At lunch Rory and I were sitting and at the present we were trying to figure out where the hell Ezra was. "Maybe he's hooking up with Clarke Dussault in the school bathrooms? I hear people are doing that now" Rory questioned and I shook my head "first of all Clarke's dating that twat Aspen and second of all have you seen our school bathroom? You'd probably catch an STD just by looking at them funny and we know how Ezra is about hygiene" we both smirked as Ezra was a germophobe and that was putting it mildly but he always insisted that he was just being clean.

"I wouldn't mind banging Clarke" Rory smirked and I slapped his shoulder. Clarke was really pretty and surprisingly nice considering she was a head cheerleader and a certain stereotype made people afraid of her but she tried to shake that stigma and had succeeded...mostly.

"Whatever Link she's still fine even if she's dating that tosser she needs a real man" Rory points to himself and I raised an eyebrow "Rory shut up" I shook my head and went back to eating my lunch.

"Oh wait I see Ezra" Rory pointed behind me and I saw Ezra who was talking to someone, a girl. I looked at her closely and saw when she fixed her hair over her shoulder I could see it : the purple and pink.

It was none other than Alexandria Stappord.

She was chatting with Ezra her hands fiddling with a red jacket over her shoulders which I recognised as Ezra's. A few minutes passed but I felt like it had been hours because I was staring straight at her and Ezra who was now starting to walk over, Alexandria now nowhere in sight.

"Sup boys" Ezra sat down beside up and pulled out his lunch. Rory and I looked at him, was he really going to not say anything after we saw him talking to a girl after his breakup with Elena? "Uh dude who was that?" Rory asked and I put down my own food to listen.

"Oh that's Alex, she's in my auto shop class" I'm glad that they didn't see the surprise written all over my face, she took auto shop? "Is she going to be the next lucky lady to be dating Ezra Westmore?" Rory nudged him and Ezra shrugged "she's not exactly... delicate I mean I have met lots of girls but she's something"

Ezra took a bite of his lunch and without thinking I blurted out "what do you even know about her?" Ezra looked at me surprised at my sudden interest because I haven't dated anyone since sophomore year. "Uh well her names Alexandria Stappord and I only really spoke to her today but she hangs out with some chick... Ireland I think her name is but other than that she didn't talk much in class and she keeps to herself I think because she rarely makes her presence known"

I was suddenly more intrigued about her. She hung out with one other girl and she took autoshop and danced!? I mean I was beyond intrigued about her.

"Why Lincoln? Want to stake a claim?" Rory and Ezra turned their attention to me and I kept my gaze level with there's, just because I hadn't had a girlfriend didn't mean I hadn't had other form of relationships... but I didn't think Alexandria for that criteria.

"No she's not my type" I said quickly and they didn't look convinced but left it.

"Sooo...we still going to Lenny's after practice?" I asked trying to move the conversation away from Alexandria and the lack of normal love lives we didn't lead. "Yeah I think some of the cheerleaders will be there too or maybe just Clarke but you know..."

I didn't answer that.

---

Practice was the same I suppose, no respect from my team and I hated my coach and I rarely listened to his instructions, he would never have my respect.

I guess the team had accepted whatever excuse that Coach had told them and I didn't ask what that excuse was. After practice I had been called into the office from coach and I wasn't pleased, I just wanted to eat. "So...how's the lessons going?" He asked me running his neck awkwardly and I rolled my eyes "fine but nothing I want to continue" I told him and he looked a bit disappointed "just...try Lincoln please" and I didn't answer him and I was sick and tired of hearing his demands and trying to bond with me.

"Fine just go Lincoln" he waved his hand dismissively and walked towards the parking lot and I did the same...just in the opposite direction.

He and I would never get along and that I was okay with.

---

About ten minutes later I was in front of Lenny's the collection of cars which I recognised as the teams already parked. "Okay Link, just one slice and you can go home" I sighed and got out of my car. Lenny's was a pizzeria which was known for the frequent visitors of the jocks and cheerleaders of our school, other people came too but not as much as us.

Inside I could see my team in a booth and three girls squished into the booth. The girls I knew were Clarke and her best friend Elodie Mercado but the other girl I couldn't remember her name...

I could turn around now. No one would see me, the door was right there it could be that simple.

"LINK OVER HERE!" I looked over to see Clarke waving me over. I sighed deeply and walked over to them all, I suppose I was stuck now. Look Clarke was nice in fact she was nicer than most cheerleaders and it shocked a lot of people but still I didn't want to be here, I kind of wanted to be home just watching Netflix or something.

Damn it Lincoln snap out of it.

I smiled and sat down and the team gave me a look, you know the one. The one where they are waiting for me to make a mistake. "So everyone what are we eating?" I clapped my hands together and they all began to point to things on the menu to order.

Signalling over the waitress I heard one of the guys whistle, didn't know which one but I had to admit when I walked over she was very pretty. Shoulder length blonde hair, olive skin and very blue eyes and her waitress uniform (the  ugly dark shirt that should be classed as a torture device) she had paired with a dark blue skirt and surprisingly she looked good.

Holding the notepad she turned to face Rory and I noticed a blush creep to her cheeks and then I spotted it:

The name tag, the name in bold red text:

Ireland

This couldn't be a coincidence and I couldn't risk asking her in front of everyone but why was I asking her about Alexandria? Damn Lincoln you need to get a head examination and I pushed Alexandria far out of my mind.

At least I tried to.

---

Wow that was a long chapter.

Okay so I am on top of the world because

1) my books are getting so many more votes and reads and I am just so freaking happy.

2) thank you to Fireproof_Tanvi for adding my books to your reading list and responding to my reading request

3) the Sapphire Teams added my book 'Howler' to their reading list and You might not know who they are but they are an account which hosts competitions to support undiscovered writers so their support means a lot
 

L xx