"Obviously the way to your heart is through food," Caleb laughingly comments. In a moment of vulnerability, I laugh with him, my voice carrying across the room.
Then I remember that I am not supposed to even smile in Caleb's presence.
However, I have no time to wipe off my grin, for the biggest fish in the sea is swimming our way.
In other words, Britney, and two of her girls following behind her as backup. I don't even know their names, nor does most of the school's population. They are just known as Britney's girls, only good for fake laughs and compliments. Just what Britney needed.
She troops over to us from her royal throne, flipping her blonde hair back from her face every few seconds, confidently strutting in her five-inch tall golden pumps. With a skirt about five inches above the dress code requirements and a blouse with a bit too many buttons undone, she has successfully secured the stares of every boy in school.
Finally reaching our table, she cast Caleb a smile not unlike the one she used a couple of hours ago.
"Hey," she tries to make her voice smooth and sweet.
"I'm Britney, and these are two of my girls."
I almost laugh when I notice that even Britney doesn't say their names.
Caleb takes another bite of his delicious steak, and then looks up into Britney's most-likely-modified face.
"You probably know my name," he says plainly, clearly uninterested.
Britney looks surprised, but she quickly recovers, reaching to the end of her now mini-skirt and fingering it, trying to draw his attention to her bronzed thighs that are muscular, yet slender.
He doesn't notice her efforts, looking to the ceiling, then back at his delectable steak.
"Do you want to sit with us?" she offers quickly, "Away from this reject?"
I wince at the word reject, at the way she doesn't even look at me, as if I am worth nothing. Away in the background, I see three spots left open, one for Britney and two for her girls.
"There's no spots," he tries to evade a direct answer, but that doesn't stop Britney. With a snap of her fingers, an A-list jock is immediately dismissed, degraded to a b status. Now there is Bryson, two other jocks, and one of her girls sitting at the table.
"For you," she tells him, a seductive expression gracing her features, "there is always a spot."
"I decline," he says abruptly, digging back into his meat.
Britney just stands, her mouth in a perfectly lip-glossed "o".
"B-but-t," she stutters, "no one ever declines!" Her words are forced, cheerfulness evaporating. I see a sliver of doubt enter her, a drop of low esteem slipping into her bloodstream.
"Well," he says after wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"I am no one. I can do whatever the crap I want. And right now, I don't want to sit at your table."
Her eyes widened, her voice strained. The whole lunchroom is staring at us, and I suddenly feel as if we are under a spotlight, unable to escape from it.
"So you are just going to sit with this loser?" she finally casts a hate filled glare at my form.
Abruptly, I start to shiver as I am turned to ice by her gaze. I can tell, at that moment, that she wants me completely and utterly dead.
Caleb stares at her face, not once wavering. "Please, Cindy-"
"Britney," she dryly corrects, most likely a first for her.
"Sorry," he apologizes, and then continues, "It's just that Berenice will be alone, if I leave her to go with you, and I can't allow that."
He speaks calmly and gentlemanly, respect now in his tone. I blush at his words, the redness blooming on my slightly pale cheeks.
Britney glances at me, as if she was really looking at me for the first time.
"Berenice," she murmurs to herself, as if she was trying to remember my name.
Then she perks up and smiles once more at Caleb.
"Okay then," she says, "maybe another time."
With another snap of her fingers, all three of them turn and start strutting towards the royalty table.
However, when Caleb's head is turned, she looks back and shoots me a glance of pure loathing. The shivers begin again; creeping up and down my spines, chilling me to the bone.
I return my gaze to Caleb finally, my fork lingering over the last bite of steak.
"Are you not hungry?" he asks curiously.
I barely shake my head, the coldness freezing me silent. I eat the last piece, chewing it robotically.
Suddenly, a warm hand encircles mine, bringing me everlasting warmth. Caleb propels my hand towards his meat, stabbing a juicy piece with my fork.
"Try this," he softly suggests.
Drawing my hand and fork towards my face, he prompts me to eat it, awakening butterflies in my stomach. I am now a giant red tomato, with cheeks as red as a fire engine.
"Is it good?" he asks, smiling, gently releasing my arm from his grip.
Girls all across the lunchroom stare in envy and disgust at my form, Caleb's fan club probably already planning an ambush.
"Yes," I murmur, distracted by the way his eyes sparkle in the light.
His meat is a little different, yet just as good. Embarrassment flickers across my features as I realize that I am staring.
Caleb chuckles, and then shoots me a wink.
"I can't wait to introduce you to Jim," he laughs.
"He will have you melting into a puddle on the floor."
"Jim?" I ask curiously.
"Only the biggest flirt in the whole world," he smiles, "You'll meet him at the mansion after school."
"Oh really…" I say, not quite grasping his words. Then, I suddenly understood.
"What mansion?! I never heard you talk about going to a mansion!"
"Um, Berenice? I told you about it before we got to school," he clarifies, my lack of memory surprising him.
I scoff, my red hair waving slightly, "Oh yeah, I remember... but you weren't serious, were you?"
"Of course I was," he says seriously.
I start to laugh, merry pearls of joy that reverberates around the lunchroom.
"There is no way you are taking me there," I reply.
I am NOT going to a mansion alone with Caleb. For all I know, he might kill me in the forest and eat me.
Well, I guess that would defeat the purpose of saving me from definite death, but still.
"You wanna bet?" he asks dangerously, his eyes alight.
I look at the floor, not wanting to say anything. If I do spit out a word, he might pick me up and carry me out of the lunchroom to the mansion right now, in front of the whole school.
Yep. Silence is best right now. And careful planning, of course.
I'll just escape from him...