Page 4 of We're At It Again

“Do you have any plans this weekend?”

“Yes.”

I wasn’t in the mood for her charms. Her advances were relentless. My gaze scanned the room until it landed on a lone figure in the back row. Luna. She focused her attention on a piece of paper on her desk. Her pencil flicked back and forth on it. She always loved to draw. Without hesitation, I approached her, leaving Stacy and her rambling behind. I slid into the seat beside her, flashing her a charming grin.

“What are you drawing?”

Her reaction was less than welcoming as she glanced up with a guarded expression. There was a flicker of annoyance in her eyes, conveying her displeasure with my company.

“Why are you sitting next to me?”

I placed my chin in my hands, my eyes alight with a mischievous spark.

“I believe I asked first.”

Her grip on the pencil tightened, but I was determined to break through her icy exterior.

“They’re just doodles.” She said, her tone curt. “Now that you have your answer, we can stop talking.”

I was about to muster a witty remark, but Mrs. Dupont walked in. As the lesson began, the tension between us simmered beneath the surface, a silent reminder of the past that lingered like a ghost in the room.

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3

LUNA

I ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF ON HAVING AN IMPENETRABLE GIFT OF CONTROL. I have never been one to lose myself, having mastered the art of keeping my emotions locked away with no opportunity to escape. However, my control flew out the window the second I was in the presence of Hudson. As if he was an overloaded neutron to my scarce proton–we cause an unstable balance in nature.

Lunch couldn’t come sooner. The rambunctious cafeteria buzzed with teenagers just as hungry as I was. Everyone stood in line like animals to a river.

Retrieving my lunch, I did a quick scan of the room. Maya waved from our usual table. A warm smile lit up my face as I walked over and slid into the seat beside her.

She delved into explaining what she did with her cousins in South America, and I filled her in on the boredom I endured without her. Austin, flanked by the rest of the popular crowd, interrupted our conversation. With his patented grin, he kissed my cheek before settling into the seat across from us. The rest of the football and cheerleading teams followed suit.

Despite being a cheerleader myself, I couldn’t shake being out of place among the glamorous squad. Maya and I were spectators as they joked and laughed. A sense of discomfort gnawed from within.

Kyle, Austin’s closest friend, pointed at a nearby table. The resident misfit table. Hudson’s table. The mischievous glint in Austin’s eyes was unsettling. My stomach clenched as he grabbed the apple from his tray, his aim locked on the target as if it were a football match.

With athletic ease, the apple flew, hitting Hudson’s head. The cafeteria fell silent, their eyes darting back and forth between the unfolding confrontation.

Hudson rose from his seat, his eyes blazing with fury as he stalked toward our table. My throat closed from the thickened tension in the air.

“Real mature, Chambers.”

His voice was low and menacing, his fists clenched at his sides. Austin, empowered by the support of his friends, stood his ground. He jutted his chin out.

“Learn to take a joke.” He retorted; his tone laced with arrogance.

The atmosphere grew more charged as the verbal confrontation escalated. And then, in a flash of movement, the confrontation turned physical. With a roar of anger, Hudson launched himself at Austin, their fists colliding in a flurry of blows as chaos erupted around them, causing tables to overturn, food to scatter, and the once bustling cafeteria to descend into pandemonium.

I pleaded for them to stop, but it was in vain. As the tension in the cafeteria reached its peak, a sense of urgency hung heavy in the air. Austin’s friends waded into the fray; their arms outstretched as they attempted to pull them apart.

“Hudson, break it up.” Eli, a guy I’d seen him hang out with, said.

He joined in on the commotion. With a collective effort, they hauled them apart. Grunts and curses filled the air as they fought against their friends’ hold. I watched the scene unfold, sighing in relief as the chaos settled. My emotions were a turbulent whirlwind as I locked eyes with Austin.

“Luna-”

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