"You have got to be kidding me. I can't believe we got kicked out of class for not completing our project. Our project!", said Heather with a flustered look.

"Well, shit happens. Let's just finish it and give it to her", Abi said bringing her food tray and setting it on the table. "We've got an hour and a half. But first I'm gonna eat."

"Guys it's just a project. We'll handle it. I promise it'll be the best okay? We've got time", I said looking at them.

We were seated in the cafeteria after being thrown out by Ms. Bell for not submitting our English project on time. The cafeteria was mostly empty at this point since there was still a half hour to recess. Us clearly being the first ones there.

"How are you always positive? No matter what. Like guys it's just a project. Everyone freaks out over Ms. Bell's projects. Even one mistake in English and BA-AM! done for!", Heather covered her face in her hands. "We should have just submitted it on time. What were we even thinking?"

"We were thinking that she wouldn't care if we didn't submit it or that she'd entirely forget about it. Which in our case didn't happen", I said getting up. "I'll just go grab something to eat. Heather, you should get something too."

"Just get me an extra sandwich or something please."

I walked up to the serving counter and smiled at Mrs. Crowley. She was our cafeteria head who had been working with the school ever since its inception. She was a pleasant lady who, I've heard, had been known to save a lot of kids from getting their asses beaten in the cafeteria.

"Heya girlie, ain't you a lil early today? Got too hungry too fast, is that it?"

"Oh, I wish Mrs. Crowley. We got thrown out of Ms. Bell's class for not submitting our project. Now we gotta hurry and eat to finish it before recess ends."

"Seems like you going to be here for quite some time. Let me know if you'll girlies need anything else."

"Thanks, Mrs. Crowley."

"I think we should select Shakespeare's Macbeth", Abi said as I walked back to the table, sipping my orange juice.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it's a kickass combination of politics, drama and greed. Plus it's quite deep and dark. Ms. Bells will be impressed, especially since I'm pretty sure everyone will do Romeo Juliet or Julius Caesar."

"Okay, whatever you say", I said sitting down.

Just then the recess bell rang. Within minutes students started pouring in.

Heather let out a sigh. "Great, now we're going to have plenty of distractions."

Abi motioned for us to look over toward the vending machine. Standing there, was none other than Ashley, unwrapping her protein bar.

"Is that all she eats? I'd be starving all day if I did that."

"Probably one of her many secrets of being so thin", I said.

"And hot", Abi said, joining in.

Just as we started to work on our project, Hunter walked over to our table.

"Heya ladies, how are y'all doing?"

"Hi Hunter!", Abi and Heather said simultaneously.

"Now's not the time for anything Hunter. We're kinda in the middle of something", I said while drawing the heading on the chart paper.

You ask me how I know he's up to something? I just do.

"Aw don't be so boring Mer. It's not good to be wrapped up in academics all the time. It singlehandedly won't get you anywhere."

I looked up at him, annoyed.

"Not wrapping ourselves in academics is exactly what got us thrown out of Ms. Bell's class in the first place."

He looked at me in surprise. Then looked at Heather and Abi. When we didn't show any sign of joking, he began to laugh.

"You got thrown out? The three of you? Wow, that's unbelievable. Hell, even I haven't been thrown out of any class yet."

None of us responded.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. Bad joke, bad timing."

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him fidgeting with his hands. After a few minutes, he turned towards me, a serious look on his face. "Summer I need to talk to you."

"Okay. What happened?"

"Mer... my.... my.....", he looked down, burying his face in his hands. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Hunter...? Can you please tell me what happened?", I looked at Abi and Heather, flustered and perplexed. Their expressions mirroring back my own.

What the hell was going on?

"My....my grandmom... she-"

"What happened to her? Hunter!?" I felt something inside me break. My stomach was churning.

"She...grandmom... She-"

"SHE WHAT HUNTER?!" I was going to burst. I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

"She says hiiiiiii!!!"

He jumped on the chair, laughing. I looked at him in disbelief, still trying to understand that it was all a prank. I tried grabbing his left foot but he jumped off.

Oh my God, I was going to kill him.

"Gotcha!", he said laughing hard.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Abi and Heather along with everyone else in the cafeteria burst out laughing. I could see the smug look on Ashley's face. Now she'd tell the whole world what an idiot I was.

Great. Just fucking great.

I ran after him.

"What about our project!?", Abi yelled.

"I'll be right back!", I said hurrying outside.

That asshole. I wasn't going to leave him. Damn, right I wasn't.

"Hunter! Where the hell are you?! I'm not going to leave you this time! I hate you for doing this! I really really do...I will-" I was suddenly cut off by someone.

"You will what Mer?", Hunter said popping out and flashing me his sexy smile. He was hiding behind me among some trees and I didn't even notice.

Good job Summer.

"I won't talk to you."

He burst out laughing. "Sure you won't."

"I really won't. I'm not joking this time. You always pick on me for no reason. And then you have the whole cafeteria laughing at me. Most of the time I don't say anything because I see you laughing and that makes me happy, even if it's me getting insulted. But then it's becoming like a habit and I can't take it anymore. It feels as though you're playing with my emotions and you don't respect them at all."

He just stared at me, aghast.

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.

"Mer..." he said coming closer. I took a step back. "You know I don't mean it that way. I never did and never will. You're my best friend. You're the last person I'd want to hurt on this planet. And as for your emotions, I respect them more than anything. How could you think of it that way?"

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was at a loss for words.

He came closer and hugged me. "I'm sorry", he whispered.

"It's okay. I overreacted I guess", I mumbled. I thought he didn't hear me, but he did.

"Overreacting is your thing", he said chuckling.

I punched him in the chest. An ass always stays an ass.

We went back to the cafeteria, his arm around my shoulders. Abi and Heather were doing the project.

Seeing us walk in, Heather's eyes started twinkling. "Awww! You guys are so cute!"

I looked at her in disbelief. Seriously?

Hunter didn't react the way I thought he would. I thought he'd start cringing or something. Instead, he started grinning.

"Did I tell you, unfortunately, I don't have a thing for drama queens?"

I looked at him. What did he just call me? A drama queen. Unbelievable.

Instead of taking my side, they burst out laughing.

Again.

----------

"Well done girls. You were able to complete it on time. I must say, I never expected you to be able to do it. It got me thinking of what punishment to give you. Well, I suppose there's no need for that now", said Ms. Bell, smiling slightly.

Everyone clapped for us. Not because we were heroes or something, but because everyone knows how hard it is to please Ms. Bell.

Well, us being....us, we simply shrugged it off pretending like it had been a piece of yummy cake.

To be honest, it had been anything but a piece of cake.  After having another round of laughter at me and Hunter running off to play soccer, we were in a total mess.

We couldn't stick the pictures properly, we had glue all over our hands and Abi being Abi cut her finger with the paper cutter and God, whatnot was going on. Pretty dramatic I tell you.

Oh and not to forget, Mrs. Crowley tried to kick us out twice for all the commotion we were causing. We somehow managed to convince her by promising to help out with the dishes after school.

Ugh. It was one hell of a long day.