Song Above: BANNERS Start A Riot

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"I don't know why you eat those," Rose turned her nose up at the celery in my hand.

I narrowed my eyes taking another bite, "It's good for you,"

"It's tasteless," She corrected

"You're tasteless," I said with my mouth full and she rolled her eyes, leaned back in her chair and flipped me the bird.

I laughed hard, so hard my stomach strained and I thought I might grow some abs. I had to hold the table in order to regain myself and I don't know why I thought this was so funny. Maybe I'd truly lost it.

"What's so funny?" I looked up to see Ryan and Brody hovering by our table with their food trays in hand. My laughter stopped.

"Nothing really," I said and it was true.

"Right," Ryan said suspiciously slipping into a seat, whilst Brody followed.

Both boys were sat as far away from me as they possibly could be. I secretly sniffed my armpit in the hope it wasn't because I smelled but I knew the real reason.

Ever since the escape room, Brody had avoided me. It felt like it was an ongoing cycle of him being okay, then not being okay, then being okay again and I just couldn't deal. He had kissed me. Fact. We could pretend that it never happened until our faces turned blue if that's the game he wants to play. Then game on.

Ryan on the other hand didn't exactly avoid me, but he didn't make the effort to find me. There was an unmissable tension since I rejected him. One I couldn't shake. There was no reason for him to be mad because I wasn't ready to sleep with him. Come on it's 2019 for god sake. Get a grip. I just had this weird sixth sense that something else was going on.

Whether I wanted to find out that was the question.

"How's your day been?" Rose asked completely unaware of the awkwardness and tension at the table. Sometimes I wished I could be in Rose's world. It must be so safe and peaceful there.

Brody coughed to clear his throat, "I just had Geography and I swear Mrs. Crey wants to kill me,"

"Miss Crey wants to kill everyone," Ryan chuckled shaking his head and then taking a bite into his sandwich.

"She's always been nice to me," I shrugged and both boys looked at me, their expressions blank and unresponsive. I gulped and took another chunk of celery into my mouth so I didn't have to speak anymore.

"You excited for your birthday Rose?" Ryan asked.

It was weird that my boyfriend and my best friend's birthday weren't that far apart.

"Yeah super excited actually, don't know what I want to do yet," She smiled and I noticed her hand move to Brody's lap under the table. He didn't react to it and carried on eating his lunch.

"Hopefully it won't  be as bad as last year," I said

Roses cheeks turned pink at the memory "I don't think anything could be worse than last year,"

"What happened last year?" Ryan asked and we both burst out laughing.

"Let's just say there were cake, lanterns, and pandas involved," Rose said after regaining herself.

"You got any special plans for her?" Ryan directed at Brody and he rolled his eyes.

"Not any that I'm going to tell you," He said through a mouth full, I watched as he took a gulp of water and as he put the bottle down our eyes met for the first time today.

Static. I felt like a static electricity current had shocked me and I quickly looked away and diverted my eyes to my food. I played with the hummus on my plate and listened as their conversation went from Rose's birthday to soccer, to the new joker movie, to Rose threatening to kill them if they spoiled anything. I listened to their laughter and jokes wishing I could join in but I couldn't bring myself to.

I felt like an outsider.

The tablet vibrated followed by a buzz and I glanced at the phone next to me. I squinted to see the name on the screen but a hand had swiped the phone before I could see. I looked up to see Ryan staring at me with a sheepish expression. He quickly looked down at his phone and then looked back at me. He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

A thought entered his head and he quickly got to his feet, "I've got to go, guys, I was supposed to be helping out at the science lab,"

"You're such a nerd," Brody muttered loud enough for only Rose and me to hear.

"I'll see you later okay?" He grabbed the remains of his lunch and packed it away in his backpack. He turned to walk away but stopped as if he had forgotten something.

He walked back over to the table, leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. It was over in seconds.

"I'll call you later," He breathed, straightened up and adjusted his backpack. He flashed another smile in my direction and walked out of the canteen.

As if on queue Rose's phone vibrated, she looked down at the screen her eyes widening and jumped to her feet.

"I have to go," She rushed gathering her things in a heap in her arms.

"All okay?" I cocked a brow. It was very rare that Rose got flustered.

"Yeah," She looked up at me as if she'd forgotten I was there, "Yeah everything is fine, I just forgot I was supposed to be somewhere,"

"Okay," I said slowly.

Where did she need to be that was so important?

"I'll catch you later, see you in third period Ivy," The corners of her lips quirked up and only I noticed them waver. She leaned down gave Brody a kiss on his cheek. He had a bored expression on his face and she left.

Then there were two.

The table went quiet. I sat staring at the rest of my lunch, my foot tapping up and down. I could hear Brody slowly chewing his sandwich. I hear him tear open his cola can and take a long sip. He placed it on the table and sucked in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry,"

He saw the shock register on my face before I could hide it. A smile played at his lips as he watched me squirm.

"You're sorry? Sorry for what?"

"For kissing you," Oh. There he said it. He had said it out loud. My eyes frantically scanned the canteen in the hope no one had heard.

I shifted in my seat and swallowed a lump that had formed at the back of my throat, "Um, it's okay, you don't have to be sorry,"

He let out a sigh, "I do, I shouldn't have done it, it wasn't fair,"

It wasn't fair? Fair to who? Me? Did he know my feelings towards him?

At the thought of him knowing this whole time I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

"What do you mean?" My mouth is almost too dry to speak. I quickly pop open my water bottle and take a large greedy sip. I wipe my mouth with the back of my arm and place my bottle on the table. All the while he is watching me.

"For Ryan and Rose," He looks at me like that is the only answer.

I nod like an idiot and croak out, "Yeah of course, well it was a mistake anyway,"

Something flashed beneath the surface of his hardened expression and I hurried to investigate the sudden shift. It was too late, the emotion disappeared before I could identify it, "Yeah it was,"

Even though I had said it, hearing him say it hurt. It hurt quite a lot actually.

"Well glad we have that agreed," I muttered, my shoulders slumping and my eyes casting down to my food.

"I need to go to the mall after school, wanna come?" My eyes shot up and my face didn't even bother to feign confusion. My mouth was pursed but slightly open and loose.

His expression gave nothing away as per as he added, "I need to get Rose's present and I need your help since your her best friend," Yeah, thanks for pointing that out, "I was thinking about a surprise party? What do you think?"

I gulp, "Yeah, she'd like that,"

"I've got practice, so can meet you by the benches after?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then,"

He nodded his head and carried on eating his lunch, whilst I tried to contain the mixture of emotions swirling inside me fighting to reach the surface and burst like a firework.

Only 16 more chapters until this story are finished *gasps*

I know it's been a slow, frustrating and downright teasing but I promise you in chapters to come shit will hit the fan. Not literately tho.

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D xxxx