Chapter Four

   Carrie and Annie enter a class and seat down.u

   "I'm Annie, Hannah" 

   "How's that a shorter version?" 

   "Genny seems to think it is" 

   "Well Hannah does seem like a handful, so old-fashioned" 

   "Probably Genny's point" 

   "Ah… you're hanging with Genny. Will is really going to be on your neck" 

   "How?" 

   "She's his best friend's girl, legitimate excuse to hang around you", she says and Annie laughs. "My full name is actually Carrielyn. Carrie came in around middle School and since Will and I attended the same middle School, he brought it here. Being as popular and hot as he is, everybody began to follow suit". 

  "Oh I see, you guys must be really close". 

  "We are best friends; Will, Rick and I. However nowadays, we don't each other so often". 

  "How difficult could it be to see them around?"

  "Oh it's difficult, he's often with his Le Cinq friends, and I'm often with my elder sister who has made it her point of duty to drag me about since she convinced me to join the cheerleading squad this session" 

  "Wait, you're on the cheerleading squad" 

  "Yes, why?" 

  "I want to join the squad" 

  "Well I don't know…. auditions take place in fall when a new session resumes" 

  "But you should have an exception for a new student who just came in this week, especially one who was head-cheerleader". 

  "You were a head-cheerleader??" 

  "Yes". 

  "I'll tell my sister, she's head-cheerleader. If anyone can get you in, it's gonna be her, Bianca's a special case, and she hasn't even been in school this week". 

  "What exactly is wrong with Bianca? You guys are always describing her like she's a nutcase but yet she seems popular". 

  "She is popular but she's not necessarily odd, she's just….. complicated, you'll see when you meet her. You're an eleventh grader too right?" 

  "Yeah" 

  "So yes, you'll see". 

  "I guess I will" 

  They continue chatting until the bell rings. 

  "Thanks for keeping me company" 

  "It's alright, I could see you needed it. Try to stay away from Will, I see the fussing with your bracelet and hair when he's around". 

   "I don't like Will" 

   "Ah… the beginning stage of an unrequited love; denial". 

   "But I really don't......" 

   "Genny will be looking for you", Carrie says cutting her off. They set out and she only leaves Annie when they find Genny. Annie invites her to join them for lunch but she declines. 

  Genny and Annie head to the cafeteria as Rick was eating with his other friends. They are eating when she hears her name. She turns looking around. 

  "Hannah", the voice calls again and she zeros in on who was calling her. It was a guy, it was…. Jake, she realizes. He walks towards them and joins their table. 

  "Jake, what are you doing here?" 

  "I should be asking you that", he says sitting down. 

  "Fine, you go first" 

  "My dad was transferred here" 

  "Mine too. They love transferring your dad, don't they? It has been less than two years since he was transferred and now he has been transferred again". 

  "Yeah, it's so annoying" 

  "Poor you", she comments before turning to Genny. "Genny, this is Jake, my friend. Our dads were colleagues for years before his dad got transferred and from the looks of things, they are again", she says and chuckles. They begin to talk together. 

  Meanwhile at Will's table, he has been watching her since they entered the cafeteria. His friends do not notice as they are busy talking but when Jake joins them, he bangs his table angrily. 

  "What is the matter?", Kenneth asks. 

  "Who's that dude with her?", Will groans. 

  They follow his eyes and see Annie with Genny and Jake. 

  "Oh he's another newbie, he joined the team", Bob says and he tears his gaze from Annie to glare at him. 

  "And Coach didn't tell me, or Rick?" 

  "He told Rick but Rick said he couldn't find you so told me" 

  "And you forgot?" 

  "Hey dude, chill", Bob replies and stretches to pat Will's shoulder. Will brushes his hand away roughly. 

  "So why is he with Annie?" 

  "How are we supposed to know?", Dave replies. 

  "Let's just eat okay? Calm down Will", Kenneth says softly. Will picks his cutlery and tries to continue eating. Annie bursts into laughter at something Jake says and he drops his cutlery loudly. He stands to his feet and leaves the cafeteria. 

  "Whoa, he's so scary when he's vexed. I can never get used to it", Harrison says after a sigh. 

  "Why's he so angry? He never cares", Bob complains.

  "So Will can be hung up on a girl, I never knew", Dave jokes. 

  "He always claims there are many fishes in the sea, why then is he so focused on her?", Kenneth ponders and they are silent for a while.

  "So Will has a jealous streak that's this wide, Interesting" 

  "Bob!", Harrison queries. 

  "I'm just making an observation" 

  "Shut up", Kenneth says. 

  "Want to take over from Will in being commandeering?", Dave taunts. 

  "Gosh you guys are annoying sometimes", Kenneth says and walks away too. 

  Will walks along the hallway. Why was she with that guy? She was even laughing with him when she was always guarded around him. Who was that guy? 

  But what worried him most was the fact that he was angry for such a stupid reason. He was never like this over any girl but Annie was different. He always found himself wanting to be with her and staring if she was around. She was making him act so weird. 

   He looks up and realizes he was now in the front of her locker. There he goes with his weird behaviour again. He sits at the foot of her locker and continues thinking about her. 

   He is still there when lunchtime ends and Annie, Genny and Jake return to meet him there. 

  "Hey Will, what are you doing here?", Annie asks. 

  "Beauty Queen, what is it?", he mutters in a low tone. 

  "Will, are you okay?" 

  He perks up at her question and jumps to his feet.  

  "Sure, I am. Lunchtime's over already?" 

  "You didn't have lunch?" 

  "I had to do some thinking" 

  "Thinking? William Sylvester, thinking?", Genny exclaims. 

  "What's that supposed to mean?" 

  "You are so carefree, do you ever think?" 

  "Actually Genny, I do. Well I have a class so I should be on my way". 

  "I do too but…", Jake starts to say. 

  "Will, can you show Jake to the class?", Annie pleads and Will swallows. 

   "Umm.. sure, I'll just grab a book so he'll wait a bit", Will replies. 

   "Thank you", Annie says with a broad smile. 

   He smiles back and finds himself still smiling after a while before realizing he ought to be on his way to his locker. 

   "Right, I should go", he stutters and heads to his locker while Jake follows. 

   The flawless William Sylvester just stuttered. Hannah Porter, what have you done to me, he asks himself. He picks his books and shuts his locker. 

  "Come on", he says and walks away with Jake. 

  "Did Will just stutter?", Genny asked once Will leaves their sight. 

   "Is that out of place?" 

   "That has never happened since I've known Will, whoa!" 

   "Whatever is wrong with him must be a big problem" 

   "He'll probably sort himself out. He's very strong-hearted" 

   "You think so?" 

   "I know so" 

   "Are you sure?" 

   "Who has known him for three years? That's me you know" 

   "Fine" 

   "And later you will claim you're not into him. Look how worried you are" 

   "Okay fine, maybe I'm into him just a little bit" 

   "It's more than a little bit" 

   "Whatever", she says and rolls her eyes."I have an arts class to be in" 

   "Will's newest catch", Genny taunts. 

   "That's never happening" 

   "Don't be too sure about yourself, Will has a very magnetic appeal".