章節 16: Chapter sixteen
Several days had passed, and Alina sat alone in the cafeteria, her hand resting on her chin, a deep frown on her face as she stared at her untouched food. Liz noticed her friend's gloom and hurried over.
"What's wrong, Alina? You're not looking happy at all, and you haven't even touched your food," Lizzy said, sliding into the seat opposite her.
Alina sighed. "Well, it's because I'm not in a good mood, and I've lost my appetite."
"But why are you in such a foul mood? Who made you this angry?"
Alina turned her head slightly and glared at someone across the cafeteria. Lizzy followed her gaze and spotted Marcus at the far end, laughing with his friends as he ate.
"Does this have anything to do with Marcus?" Lizzy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, how did you know?" Alina snapped back.
"Well, you've been eyeing him since I got here. Is he still bullying you?"
"No, not bullying. He rarely talks to me. You know what I think?"
"No, I don't. So, tell me," Lizzy prompted.
"Well, I think he is either bipolar or just plain evil," Alina said.
"Wow, what did he do?" Lizzy asked, puzzled.
"What do you mean, what did he do? Haven't you noticed how badly he has been treating me?"
"No, actually. What do you mean?" Lizzy said, leaning in closer.
"Well, since that day he ran out from the janitor's room—scrap that, even before that—Marcus has been avoiding me like I have the plague. He won't make eye contact with me."
"Really?" Lizzy said, turning her gaze in Marcus's direction and giving him a bombastic side-eye.
"Yes, really! Even in class, he refuses to look at me, and as soon as class is over, he runs out because he doesn't want me to talk to him."
"But that's weird. Why would Marcus want to avoid you out of the blue? Are you sure you're not overthinking things?" Lizzy asked, still trying to piece the puzzle together.
"Believe me, I wish I was. Okay, when I bumped into him in the hallway near his locker today, I tried to make conversation with him, even though I promised myself I wouldn't bother with him again. But do you know what he did?"
"What?" Lizzy asked, curious.
"Well, he just stood there like a statue, nodding his head like a lizard, without saying one word."
Lizzy burst into laughter. "But why is he acting that way towards you?"
"How would I know? I'm really confused here," Alina said, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"Remember the incident at the ice cream store when we went to get ice cream? I don't know if you noticed it," Alina said, in a serious tone.
"No, I did not. What happened?" Lizzy inquired curiously.
"Well, he came with his friends, but immediately he spotted me and you inside, he just turned back and left with his friends."
"Really? Are you sure he didn't forget something that he rushed to go collect?" Lizzy asked, trying to find a reasonable explanation.
"He didn't forget anything, I'm telling you. It's because he saw me," Alina insisted.
"Well, I don't know why you're letting this issue disturb you. You should be thanking God that finally, Marcus has left you alone," Lizzy advised.
"You know what, you are right. I will completely erase Marcus from my memory. In fact, I have done that already. That boy is very ungrateful. After helping him with his homework, he decided to ignore me. Well, two can play this game. I will also ignore his arrogant ass," Alina said, hardening her face with determination.
"Okay, that's a good start. Now, let's talk about something else," Lizzy suggested, hoping to lift her friend's spirits.
"Like what?" Alina asked, curious.
"What about you and Evan? I noticed he's been trying to get close to you again."
"Did you also notice that?" Alina retorted, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes, of course I did," Lizzy replied.
"Well, I have been trying to avoid him. I don't want Kendra to get the wrong idea, but he is very persistent," Alina replied.
"Are you kidding me? What does this have to do with Kendra? You two were kinda close before Kendra started dating him," Lizzy said, a little irritated.
"I know, but you know how Kendra is. I just feel the three of us are growing sadly apart, and I don't want that," she said.
"Speak for yourself. I don't want to be friends with her again," Lizzy said firmly. "But I think Evan is so romantic and nice—the way he talks and everything is so perfect. Remember that day he carried you when you hurt your leg? That was so romantic."
"Yes, he was. He also stood his ground against Marcus and didn't let him bully him," Alina recounted, a hint of admiration in her voice.
"You know what? I think he likes you," Lizzy said, her face lighting up with a playful grin as she brushed Alina's shoulder.
"You think so?" Alina asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Of course, I think so," Lizzy assured her.
"Well, I would think so too if he didn't have a girlfriend that happens to be a friend of ours," Alina said, reminding Lizzy.
Lizzy scoffed. "You mean ex-friend. That girl doesn't deserve our loyalty."
"Shhh," Alina interrupted her. "Speak of the devil."
"Where is she?" Lizzy turned around to look.
"There," Alina said, pointing to the entrance. "Don't let her see you because I don't want to answer any questions from her now."
"I see her. She's going towards Marcus's seat," Lizzy replied, her eyes narrowing.
"Sometimes she confuses me. I just get the feeling that she has a thing for Marcus," said Alina, standing up with her tray of food.
"Really? Why do you think so?" Lizzy also stood up with hers.
"It's the way she's always asking about my relationship with him. Have you noticed the way she looks at him? She doesn't even look at Evan that way."
"Are you serious? I had no idea," said Lizzy, surprised.
"Come, let's go change our seats. Let's go to the back," Alina suggested.
"Okay, if you say so," Lizzy said, following Alina and taking a seat beside her in a hidden corner of the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, across the cafeteria, Kendra had been searching for Alina. She wanted to confront her about her relationship with Marcus. She had always suspected something was going on between them, but Alina had always denied it.
She wanted a definite answer from Alina, though she had barely seen the two of them together for several days, but her gut kept telling her that there was something there. Upon entering the cafeteria, she immediately spotted Alina and Lizzy at their table.
However, Kendra's attention shifted when she saw Marcus with his friends. She decided to talk to him first and walked over to him.
"Hi, Marcus, can I talk to you?" she said.
Marcus scoffed. "What do you want now? Can't you see I'm with my guys?"
Not wanting to be embarrassed, Kendra knew Marcus was capable of doing just that. She lied, "That's exactly why I came here to see you. Evan told me what you did."
Marcus's face darkened. "What do you mean, Evan told you what I did? What exactly did he say I did?"
Kendra smiled, knowing she would rile him up once she mentioned Evan.
Pretending to be concerned, she said, "I can't say it here, so please, can you spare me a moment? Or maybe when you are less busy, I will see you?"
"Do I look like I'm busy?" Marcus gestured for her to follow him to a quieter corner.
"So, what were you saying? What did that coward say about me?" he asked angrily.
Kendra rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Hunk," she said snarkily. "Evan told me nothing."
"What do you mean by that?" Marcus replied irritated .
"Well, you refused to follow me when I called you, and I could see you wanted to embarrass me in front of your friends, so I lied."
Marcus chuckled, crossing his arms. "What the hell do you want?" he asked.
"Well, I just wanted to talk to you. I've missed your face."
"Well, is that all you called me to say? If that's all, can I go?"
"No, one last thing. I want to tell you that I want to break up with Evan to prove to you that you are the only one I love."
He laughed out loud. "That is not my concern. I have told you that I don't like you, with or without a boyfriend. So if you are looking for someone who is interested in your impending breakup, it's not me. Maybe you should go tell her."
"Who?" Kendra inquired curiously.
"You know who. She is over there with her friend, eating. I'm sure she would be glad if you told her that Evan is free and she can go for him. After all, your boyfriend has been hovering around her like a fly," he said.
"You know, Marcus, you sound kinda jealous. You can fool everyone but not me."
"Think whatever you want," he said as he walked back to his seat.
Kendra watched him leave, stunned. She had not expected that response. Anger and confusion surged through her as she turned her gaze towards Alina and Lizzy.
Unknowning to Alina and Lizzy, Kendra had spotted them changing seats, so she decided to walk straight to their table. Lizzy noticed Kendra approaching and quickly gestured to Alina.
"Alina, Kendra's coming this way," Lizzy whispered urgently.
Alina's eyes widened in panic. "Quick, hide under the table!"
The girls ducked under the table, their hearts pounding in their chests. After a few moments, Alina whispered, "Do you think she would have passed by now?"
"How would I know?" Lizzy replied, equally hushed.
"Please check for me, so we will know," Alina pleaded.
"Why me? You are the one that put me in this awkward position, and now you want to use me as the scapegoat," Lizzy replied, still whispering.
"In fact, I bet she would have passed our seats by now. Let's both raise our heads," Alina suggested.
As the girls slowly emerged from under the table, they were met with the sight of Kendra standing there, arms folded, a smirk on her face.
"Are you done hiding?" Kendra's words cut through the air, leaving Alina and Lizzy frozen in shock and embarrassment.
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