What exactly is going on here? " David repeats, causing me to flinch inwardly at his angered tone. Merton sat staring at him with the meatloaf suspended in the air.
"Bro, we've been wondering where you'd gone" Ethan bounced up and flung his arm around David's neck, boyishly. I simultaneously stood up with Lisa, my duffel bag hung lowly on my left shoulder.
"Well we do have class now, we'll be leaving, thanks again Merton for all... These" I gestured awkwardly at the half eaten meal on the table. Lisa was already halfway out the door now and as I made to follow her, a strong palm wrapped itself around my wrist.
"Hey, we've got the same class remember" Merton drew me back gently and tucked me to his side. "And you do know that Mrs George never makes it on time for her classes. So we're finishing what we've started"
"Oh... But I've still not done my assignment yet" I couldn't help lying as my futile attempt to wriggle out of his grasp became more evident. Gawd I might die one day from all the flowery cologne and hard bodies.
Merton rolled his eyes. "Dude, I overheard you telling Alan how glad you were that Mrs George had stopped giving assignment" he laughed down at me, his adorable nose inches away from my brunette hair.
David stood watching, the other clique of football fanatics already leaving for practice. His facial expression was one of calm and indifference, like he didn't care what we did. I've never experienced his harsh side before, despite the many rumours about just how hostile he is. But now, watching him clench and unclench his tanned fists repeatedly goes a long way in showing just how angry he was right now.
"What happened to our table" he asked, his voice a sonorous undertone. Merton looked up from nuzzling my hair. He'd always been doing that since the first time I became friends with him, though Alan hasn't been cool with it. He's gone on several futile campaigns against the popular kids and Merton had openly disgraced him once. Since then they'd been sworn enemies and kept out of each other's way. I guess Alan must have been really intimidated to be able to keep shut like that, though his fiery cheeks and pale pink blush whenever Merton was near might mean something else.
"Well your babe showed up. She warned us to stay away from that particular table, that it was specially meant for you" Merton's hand worked the meatloaf slice into my mouth. I noticed how David's eyes darkened the more at this and it seemed his knuckles turned white.
"What makes you believe her, and... When did you meet him?" he ran a hand through his locks whispering the last part, though still audible enough for me to hear. This time I avoided his eyes, my fingertips tingling with uncertainty.
"We met a long time ago. Basically three weeks now," Merton answered quickly. This was true. He'd come over at our house since he'd been Tiberius's partner and had saved me from one of my step brother's pathetic blackmail. It had been a banter about my brand new iPod I had waited ages to get from Uncle Tom. Tiberius, like a cunning tortoise had cornered me while I did the laundry and had sassily demanded for it. Well not like I didn't expect it to come sooner, he'd tried severally to get his cursed hands on them, had wrecked my room too but knowing just where he'd go in search of it I hid it in the kitchen. Perhaps frustrated by his futile attempts at acquiring them by theft, he idly asked of it.
Well I'd refused. It was the latest model and had also been a late birthday gift from Uncle Tom. Needless to say, Aunt Lindsey had bought him those exact same type for him. So outrightly refusing, he'd gone into blackmail mode... And Merton, like a Greek god he really is obviously became impatient of waiting for his tardy partner and stumbling through the open laundry door had gotten there just in time to witness Tiberius at his worst and had saved me.
Our friendship began from there and had grown even more when He saved me from a bunch of street bullies when I'd gone out by 9:00 at night at Aunt Lindsey's instructions to buy some oil from a grocery store. I'd lost a tooth and gotten my nose slightly cracked and even now that the wound has healed I still felt the pain. He'd been passing by and recognising my spiteful, writhing curled up self in a ditch surrounded by glaring, smelly street boys had plunged in to my rescue. I watched him take out all of them, displaying skills I'll never know. He'd taken me to his house and had gotten me all patched up. He even had to escort me home and had practically waited to see the front door securely locked before turning back home.
"Did he ask you to feed him? He's not a kid you know. He can eat on his own" David exclaimed, obviously disgusted by the way Merton fed and wiped my mouth at the same time. Okay now I might actually puke.
"Relax, the dude's cool with it" he nuzzled my hair affectionately. I smiled sheepishly, revealing my teeth filled with flecks of meatloaf particles. He chuckled adorably and pecked my forehead.
Okay now David looks like he's about to lose it.
"You can't go.... "
"Merton" Ethan hollered from the door, his football outfit emitting a low drowsing smell of heavy sweat that made my nose tip tingle. Merton looks up apprehensive, more like anger if you ask me.
"Coach's asking of you"
He finally let's go of my fragile neck, much to my relief. Well, the storm in David's eyes had cleared and he looked relieved too.