almost wanted to lean into them. I resisted the thought as soon as it popped into my head and tried to shake myself out of it. He leaned in and I leaned back as far as I could go, still wondering why in the starry heavens I would want to lean in closer. But it wasn't enough and I could still feel his breathe on face. My eyes automatically shut not wanting to see his smirking face, but it was no use- it was still burned into the back of my eyes. I could even still picture those big brown eyes that shouted HA in my face almost every time they locked on with mine.

"You have no idea what I'm going to do to you. I'll-"

"EXCUSE ME!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? WHO STARTED THIS?" someone shouted, and I knew right away I was in deep trouble. That was the principle. Everybody in the room froze. Unknown liquids and food oozed on to the floor and lots of people slipped in their haste to stop where they stood. The walls were covered in more than one hamburgers' contents and I bit my lip thinking of how this was all my fault. This maniac child who must have been born of demonic spawn other than that of his actual parents was why this was about to all be blamed on me.

Logan didn't care that in 0.2 seconds we were about to be the center of the attention, though, and he didn't move an inch, rather he almost seemed to move closer to me not taking his eyes off of my face. He knew his father's voice, and it didn't seem to affect him much.

That's when 500 pairs of eyes made their way towards me and Logan, many people stiffling gasps and giggles at our position. I winced and looked down shamefully. I wasn't with him like that, surely people knew that. Right? But I was more embarrassed because I had been the one who had shouted at them to start a fight. I'm an i***t.

Logan, however, basked in the attention, leisurely and casually stepping back smiling the whole while.

"Well, Mr. Hunt, London Brighten here yelled at everyone for a food fight. She was upset about something and was just suddenly shouting at everyone to throw stuff around. I'd say she is the clear instigator." He glanced back at me a small smug smirk plastered in place as if he knew he was going to get his way.

"Is this true? Did anyone else witness this?" Mr. Hunt asked glaring at me and the rest of the students.

A small girl, no older than fourteen stepped up, "y-yess sir it's true all of us heard her say it," she said. Oh what a little goodie two shoes.

That's when his anger really came down.

"This is unacceptable. Many of you have disappointed me in your actions here today. To disrespect the school property and cafeteria, made for you, and cleaned for you, to disrespect the cooks who worked long hours to prepare you food for every lunch, should you choose to take it, and what is your gesture of thanks? Smashing everything we have placed delicately in your hands back at the walls and each other. You are all just as guilty as the instigator, and measures will be taken. As for now, miss Brighten come with me. The rest of you will be directed by the kitchen staff and begin clean up immediately." He stalked over to me and completely ignoring my red-stained and soaked shirt grabbed my arm roughly and yanked me towards his office.

I looked back once to see Logan frozen in place staring after me, looking almost sorry yet gleeful at his victory at the same time. Ugghhh I hated him. But did I?

******

"Do you understand?" The principal asked.

I nodded my head slowly regretting ever single act in the cafeteria today. I had definitely had what would qualify as a stern talking to about being an instigator, and I'm pretty sure he now had me labeled as a trouble maker. He told me that I would be attending detention every day for the next week, but instead of just sitting in a room I would be helping out the janitor.

Bleghh. This sucked. And yes I blamed Logan for the entirety of it. Of course when I had been dragged off to his father's little, plush, stuffy office I watched Logan walk out the front doors barely covered in food (except for the little bit of cake still in his hair), hop on to his motorcycle and drive away. After getting me into this mess he had ditched. And I had thought we were actually closer to being friends. Friends didn't leave each other behind. Okay maybe they did if they were trying to get the upper hand in a war- but still.

I sighed and let my head rest in my hands. I never would've gotten into any of these messes that were piling up on me if it wasn't for Logan. He was keeping life interesting, for that I could be sure. And I guess partially I should be grateful, he brought life back into my life when I had felt like I had left everything of me behind in Michigan. But that wasn't something I wanted to think about.

Grabbing my things I stood up and with a small nod I walked out of the office to third period.

********

Thank goodness, I was finally home.

The rest of the day had been a little bit of a nightmare with everyone pointing at me and grumbling about how they had to clean up the mess. Well you know what? I was the one who had to do clean with the Janitor every frickin day for their next week and only because I had taken Logan's bait.

I pushed open the door to our house and immediately took a right to the living room, passing through the entrance hall, to collapse on to the sofa. I let my arm hang over my face, covering me eyes, and sighed. I needed a nap.

"Miss London Brighten! I don't know what is going through your mind right now but it cannot be that distracting that you would think about lying on my tan couch with a red stained shirt!!!!" My aunt called out upset. I immediately sat up like a jack-in-the-box and sprung off the couch like my spring was let loose.

"I'm so sorry Aunt May, I totally forgot!!" I apologized profusely giving her my best puppy face. I glanced back to check and breathed out a sigh of relief seeing that there was no stain on the couch.

"Ah see mom that's what she wants you to believe. But really she's just set out to ruin all your furniture so she can finally convince you, along with the rest of us, to update your 1980s styled everything," Adam said poking his head into the room through the doorway. I smiled sarcastically, but felt warmed by his brotherly-like response. Kinda what I needed after a day like to today.

"Maybe she wants to enlighten you as to why she has a red stained shirt and almost ruined your couch," Jordon's voice floated from the kitchen. I scowled. Now there was something I had been hoping to avoid.

Adam paused where he stood halfway through the living room doorway, and my aunt turned her eyes towards me expectedly. I felt a little nervous twitch start, as my fingertips fiddled with each other subconsciously. She was really just like my mom had been. But she wasn't my mom, couldn't be my mom. Ah why was I being reminded of Michigan so much today?

"I-I well someone kinda got food on me. And, I- I kinda got everybody into a food fight." I let a big breath staring at my socks not wanting to bear her wrath, even if it would only be through an expression.

She sighed and when I glanced up I could see her pinching her nose, a few gray hairs slipping out of her auburn hair which was twisted back into a bun.

"Honey, I know it must have been really hard in Michigan but please tell me it hasn't driven you to become one of those, I hate to say it, but troublemakers."

"Oh ho the only thing that can drive London to be a troublemaker is a boy that goes by the name of Logan Hunt." We all heard Jordon mumble in the quiet. From where I was standing I could just see his figure standing in the light yellow kitchen, wide open windows dousing him in late spring sun. His hand slapped to his mouth immediately following his realization of what he had said. The others' reaction were just as sudden.

Adam stepped fully into the light blue living room glaring at me asking me- he didn't have to say it out loud- if it was true, and his whole demeanor flashed from cool and calm to upset and angry. Even just Logan's name could do that to him. And my aunt, well she was more surprised than anything. She stretched a hand out feebly to lean against the wall to her left, and where she had been pinching her nose, now her hand seemed to clutch her whole lower face covering her open mouth.

What the hell had Logan done that could tarnish his own image so terribly with these people?

Good thing my uncle wasn't home. He was rarely here always working late.

"You're hanging out with Logan?" My aunt asked with a quietness that seemed to scream some other unrecognizable emotion.

"I thought I had told you to stay away from him, London?" I looked down at my fingers that had folded in on each other wishing Jordon could have kept his promise a little more faithfully to not talk about our oh-so-hated neighbour.

"I would definitely not put it like that. We don't get along in the greatest of ways," I winced as Adam walked closer clearly not satisfied with my reply.

"But you're still hanging out with him," he accused.

"Not technically, not when he's always doing things like dumping spaghetti on me," I grumbled. I picked up my bag that I had dumped at the end of the couch and got ready to leave.

"So, are you more than friends? When I saw you with him after detention was it just like I had thought. Is that why he hit me, because he was with you?" His fists began to clench as I waved my hands and shook my head.

"What? NO! Did you not hear what I said after everything? About how you should trust my judgement. I thought we wouldn't have to go over this again, but apparently we will have to revisit the subject." I gave Adam and my aunt a hard glance.

"He hates me and the feeling is mutual. We are not friends, not when both of us are doing are very best to unravel the other as best as we can. At school today he took his food and dumped it on my head and down my shirt. He made me angry and retaliate. No we are not friends," I repeated myself hopping to get the message across.

"Now, I have two very pressing tests that count as 15 percent of my marks, and although I may not be an A+ student, I'm hoping to get at least a decent mark so university won't chew me up and spit me back out," I marched up to my room, brushing past a confused and torn Adam, and clearly befuddled aunt. I made it to the kitchen before I paused for a split second looking at Jordon.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed as I passed, his figure still frozen in place. I did blame him a little bit for causing that argument but I had known it was bound to happen soon enough and it was going to come to their attention that Logan was in my life sooner or later. Whether he was a bad part of it or good, it didn't matter, they didn't want him in their lives or mine. But maybe that's exactly what he needed- someone in his life when everyone else was refusing to be apart of it.

I nodded to Jordon letting him know it was alright and went straight to my bedroom. The newly painted navy-blue and white walls, and the smell of fresh paint calmed me. My aunt and uncle had done it just two days ago in the middle of the day so that they could surprise me when I got home. I smiled thinking about the evening they had shown me and how much a part of the family I had finally felt. They knew me well enough that those colours were the perfect ones to match the rest of the Marvel movie themed room. I loved them.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against the wooden white frame frowning slightly. I guess that had been my first real argument since I had moved here. I just hoped they knew and believed, even if they didn't know we were frenemies, that I hadn't been lying when I said we weren't friends.

I eventually forced myself to move and laid down on my soft bed trying to convince myself amongst the fluffy fabric that the lulling land of dreams would be better than to dwell on today. I curled myself up in a tight ball and shut my eyes tight until I was pulled by the waking hands of sleep to the dark shrouds of mist and that of dreams.