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This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends diamonds221.
Happy Birthday Hira!💕
I know I'm a day late here;) Love you!
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"The chemicals in your head, in your body, wide awake."
- Abhimanyu

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I expected a flinch at the least, but the dude did not even blink. I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. The terd had some realio guts.

"Jesus, Kia calm down! That wasn't him!" Blake said, eyeing the growing commotion in the cafeteria with nervousness.

"How are you so sure?" I asked him in confusion.

Blake refused to meet my eyes. Red in the face, he mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" I asked.

At that, Blake Harrison said, "Because, it- it was me."

"What?!"

This time it was Vanessa, shock and disbelief dancing on her face.

Blake hurried to explain, "No! It's not like that babe. I- I was going for you but I got the wrong leg- I mean, oh fuck."

He ran a hand through his hair and said to me, "I'm sorry Kia."

Everyone on the table burst out laughing, except me and Van.

"Practicing for the tournament with your girl, Blake? I like it." JoJo said.

"Wrong leg? Really Blakey? It's time I teach you some footsy skills." That was Guru Ameera.

"You should start with checking the footwear brother. Van normally goes for heels and Kia, sneakers."-Rhys.

Where the heck did he learn that from?

Vanessa was hiding behind her blonde curtains out of sheer embarrassment.

And me? I quickly let go of Sidney's collar the way I recoil from broccoli. God could have shown some mercy and at least stopped at this. But no, there was more of drama in line.

I pulled back from Sidney and proceeded to sit.

On thin air.

The cursed chair was lounging on the floor because of the force with which I had stood up. As a result, I dropped to the floor with a yelp, hands flailing like a madwoman. The guffaws that followed were deafening.

Rhys helped me up and into my seat, snickering himself.

"Your Calvin Klein's are outdated edition compared to mine, by the way. I told you, didn't I?"

I gave him a good, million dollar glare before sitting.

My cheeks were burning scarlet as hot embarrassment shot through me. I shut my eyes tight.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

If death by mortification were possible, I'd be six feet under by now.

I slowly opened my eyes when the excitement died out and everybody went back to their conversations. My bum was still hurting from the fall.

I was near positive that Sidney would be furious with me. I had accused him for stalking, kidnapping and playing footsy with me. All falsely.

But when I looked up, he wasn't angry at all. No contempt, no irritation, nothing. He was smiling at me, like I didn't just manhandle him on his first day in school. This pushed me further down the pit of guilt. And despite everything, I found myself feeling a strange connection with him.

Smiling awkwardly, I mouthed a sorry. At this, he flashed his teeth. My phone pinged and I read the new message from 'Pickup line guy'.

I'm always ready for a round of footwork though ;)

I rolled my eyes and changed the contact name to 'SidNeigh'.

"So where are you guys staying?" Van asked, directing the question at Avril who shifted her attention from JoJo.

"Actually, only Johnson and I shifted to Silvana. Our family is still in Daytona. We're staying with an old friend on 41 Street, Taylor Chance."

"That party animal?"

"Your co-host that day in the mall?"

Rhys and I said together. He continued, "Chance lives two doors down my house. Don't tell me you don't remember him Kia."

No wonder Sidney mistook Rhys' house for Taylor's.

"Why didn't he join you to sit with us?" Ameera asked, her inner socialite butting out. "Taylor is a senior right?"

Avril had gone back to her telepathic conversation with JoJo. They were doing those googly eyes, completely shutting us out.

Sidney answered, "Yeah. I think he's sitting with his girlfriend."

The bell rang and everybody scrambled to get to their classes.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Ameera smirking. That social bee would make it her life's mission if necessary, but Taylor Chance would be on our table next lunch period. By hook or by crook.

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"You go on to the parking lot, I'll get my backpack." I said to Rhys and sprinted to the locker room.

Around the corner, I was met by an eye roll inducing sight. Tiffany Miller, dressed in a painfully tight red dress had her hands glued to Sidney's chest who was leaning against a locker, hands in his pockets.

I could hear Tiffany saying something in that screechy voice of hers. "Why don't we go to my place after the bonfire tonight?"

As I beelined past them to my locker, Sidney straightened and tugged her hands away. "I'll catch you later.."

While I was sorting through my locker, I felt a presence behind me.

"Hey squirrel."

"Mmm?" I hummed distractedly, ruffling through my books.

"Nice ass."

At that, I slammed the locker shut and turned to give him a mouthful but he never let me.

Raising his hands up in surrender he chuckled, "Just to get your attention, relax." As an afterthought, he added, "Not that your ass isn't attractive.."

I slapped a flyer on his chest and narrowed my eyes at him. "Eyes up mister. The venue of the bonfire-" I said, pointing a finger at the flyer- "it's written in that."

"You don't need to worry about that Hartville, Sidney is going with me."

I turned to Tiffany who was standing with one hand curled around her hip. Her liquid green eyes were shooting bullets at me.

"Of course." I rolled my eyes. Trust her to go fishing for boys on their first day in school.

"Keep rolling your eyes maybe you'll find a brain back there." Tiffany screeched, smiling victoriously like she just beat Usain Bolt in a marathon.

I blinked. I exchanged glances with Sidney and them the inevitable happened. We burst out in shrieks and peals of laughter, high fiveing like maniacs.

Tiffany faltered, watching us cackling self consciously. "What?"

"Did you just quote that from some book on comebacks?" I managed to say between my laughter.

Her eyes widened. "No!" She glared at me when we just ignored her. "Damm you Hartville!"

Tiffany wheeled around on her Louis Vuitton heels and strutted away.

"So, are you always this paranoid around new people or is it just me? Stalking, kidnapping, what next?" Sidney raised his eyebrows and looked at me curiously.

I shook my head in shame. "I'm so sorry Sidney. I wasn't thinking."

"A coffee with me and maybe I'll forget the whole thing." He grinned. "On a serious note though, did someone really try to kidnap you?"

I sighed. I had pushed the entire incident to the back of my mind. "Yeah."

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Sidney asked with concern.

"Naw, but he did." I waved a hand in the air, almost proudly. "Alright then, I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight." He smiled.

Who knew an innocent bonfire night would turn into a disaster for me.

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Phew. Finally.