David's POV
Ever since that day at the footy field Joe and I have become friends, well by that I mean we make small talk and I don't insult him every second. I still don't believe what he said about not being perfect but he seems like a decent person so I'll let it slide. His brother Ollie is really cute and I guess he's like a small version of Joe, not that I think that he's Joe's cute. I definitely don't. Not at all.
"David are you listening?" Mrs. Banci snaps and I'm brought out of my train of thought removing my eyes from Joe and towards the teacher, from the corner of my eye I see Joe giving me an amused face which I choose to ignore.
"Sorry Mrs" I say and she gives me a stern looks and then continues what she was saying.
"As I was saying I'm going to be conducting orals at the end of the week. You will be doing them in pairs" that makes the class burst into chatter and earns an eye roll from the teacher. "Yes you can choose your own partners. I'll be posting the criteria online, now choose your partner and get to work" She tells the class before she sits behind her desk and goes on her laptop. Chiara immediately turns to me and batts her eyelashes a sickly sweet smile on her face.
"Hey David, you can be my partner. My parents aren't home tonight so we can work on it after school" I look at her before I let me eyes scan the classroom and fall on Joe. He does't know anybody in the class and he looks a little hopeless.
"Sorry" I say once I turn back to Chiara "I'm already working with Joe"
I get up and make my way over to him trying to ignore Chiara saying that she asked me first. I slide into the seat next to him and he set me with a curious gaze.
"What are you doing?" He asks me.
"Well you are my tutor so I figured we should work together" I say smoothly ignoring the fact that I actually wanted to work with him and he nods his head in agreement. "Yeah makes sense" he replies.
"Well it's due at the end of the week so why don't we go to my house tomorrow instead of the library and then we can work on it for longer" He tells me which makes sense except that I'm working. I don't want to tell Joe that I have a part time job because I know he'll think less of me so instead I agree with him. I'll have to ask Scott to cover my shift for tomorrow.
Once class is over we start to walk out together. Joe groans beside me and I turn to him and raise an eyebrow in his direction.
"What's wrong?" I ask and he shakes his head.
"Nothing" he sighs "I just remembered that Josh and Ally are on a photography excursion so I'll have to sit and eat my lunch alone under the tree"
"You can come and sit with me and my friends" I reply before my brain can even process what I just asked him.
"Are you sure? Won't your friends mind?" He asks me looking a little shy and I shrug. Adam and Blake are pretty chill so I doubt that they'll would mind if Joe tagged along for today.
"Nah they won't care if you're there" I say and following him towards his locker. He awkwardly crouches down once he reaches his locker and places his books in his locker before pulling out his lunch.
"Haha you have a bottom locker. Sucks to be you. "I laugh out at him to which he scowls at me and throws me his sandwich.
"Hey, be nice" He warns but I notice the smile playing on his lips. He follows me to my locker and waits while I grab my lunch. We walk together towards the football oval in silence but it's not tense.
"Hey guys" I greet while sitting down with my friends and interrupting their current argument.
"Sup" Blake greets with a nod of his head while Adam gives a salute. They both stare above my head, I turn around to see Joe standing there playing with his fingers.
"Come on, sit down" I tell him patting the spot next to me on the ground. He hesitates and then sits, our knees gently brushing for a second and I ignore the feeling it gives me.
"Guys this is Joe" I introduce him my friends "Joe these are my friends Blake and Adam" They give him nods and Joe gently waves at them and says a shy hey.
"So you're new?" Blake asked and Joe nods his head.
"Yeah I moved here from Sydney because my dad got a new job." He replied and they nod.
"That'a cool, I've always wanted to go" Adam chimes in and I nod in agreement.
"Yeah you should, there's lots to do there." Joe replies getting excited about his old home "If you haven't been to Bondi beach you totally should."
"Yeah it looks fun. You know apart from all the people who get stuck in rips" He laugh in response, it's a sound I wouldn't mind earring again… and again and again.
"If you swim between the flags you'll be fine" Joe tells him and Blake nods again.
"So do you guys play football as well?" Joe ask them and they perk up in response we all get pretty enthusiastic when it comes to football.
"Yeah we're both on the team. It's fun except for the early morning practices" Adam says and Blake rolls his eyes.
"They're not that bad but Adam is just a drama queen" Blake says and Joe and I chuckle at the two of them.
"Hey I am not. They're bad right David?" I was staring at the way the sun is reflecting on Joe's face so it takes me a second to realise that they're talking to me.
"Huh?" I ask shaking my thoughts out slightly and moving my eye line from Joe towards Adam.
"The early morning footy games suck right?" Adam repeats and and I nod my head.
"Yep they suck" I agree trying to shake off the fact that I was blatantly staring Joe and the others sae me.
"Hey guys" Chloe says bounding up to us her red hair flying behind her. A huge smile spreads across Blake's face and he opens his arms for her.
"Hey babe" He greets once she's settled in his lap and places a kiss on her cheek. I smile longingly at them.
"Hey Joe what are you doing here?" She asks turning towards him and smiling.
"Well Ally and Josh are on that photography trip and I don't really have any other friends so David" he gestures towards me "graciously offered to let me sit with these guys so I won't be a loner eating under a tree by myself" Chloe laughs at him and he laughs too. I didn't know they were so close.
"Hey you could have come and found me, I'd eat with you" She offers and for some reason it stirs something ugly within me.
"Thanks" He replies smiling at her.
"How do you two know each other?" I asks from beside them.
"We're in Chemistry together" Joe responds and Chloe nods.
"He basically saved my life, I didn't understand how to do some of the important calculations but he explained it so easily that I understood how. Now I won't fail my test." She raises her hand and he meets it in a high five.
"And who do you two know each other?" she says wagging her finger between Joe and I.
"Oh I started tutoring him for Italian" Joe says.
"Ha. That couldn't have been easy David's terrible at Italian" Blake says smirking and I send him a glare.
"Actually I think he's good but he just lacks confidence in himself" Joe replies and I turn to him with my mouth open in shock. He smiles at me and I smile back but Blake and Adam are just snickering in the background. I turn back to them and glare.
"Hey you heard the man, I'm good" I say sticking my chin up but they roll their eyes.
"Whatever" They say at the same time.
"I'm surprised you could put up with him, he can be an ass sometimes" Adam says and Joe starts laughing at him.
"You don't have to tell me" He replies and now I fix Joe with a glare.
"Hey!" I protest but he's just smirking at me now. I huff and turn away from him but then I feel him nudge me so I turn back to him and see that he's looking up at me.
"You're not that bad… most of the time" he says with a gentle smile that has me smiling back at him. I look up to see Adam giving me a curious look but I choose to ignore it.