And again, I'm mortified.He wasn't attacking her.He's probably her goddamned boyfriend!
"I... I'm sorry," I murmur pitifully.
"Rory, this is my buddy Andrew. He and Tina are together." It's Sam speaking. Sam has somehow made it over to us and has his hand set gently on my shoulder. "Andy, maybe you shouldn't sneak up on your girl like that," he adds with another of his lighthearted chuckles.
It's a kind thing to do. He's trying to make it seem like mine was a reasonable reaction. Like I'm not crazy. But instead of feeling grateful, I'm annoyed. I don't need him to make me feel normal. I'mnotnormal. And I've already accepted that I never will be again.
Andrew is still freaked out by my outburst, but he's gentleman enough to pretend otherwise. He tells me it's nice to meet me - though I know his meeting me was anything but - and shakes my hand, which I suffer through. I hate the archaic tradition. Who wants to have a strange man touch their hand? Lately I've avoided the gesture whenever possible, but after my freak-out it's the least I can do. Andrew turns back to hug Tina and whisper in her ear with a smirk. She giggles. I quickly glance around, relieved that only us, a few people directly around us, and Sam's pack even noticed my outburst.
But then I see a group of girls standing around a white BMW. There's no questioning where they fall in the high school hierarchy either. They are the popular girls. They are who I used to be. My old friends. My enemies. And the tall skinny one with the skimpy skirt and the ten pounds of makeup is nothing short ofgloweringat me. She flips her long, chemically straightened, black hair with practiced attitude. I swallow nervously before I realize where her gaze is locked, and it's not just on me - it's on Sam's hand on my shoulder. I quickly shrug out of his grip and he frowns at me.
"We've gotta go. Lunch," I explain.
I take care not to meet Sam's eyes, but his black wool coat gapes open and fully visible is his fitted tee shirt and jeans, and I realize that focusing on his body isn't any less distracting. His physique is clearly defined even through his clothing.Is that normal?No wonder Queen Bee over there was glaring at me. Befriending Sam is definitely not the way to stay off of that group's radar, which is currently my prime objective. I don't want the popular girls to know who I am. That is not the way to stay invisible.
And then Tucker is here. "Cap," he greets. "I see you're still hogging the new girl. Hi, new girl, I'm Tuck."
I say nothing.
Sam rolls his eyes. "Rory, this is Tuck, Andrew, Marshall, Dave, and Luke." He gestures to each man as he introduces them. Marshall and Dave laugh and playfully elbow each other. "Guys this is Rory, she's new."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Tuck says mock formally.
Carl's arm slides around me and she pulls me toward the car. "Okay, Tuck, leave her alone. Can't you see she's way out of your league?" she teases.
Tuck presses his palm to his chest like he's been mortally wounded, but his eyes crinkle with an amusement.
"Aw Carl, princess, you know you're the only woman for me!" Tuck calls as I climb into the back seat behind her. Carl rolls her eyes, but I don't miss the way her lips twitch a she fights a smile, before hopping into the drivers' seat.
****
The diner is no more than a five minute drive. Over lunch, Carl catches me up on life. From what she describes, I deduce that while she and Tina are not part of the clique with Queen Bee, they're nowhere near outcasts either. Obviously, Tina is dating one of the popular guys and Carl explains that while she and Tuck have never been in any kind of serious relationship, they've hooked up several times and they clearly like each other. Apparently Tuck is just a pathological flirt, as Sam had said, and I shouldn't take any of it personally. It's his way of being welcoming. He'sharmless.
There's that word again. But I know better. Of course he's harmless. Everyone is harmless. Until they're not. Robin used to be harmless too. I don't say any of this to Carl though.
"So how do you know Cap?" Tina asks. I blink back at her in confusion.
"Who?"
"Cap. Sam Caplan. Cap."
"Oh. I don't really. I was just late to my first class and he found me in the hallway," I explain.
"Lucky bitch," Tina teases, and she and Carl both laugh.
I may be a lot of things, butluckyisn't one of them.Bitch, maybe.
"Did you see Chelsea give her the death glare? When Cap came over in the lot?" Tina says to Carl with a hint of mischievous amusement.
"No. But it doesn't surprise me. It bugs her enough that he ignores her when she tries to flirt with him, and now he gives a girl some attention? It must be eating her alive!" They both giggle hysterically as if the idea of pissing off Chelsea, whom I assume is Queen Bee, is the best thing ever. I really don't blame them, everything about her screams "mean girl", but the fact thatI'mthe thing pissing her off - that makes me a target.
"Did they date?" I ask.
"In her fucking dreams... their families are friends, though," Carl replies. "Cap doesn't reallydate. He has this 'no girlfriends in high school' rule - Tuck told me. He hooks up, but the girl he used to hook up with graduated. She was older. I think Chelsea thought she'd get her chance this year, but he just ignores her and it drives her crazy. And now that she saw you two together-"
"She didn't see ustogether. And he wasn't giving meattention.He was just being nice. Because I'm new. He was... introducing me," I shrug and try to ignore my friends' skeptical looks. "What?!" I finally snap. Carl and Tina exchange a look.
"Maybe I'd believe that if Cap was the type to just randomly chat up some new girl. I mean, you've seen him!" Carl says excitedly.
