Miss Naughtie Two-Shoes and the Rebel

Chapter 9

“That’s the girl,” announces Kelly as she spots Andy in the cafeteria with Nikki. She glowers at her, narrowing her eyes in tiny slits like she is about to fire laser beams of death from them.

“Who?” Jane arches her impeccably-drawn eyebrows at Kelly and then slides her gaze toward the receiver of her dagger-like stare seated two empty tables away from them.

“The girl Trae was with in his car the other day,” Kelly says in an irritated tone. Flipping her highlighted hair that cascades in waves down her back, she folds her arms and sits ramrod straight.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

The unobstructed view allows Jane to flash Andy another once-over. “She’s a looker. Nice figure, too.”

“Really? And you call yourself my friend?” Kelly glares at her, her temper aggravated by Jane’s blatant appreciation of Andy’s physical attractiveness.

“Sheesh, relax. I’m just saying. What do you want to do with her?” Jane drones on, ignoring Kelly’s growing annoyance. Having been friends with her since seventh grade, she’s used to her moods and likes to push her to the limits of her patience, as a sport, sometimes. She examines her fingernails, some painted a solid plum color and some with animal prints on a sheer coat.

“Get your pen and paper ready. We’re doing some research,” Kelly declares, her face steely and her lips pressed in a determined line.

*****

“Andy, have you heard?” Nikki asks as she forks the last piece of chicken nugget and dunks it into a glop of ketchup on her plate.

“Heard what?” Andy replies uninterested while reading a passage in her history book, cramming for a quiz for a next-period class.

“Roy Dalton just quit school.”

“Really? Dropped out or kicked out? He has only two sems left.” Wearing her face in a mask of indifference, she pretends to read on, but she’s all ears, just like anyone else, for any Roy Dalton-relevant speculations churning in the rumor mill.

“Dropped out. Joining the Army from what I heard.”

“Oh, good for him. Hope they teach him honor and respect.” Losing all interest about history and shifting her attention to current events, Andy shuts her book close.

“What do you mean by that?” Nikki tosses Andy a quizzical look for what she deems to be a loaded statement coming from her.

“Nothing. Is it not what they’re taught in the Army?” Andy gives her a nonchalant shrug.

“I guess.”

Andy props her elbows on the table and then rests her chin on her intertwined fingers. Relegating all things Roy Dalton to the recycle bin of her brain, she focuses her interest on Nikki instead. “So, what do you think of Chloe’s proposal?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Letting out a triumphant sigh, Nikki’s eyes dance and her voice chirps as she shares the news. “They called me yesterday.”

“Oh, wow! That means Chloe is really serious about it.”

“I know right. And I talked about it with my mom and she’s elated.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Andy says in a tone that’s a notch higher than Nikki’s excitement. She reaches over across the table and squeezes Nikki’s hand.

“Oh, Andy. I owe it all to you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have met Chloe,” Nikki’s voice is soft around the edges and for a moment, she feels like she’s going to tear up. But then she doesn’t want to spoil the afternoon by being such a cry-baby. “How come you have such an uber rich friend?”

“Long story. We’re really not that close. In fact, the other day was only our second meeting. She did me a favor once and she had a small favor to ask herself,” Andy explains without giving so much away, skipping her accident and the bit about Trae. Who’s going to believe they fell asleep in his car together?

“Oh, the thing you talked about the other day. I noticed her eyes were red-rimmed and she was all sniffly. I thought it’s sort of personal so I’m not gonna probe.” Nikki pinches her fingers and runs it along her pursed lips for maximum effect.

“Yeah, thanks, Nikki.”

“Do you know that guy?” Nikki suddenly asks as she glances above Andy’s shoulder.

Andy throws her a confused look. “What guy?”

“Hot dude at your 6 o’clock. I think he’s heading our way.” Nikki reaches over her tall glass of pink lemonade and chugs it like she hasn’t drunk in two days, scooting to the edge of her chair so she can fully see the male hotness approaching their table.

Andy twists her body sideways following Nikki’s line of sight. “What are you talking…” Her eyes widen as soon as she sees the hot dude Nikki was referring to and if she’s being honest with herself, that is not an exaggeration on Nikki’s part. She whips her head back and Nikki’s gaze is still fixated ahead of her. Subtly as not to raise a reaction from Nikki, she surveys the front of her shirt for any smidgen that will give away her lunch and sneaks to wipe around her mouth, mortified at the orange-y grease blotted on the tissue paper.

“Hi, Andy.”

“Trae.” Andy says with the same enthusiasm of an early text-to-speech app narrator, barely glancing at the owner of the deep voice. She crumples the used tissue paper in a ball inside her fist, repurposing it to deal with the sudden clamminess of her palm while she wipes the other one on her jeans. “What a surprise,” she adds flatly. She was about to say something stronger than the word ‘surprise’ but no dictionary in the word can describe her feeling right at this moment. After their Roy Dalton situation, she considers it in her best interest to avoid Trae at all cost. And for a good reason. She values her life.

Heads crane and a general hush hovers in the air as Trae lowers down on a seat beside Andy. If there’s anything she dislikes more about gossip, it’s being the center of the gossip. And considering the icy stares being thrown her way right now, she can consider her days numbered.

“Hi, I’m Trae. A friend of Andy.” Trae offers his hand to Nikki, wearing a smile that puts toothpaste models to shame. More appropriately, a smile that makes girls swoon and women drop their panties.

“You’re Trae? Trae Morello?” Nikki clarifies as she takes his hand, a friendly smile affixed to her face. Which is so out of character of her. Normally, she would sink into herself when there’s new people around. She hates being stared at. Well, she likes to be stared at. She misses the attention she used to get before her teenage hormones went bonkers against her. Soon, she hopes.

“The one and only.”

The reason why she isn’t so self-conscious around Hot Dude is because she can read him like a book. The way his eyes are riveted on Andy, the brushing of hair and the nervous chewing of lips all point to one conclusion–Hot Dude is smitten with Hot Girl Mechanic. And in her own humble opinion, it’s a match made in heaven.

“Pleasure to meet you, Trae. I’m Nikki.” She would very much like to add ‘Your reputation precedes you’ just because all the buzz fail to do him justice. She just hopes there’s more to him than meets the lusting eyes because Andy deserves only the best.

“I know who you are. Chloe told me about you.”

“She did?” Nikki shoots him an incredulous look, trying to pin the connection between Trae and Chloe and re-evaluating her early assessment of him.

“Cousins. She’s right. You are pretty.”

“Thanks.” Nikki perks up at the compliment. At the same, she feels relieved because Andy behaving like a tense kitten right now can only translate to: yeah, she likes him, too.

“So, Andy, I’ve been looking for you the whole morning,” announces Trae as he directs his gaze toward Andy.

Trae is sitting so close to Andy that immediately her fight or flight response is activated. But good sense gets the better of her. Taking off is awkward, cowardly and just plain rude. If only she could just disappear in a poof. “Why? Nothing else to do?” Andy brushes him off, feigning detachment. She crosses her legs and runs a hand over her hair, dropping the soggy tissue paper in the process.

“Yup,” Trae replies without breaking his stare. If it is nervousness that he can sense in Andy, then he’s going to take advantage of it. The last time they were together, she was furious at him. And talking from experience, it was so easy to incite that side of her: glaring, snarling, just angry. And he likes that she’s nervous, or better yet, he likes that he makes her nervous. His confidence surging, he continues, “Actually, I had classes, boring to death. There’s nothing the profs gonna teach that I don’t already know. I think they’re fine with it as long as I can put in the required outputs and sit for my exams.”

“You’re quite the genius.” Andy means it as a snide remark.

“I told you Zuck’s got nothin’ on me.”

Andy can't decide whether Trae’s just slow, or he’s just so full of himself. If it is the latter, then the more that she doesn’t want to be associated with him. She has already witnessed him being violent. Although she played a small part in that battle royale, unless it’s a matter of life and death, she believes that violence has no part in a civilized society. What she doesn’t like the most about Trae is… the way he can make her feel. And he could not know how he makes her feel.

“Why bother going to school if school’s so boring?” Andy tries her best to sound cold and distant.

“Two things.” Trae lifts his index and middle fingers in a V. “Schools give you a piece of paper you can hang in your parents house when you graduate. Two, girls here are hot.”

Cocking her head at Andy’s direction, Nikki chuckles. “You’re right. You’re looking at one right now, Trae.”

“Well, make that two.” Trae throws Nikki an endearing smile.

“Are you hear to chat or what? Are you aware that the whole cafeteria is looking at us?” Andy doesn’t make any effort to hide her irritation. It’s the only way she can redeem herself from her nerves. But Trae looking at her so invasively makes it difficult to keep up with the pretense. She knew better than to hold his gaze, because now that she does, the color of her heated face has already betrayed her. She should have chosen flight.

“I say let them. Who cares? A girl as beautiful as you should get used to it by now.”

“Nice pick-up line, Trae.” Impressed by his shameless flirting, Nikki raises her hand for a high-five which Trae gamely claps, before briefly sharing a laugh with him.

But then Trae’s expression turns solemn as he returns his gaze to Andy. “So, Andy, are we good?” he asks in a gruff voice, lingering her attention on her.

“Yes, we’re good. Is that it?” Andy replies, losing the hardness in her eyes and the vitriol in her voice. She hates herself for forgetting that Trae stayed true to his promise and he just wants to make sure that she can move forward in life knowing that all is in the past now. Why did she act so erratically?

“Yeah, sure. Good to hear. I’m relieved.” It’s all Trae needs to hear. He stands up and prepares to leave. “So, girls, I’ll leave you alone now. Nice meeting you, Nikki.”

When Trae is gone, Andy is met by the wild glare of the whole of the canteen’s female patrons. And instinctively, she thinks flight.