Page 42 of Finding Fate

“Whatever.”

“Hey! Tuckman! Long time no see!” Noah Reynolds greeted as he opened a locker opposite the guys’. He started running a comb through his light, golden brown hair using the mirror on the inside of the door.

“What do you mean?” Tucker asked, now pulling on his jeans. “We hung out.”

“Yeah, mostly back in June when you were bagging chicks left and right. Respect, by the way. But when you started whatever that thing was with Izzy, you disappeared.”

“Yeah, the ladies seem kinda down,” Hector Gonzales said as he walked up. “I think they hoped you’d have dumped her by the time school started. They look crushed seeing you holding hands with her all day.”

“I thought y’all were just a fling.” Kyle shook his auburn head. “I never thought I’d see the day… Tucker Patterson…whipped! Say it isn’t true, man…”

“Can’t,” Tucker replied, rolling his eyes.

“I guess I’ll have to find something else to laugh at besides all those stupid looks girls would give you when you walked by,” he continued.

“Well, you won’t catch me stuck on one chick. This stud can’t be whipped. I was meant to spread the love if you know what I mean…” Noah said with a wink when he was done running the comb through his hair.

The group of friends stared at him, shaking their heads. “No,” Kyle replied, “we don’t know what you mean.”

“Fuck y’all,” he replied, slamming his locker door.

Tucker exchanged a look with Jet. “We’ll see what you say when you meet the right girl, man.”

“I just hope you’re getting some,” Hector threw in. “You could’ve had your pick of just about any girl at this school, but props on it being Izzy. She’s been an untapped, unreachable resource for years. Even Noah stopped trying with her.”

Noah shook his head. “Above my game.”

They all nodded. “Yeah, we know.”

Reaching for his shoes, Hector added, “At least Jet’s got access to some of that hot, twin ass.”

The room stayed silent for a few moments, the other guys very aware that Hector had more than likely just crossed the line. Jet and Tucker didn’t even have to exchange looks, both reaching to whack him upside the head.

“Ah, God, what’d I say?” he cried.

“So where’re you headed to now?” Jet asked when they left the locker rooms.

“Calculus with Izzy.” He’d been psyched to see he had his first and last class with her this year. “A great way to start and end the school day,” he thought as he headed to seventh period.

“Well, get ready for her to vent. People have been asking her questions about y’all dating all day. Three different girls came up to her when we were just walking to class, and when I ran into her before athletics, she said it was a big topic during dance class, too.”

“Yeah, ask Annie about how many stares I was getting during Economics. I feel like I’m on show or something,” he said, wondering how long people would be staring when he walked with her down the halls.

Jet shrugged. “They’ll get over it. Pretty soon, you two will be old news, and they’ll move on to something else.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll catch you later,” he said when they reached a split in the hallway, heading in opposite directions towards their final class of the day.

* * *

Jet saw Annie sitting by the windows when he entered their health class a few minutes later.

“Hey, babe, how’s your day been?” Annie asked him when he sat down in the seat next to hers.

“Not bad. Yours?”

“Typical. Oh, hey, Emma,” Annie said when the short, athletic blonde walked up.

“Hey, guys. I’m beginning to think that you’re following me around,” she joked, taking the seat in front of Annie.

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