Page 10 of Loved By The Bad Boy

Settling down on the seat I vacated, I prop my elbows on the table and offer her my biggest, most genuine smile since I arrived New York. “Don’t call me Theresa, or I’ll punch you. That’s what.”

Calum hurries to help her, and I make a show of dropping my bag on his spot. Good riddance. I snort when he rips his shirt sleeve, holding it against Mira’s nose to stop the bleeding. It was just a punch. Maybe I shouldn’t have packed all that anger into the right hook to her face. It’s a surprise no teacher storms into the cafeteria, and even more surprising how quickly everything returns to normal.

Mira fixes me a stern gaze when the bleeding subsides. I repay with a grim smile.

“Bitch, you broke my nose.”

“You called me Theresa,” I mumble. “Don’t call me Theresa. My name is Tessa.”

Calum gives me a look of disapproval. The other girl too. But it stings more coming from my only accomplice. I guess they have picked their sides. It’s okay since I am used to being alone. I flex my fingers under the table. The other girl glares. I don’t understand how someone as pretty and coordinated as her can stand Mira. Mira is pretty, but it’s hard to notice beneath that makeup.

“Look, I just don’t like being called Theresa, alright? I don’t want to fight you.” I raise my hands in surrender, and Mira rolls her eyes. She plucks out the soaked sleeve in her nose and shoves it into her empty can of Sprite. Calum laughs. I think we are cool again, so I push my tray to him. He can have the fries. Mira sneers as he grabs a handful from my plate. “Are we cool or whatever?”

“Whatever,” Mira mutters. Her eyes lower to my coke. I offer it as a peace offering. She snatches it from me and takes a sip. I cringe when she belches, but the others at the table don’t bat an eyelid. She dumps the can on the table. “So, Tessa… what are you doing in Crescent High?”

“What the rest of you are doing. Studying.”

Calum slumps over with laughter. He finds everything funny. He throws his arm around a stiff Mira, and she shrugs it off. I give her a mental applause. We might get along if she finds Calum as annoying as I do. Taking the hint that Mira doesn’t appreciate his presence, he returns to my side. He removes my bag and sits with a wide grin. He is not bad, but he smiles way too much.

“Her parents were moving,” Calum volunteers seconds after I say nothing. I step on his foot, and he groans. The other two girls watch us in silence. Looking at me, he murmurs, “You didn’t want me to tell them? You should have said that earlier. We don’t keep secrets from each other here.”

Good for me then, since I don’t belong here.

“Is that the real reason?” Mira asks.

I don’t know what the girl hopes to hear. “Before then, I was suspended for fighting.” The table shares a look. Calum pats me on the shoulder. “What about you guys? What’s your story?”

The question is directed at all of them. My finger points at Mira. “You first, Mira.” She shrugs. Her friend does the same. I do my best to keep my smile on my lips. “Fine. You first, Calum.”

“No story,” Calum says. He finishes the leftover fries on my plate and grins like a little boy as he pushes the tray to my front. See? Annoying. “We are a new band. Lucas and Sam are not here.”

I don’t know those two he mentioned, but I nod.

Holding a hand to his chest, he resumes the introduction. “You already know my name.” Against my will, but he doesn’t need to hear that. “I’m the lead singer, and I also play the guitar. Sam and Lucas sing and play the guitar as well. Mostly Luc. Sam does more of the drumming. Mira too.”

I gesture to the girl on bangs seated beside Mira. They look like more than friends.

“Imani sounds like a frog when singing. She’s not allowed anywhere near a microphone,” Mira adds with a straight face that makes it harder to tell if it’s a joke. She turns to Imani. “Sorry.”

The girl in question says something to Mira. If Imani didn’t look pissed, I would think they were a couple. Mira frowns. They go off in whispers, leaving me with the only male in the group.

“That’s how they are,” Calum whispers in my ear. “You will get used to it.”

I see them kiss from my periphery, and Imani wipes her mouth. I almost smile. Yeah, they are a couple. However, I wouldn’t do that if Ben kissed me. If we were at BH, I would be seated on his lap. I fist my hands under the table as the pangs of loneliness hit me. Nope, I don’t miss him.

“I don’t sound like a frog,” Imani mutters when they finish their silent argument. It’s my first time hearing her speak. She has a lovely voice that’s fit for a band. “I sound like a cricket.”

Yes, they are weird. All three of them. I’ll fit in with them alright.

My stomach grumbles. Imani smiles and offers me her burger. “Do you sing, Tessa?”

“Nope.”

“Good. We can both be in the band for moral support.” Imani retrieves a flier from her pocket and stretches it to me. I don’t think no is an option with her. “Here, we have our first gig next week Friday. You can come, right? You should totally come. My babies need all the support.”

“We are not your babies,” Calum corrects. His tone sounds like this is a conversation they have had in the past, and the look on her face says he’s losing. “We are a band with grown teenagers.”

“I said what I said. My babies.”

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