(Lila's P.O.V)

"Maybe you were actually a bit mean." Nora puckered her lips, swirling her fork in the noodles on her cafeteria plate. They looked good. Tasted even better.

I would know. Because unlike her, I was also eating them.

"Not maybe."

"You're mean."

"Thought we already settled that back in Sophomore year?" I quirked a brow in amusement as the blonde narrowed her eyes at me, hiding behind her glasses.

"Poor Derek."

I nodded wistfully. "Yes, poor Derek. Not poor me. Because your best friend doesn't matter."

I thought maybe there'd be something different between Derek and I after he saw me–in Wildcat form –fight. Not like he knew who I was but I expected a torrent of how hot she–I–was and how he'd like to bang me or something. That kind of words from him bombarding me first thing in the morning was what I was expecting.

All he'd done was casually ask me if I'd ever seen The Wildcat fight. I said yes and he gave me a nod of acknowledgement with the words, "She's really a good fighter though. The body's a given.The mystery is addicting."

I was curious, like any normal person, at his unique response and words but I wasn't going to broach the subject. The lesser my second identity and I were to interact in conversations, the better for me.

Yet, with today being Wednesday, I was sad to report that Derek's experience at Blue hadn't taken his attention off of me. I'm not sure if I want him to focus on me or Wildcat. Neither is appealing or any better.

And I also arrived at the conclusion that I'd need to visit Blue again today for a good workout. I had too much violent energy gathering. Maybe I'd even spar with Diego because I definitely wanted to hit flesh and not animate objects.

Nothing had changed and Derek was still as worthy of his nickname as Looney Tunes as he had been last week.

Nora rolled her eyes, "He's not that bad. You give him a hard time. Have you seen how hot he is? You're better than him though, don't worry."

I stopped chewing mid-way to give her a glare.

She slapped my shoulder playfully and I gave a droll look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, James."

"He's still recovering from the James prank by the way." Nora mused, giggling, finally eating some of the long noodles. "It was funny. But mean."

She's such an angel.

"You seem to like him." I commented and stuffed myself with more noodles.

Nora nodded, "He amuses me because he gets you so irritated."

I sighed and looked at her, considering if she deserved her glasses to be hidden for a day or two. I decided it wouldn't hurt as much as her betrayal.

Heh.

"By the way, Michael and I exchanged numbers." Nora was almost squealing. "We–"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I stopped her, my fork hanging in mid-air as I gave her an incredulous look.

She returned it with a curious one telling me to get on with it so she could continue.

"You didn't have his number till now?"

Nora blushed hard and looked away in embarrassment, fiddling with her glasses.  "Um. Well...."

I now saw her in a new light. The light where it's possible for someone like Nora to not have Michael's number despite going to the same school for three years. Plus the only other people she and I even interact with are War and Michael so I don't get it.

"You're really something, Nora." I bit my lip to stop my smile as she groaned.

"Shut up, Lila. You're really, really mean." The blonde fake sniffled and I watched happily, chewing another mouthful of the tasty food. "The worst part is I can't even dub you an ice queen because you're not icy or cold. You're just...." She seemed to be having a tough time finding a good adjective for me.

I internally cackled –agreeing with her, of course–and shoved another forkful of the quickly finishing noodles into my mouth. 

Her conclusion made my eyebrow twitch in irritation though. "Yeah, you're just...bleh."

"Nora, sweetie, I don't think that's an acceptable adjective." I'm not offended, not really. I'm just.....

Bleh?! Seriously?

"Who said that? It totally suits you." War slipped into the empty seat beside me and I stilled.

No. No. NO.

"Miss me, Kitkat?" The other empty seat besides me was filled in by Looney Tunes and a long exhale passed between my lips.

Calm, Lila. Just because you can and you want to show Derek a good time –in the ring, of course–doesn't mean you can deform his handsome face. Nope.

I watched as the only good thing coming out of the two taking a seat at Nora and my table happened. Michael sat next to the blonde nerd I called my best friend and flashed her a warm smile.

Of course that act was enough to get her blushing.

"How about this Friday as a good date–"

Meanwhile, I was getting productive stuff done too.

Stuff like shoving a large forkful of my almost finished yummy noodles into the chestnut haired Soccer Captain's mouth to shut him up.

"That does sound like a good date for holding your funeral." I acknowledged, abandoning my food.

Oh well, I was full and it was doing a much better job than me at making Warren keep his mouth closed. I glanced at him to see my master work.

Yup, amazing job. Well done.

He looked like someone had shoved a fork down his throat with at least three helpings of noodles.

Oh wait! Someone–AKA me–did! 

He looked so nice like this. I smiled faintly. He glared at me, chomping down on the food.

As we all know, the moment didn't last long because one pull at my braid and I swung my glare at Derek. 

"As much as I appreciate you shutting him up, it's kinda rude, Kitkat." He was sympathizing with Warren. Sympathizing for god's sake.

But then again, maybe he should. I'd only do him a worse one than Warren after all. 

Pulling my braid free from his pretty loose grip I batted his hand from coming near my cheek. He pouted, his blue-black hair falling wayward over his forehead in an attractive sweep that was accentuated by the copper eyes laying under dark eyebrows and lashes alike.

"Derek, I just saw you in fourth period. This was supposed to be my reprieve." 

I swung my stormy gaze towards Michael who was listening to Nora say something about how she finally completed her bio-luminescent lamp project. "What's this lunatic doing at the unpopular table? No wait, why are all three of you here?"

Nora shot me a glare, her cheeks still pink as she inched herself closer to Michael. I barely contained my eye roll.

War and Michael do sit with us. This isn't an anomaly, not by a long shot. But it's like, ten days in a month. I thought that with Derek here, they'd choose to spend the time on their cheer and soccer table in the centre of the cafeteria. Unfortunately, Warren's not to be deterred. 

Not that I blame him. Our dynamic is a bit complicated.

Michael's blue eyes flicked towards me and he glanced at Warren who was almost done with finishing his food. The blonde guy snickered in amusement and then glanced at Derek who was hissing under his breath. Michael put a fist to his mouth to contain his chuckle but Nora outright giggled.

Oh, did I mention I was pulling Derek's ear like a grade school teacher or a mom angry at her toddler would? No? 

Well, now you know. No harm done.

"Kitkat, you know I'm letting you do this, right?" Derek groaned and I twisted his ear further as I waited for Michael to speak. "Ow, ow, ow. Fuck, Lila, why are you torturing me?"

I gave him an appalled look, loosening my grip a bit which elicited a breath of relief from him. "You've been an annoyance to me for a while now, this is my right. Free country and all, you know."

Micheal cut in, "We thought we'd give you some company. That's all. You guys looked so alone."

I like being alone sometimes, thank you very much. 

Especially if this kind of alone is a package deal that states: alone-with-her-best-friend-eating-delicious-noodles-and-free-of-the-human-infestation-called-Derek Greyson-that-comes-with-a-side-piece-of-Warren Knight.

A bit long if you ask me but it gets the point across. Inside my head yes but it is what it is.

I sighed, letting go of Derek and sulking internally as Warren chimed in, "That was so rude, Lila."

"Rude is all I'll be when you and this lunatic are in the equation. Get used to it." My blunt words may as well have gone over their heads with how easily they shrugged it off and dug into their own food trays. 

Mean.

"The noodles were good though. Millie make 'em?"

I grumbled a yes. Millie–one of the forty-something cafeteria ladies– made the best noodles and that's a known fact in school. But I had to waste three forkfuls on Warren.

But at least it bought me five minutes of his temporary silence.

"If I didn't know any better..." Derek licked some cheesy dripping from his burger before continuing, "I'd say you were ecstatic we're here to give you company." 

Deep breaths, Lila. Deep breaths. You got a patience at least ten miles long, you can do it.

"After you replaced my correcting fluid with black ink, you deserve to die. I ruined my whole written assignment because of it. If I didn't have the content on Cloud backup, you'd be a rat's dinner tonight."

I had a good reason to kick him where the sun doesn't shine.

He looked at me from under his long lashes and hooded eyes, the copper looking more like straw gold with the sun from the window reflecting in them. He silently and sneakily slid a cup like edible thing towards me and I eyed it suspiciously.

Then the aroma finally reached me and I gritted my teeth.

He thinks just because he figured out my love for apple pie in any form, it'll get him out of trouble every time. He's wrong, of course. But free food–especially when it's a dessert and your fav–is never to be rejected.

So like always, I take it not cave in.

Just because I have it doesn't mean I ever forgive him. It just, probably, delays my wrath until I calm down a bit when the combination of the baked apples and sweetness and flour takes my breath away.

Unfortunately I have to accept that this tactic ends up working out in his favor.

I grumbled pretty curses for Derek under my breath that made him chuckle as I savored the apple pie –one bite at a time. I'm sure he's got a lunch lady on the payroll to keep a stock of these available for him everyday. Eh, not my loss.

War, Michael, Nora and Derek kept chatting over trivial matters as I silently observed like most times, chiming in a few times to either defend myself or roast War and Derek.

I was almost finished with my apple pie when my sweetened mood soured again.

Great.

"Hey, babe." Veronica was smiling sweetly at Derek but not the apple-pie kinda sweet. More like I-had-too-much-sugar-but-I-can't-say-that-so-I'll-smile.

I'd like to say that my dislike for Veronica had something to do with Derek. I really would. But unfortunately it wasn't the reason. I'm sure she herself doesn't know it except she has the whole mean-girl thing down to a T. She had on the cheer uniform and her red hair went in nice contrast with her dark eyes. She had the pretty part down too.

Too bad her words ruin it all.

I disregarded her with a mere flick of my eyes.

"Veronica. Hi." Derek's tone was definitely husky but then he greeted another person and that tone was harder to place without glancing at his expression. "How are you, Rebecca?"

It sounded like a mix of smug amusement and curiosity. Interesting.

I observed the cafe, reveling in the chatter and hoping to not be the centre of mean-girl attention. War and Micheal are decent with Veronica, especially since War slept with her but Rebecca is certainly more likable. Nora has a distaste for the cheer captain too though, yay me.

I leaned back in my seat, arms crossed over my front.

"Derek, you really shouldn't be sitting at this table. I mean we excuse Warren and Michael because these two girls are pathetic outcasts and the guys are kind but I mean, you don't need to sit here just 'cause of them." I let my eyes sweep over her to see how she cocked her hip to the side and folded her arms over her ample chest. Pretty much a deliberate move to accentuate her breasts.

I'm not judging her, it's her body and her choice. But Veronica's personality is what sucks and that mouth is never up to any good when it opens. Seriously.

Nora blushed in equal parts rage and embarrassment but I sighed to myself much like Rebecca. I don't get how or why they're even friends but oh well.

I wouldn't partake in the ensuing conversation except Veronica decided to invoke me this time.

"Plus, being friends with Smith here isn't just social suicide, it's like literally equal to death." She sneered and I froze in my seat, not even breathing as I kept my gaze firmly on the table. "Stay away from this freak unless you wanna, like, end up dead, Derek. I'm saying this for your benefit."

I released the breath I was holding, focusing on the pin-drop silence in the cafeteria as Veronica broached the subject we don't ever speak of in Ladenhill.

Warren stood up and Michael's gaze hardened. Nora bit her lip hard and Derek frowned.

Thing is, I knew I was messed up unlike everyone else. I knew the full extent of it. And I didn't like being provoked.

I unfolded my hands from over my chest and stood up calmly. Still not meeting anyone's gaze I finally addressed Veronica myself. 

"Well then I guess you better not get on my bad side either, hmm? Wouldn't want you ending up dead." I then made a distressed sound as if in realization. "Oh wait–"

Finally meeting her gaze with a forceful one of mine, so forceful that she took a small step back.

"–You already are." I finished my sentence and turned on my heel without another glance at anyone. "Lookout, Bitch. It'll serve you good to do that. Trust me."

•♤•

A/N

So hey guys, sorry been on a break plus laptop isn't available and won't be for a while so things are a little hard but still lol. Thank you 4 supporting me so far and I hope you keep reading, voting and commenting!

What do you think of this chapter? Curious? Who's this new character and this ominous talk heh? Either way I hope you enjoyed despite my late update!

Don't forget to vote and comment to let me know your thoughts! I always appreciate them!

Have fun, stay safe and till next time then!

~Skyler