Page 69 of Chasing Infinity

As inconspicuously as possible, I give her a good look over. She really is quite frumpy. Her hair is an absolute rat’s nest as if it hasn’t been brushed in weeks and her clothes are wrinkled like they were left in the wash for too long.

“She’s kind of cute, in a weird way, though, don’t you think?” Jordan asks next to me. I jolt at being caught observing her, and I look back at Jordan. His eyes are glued to Addison Parks, too, just as mine had been. I resist the urge to punch him in the shoulder and instead sneer at him.

“No, definitely not. She looks poor.”

The boys laugh at my comment and return to whatever task our teacher goes to assign us next. While I feel the power of their amusement rolling off of me, I can’t help but throw my eyes back to her one more time. Jordan might have a point. Underneath all the mess, she’s notterribleto look at. I could even say she was kind of cute, but I already have a thing in the works with Rose. I don’t have time to worry about Addison Parks, despite how cute shecouldbe—if she ever learned what a hairbrush is.

Despite it all, though, I get more and more curious as I watch her at the back of the room. Her expression lights up animatedly as she talks to Sullivan and Monty, a big grin crossing her face that reaches up to her eyes. At that moment, I decide that I’ll have to further investigate what’s going on with this new girl. Perhaps inform her that she should make better decisions regarding friends.

My curiosity increases later in the week when I finally get the chance to interact with her face-to-face. I’d been forced to watch her raise her hand up in the air for every question all week. And as soon as she was called on, she’d rattle off the answer like an utterknow-it-all.I was thoroughly annoyed with her by the end of the first day.

When I run across her sitting atourtable during lunch, I finally take full advantage to let all the irritation with her out.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” I growl as I stomp up to the table.

Addison looks up, startled from the book she was getting absorbed into. Her wide hazel eyes show surprise for only a moment before they narrow at me in response to the attack. “I’m reading a book, obviously. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to sit at my table and eat my lunch,” I tell her bluntly. “Except it appears a washed-up street rat is sitting there instead.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see your name on the table,” she says back with feigned concern, attitude laces her tone, and a frown forms on her freckled face. “In fact, what did you say your name was again?”

Now I know for a fact we hadn’t been properly introduced at this time. I’d been avoiding her all week, not really willing to associate myself with the likes of her or her new best friends. Eli Montgomery and Charlie Sullivan had firmly attached themselves to her after that first day. Wherever she was, they weren’t far behind. I grew up with Eli and Charlie, and they were up there on my list of least favorite people. Out of all of the kids of the Founding Families in my class, they’re the ones I avoid the most. My father despises their fathers, so it only makes sense to follow his lead.

“You don’t know who I am?” I ask her, laying the arrogance on thick. I cross my arms over my chest, gripping the lunch box handle in my hand. Jordan and Caleb will likely be coming along soon, so I need to get this wrapped up quickly.

“Must not be that important,” she replies with a shrug. Then she leans off the bench she’s sitting on, extending her hand toward me. “I’m Addison Parks.”

“I know.”

“Well,clearly, you foundmeimportant enough to learn my name,” she says smugly, triumphantly. She takes her hand back when I refuse to accept the offering.

“No, I just remember you nearly falling out of your chair from raising your hand so high each morning during roll call,” I grind out in a nasty tone. “I’ve never seen someonethatexcited to be at school.”

“Well, now you have.”

“Look, are you going to move or what?” I ask her, getting impatient with this back and forth. “My friends will be coming soon, and I’d like to eat my lunch before we have to go back inside.”

“I’m actually sitting at this one right now, but I think there’s an open table across the field there.”

“Listen, Parks,” I growl at her, taking a few steps and closing the distance until I’m right in front of her. Addison is still sitting, so she comes face-to-face with my stomach until she looks up to meet my eyes. Her face is an equal display of the annoyance I feel roiling inside. “This ismytable. Ialwayssit here. So you need to move.”

Addison turns her nose up at me. “I don’t think so. I’m not going to move, so unless you’d like to have lunch with me, I’d suggest finding a new place to sit.” She waves her hand at me as if in a show of dismissal before diving back into the book sitting on the table.

“You’re going to regret this.”

“I doubt it,” she chirps. “See you later!”

I stand there for another moment, feeling like a complete idiot. She dismisses me and goes right back to reading her book as if our entire encounter never happened. Nothing will come to mind quickly enough so I can have the last word on the matter. Finally, thoroughly irritated now, I turn around and stomp off towards the other table that she pointed out.

From behind me, I hear her call out, “Have a nice lunch, Noah!”

I pause mid-stride and turn around to stare at her, my mouth falling open slightly in disbelief. So shedoesknow my name. She looks up at me right at that moment and meets my eyes. She flutters her fingers at me in a girly manner, meanwhile, shooting me one of those smiles which seems to light up her whole face before taking a bite of her sandwich and going back to her book. My blood starts to boil.

I spin around and grumble to myself, “Who’s not important now? Stupid little—“

“What’s going on?” Jordan’s voice questions as he comes to stand next to me. “Are we not sitting at our usual table today?”

“Apparently not,” I reply between my teeth. “Come on, we’ll just sit over here.”

---