Philemaphobia Chapter Four

"To be honest I don't get why you don't wanna admit that the new guy's hot." Cherry frowned before looking at me with furrowed eyebrows that made small wrinkles appear on her forehead.

I forked the pasta on my plate & stared at it debating whether it was edible or not.

I'd been hungry all morning but I wasn't sure if getting sick was worth it. I knew better than to respond to Cherry. She'd latch on if I denied, but continue to argue if I agreed.

As I continued to examine the legitimacy of our food, Cherry launched on a full explanation of how I needed someone other than her & Chris.

I liked Cherry, & I knew she was just worried about my lack of friends but honestly I didn't give a fuck.

I wasn't the type to reply to texts immediately because I was lazy & I didn't like to fill up useless voids of silence with chatter. If I didn't have anything important to say then I usually didn't say anything.

My cynical outlook on life & my tendency to respond in sarcastic tones didn't really help with the 'making friends' thing.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Chris stated causing me look up from my food.

"What doesn't matter?" I scrunched up my nose and quietly apologized when Cherry huffed - realising I'd been ignoring her.

"Apparently Jordan's hotness doesn't matter." She rolled her eyes. "I rated him at an eight though so Chris' statement is invalid."

"No I mean the new kid in general. He doesn't matter." Chris insisted.

Now it was my turn to huff. Though I wasn't those girls who fall in love in seconds, or dedicated their life to a guy, I was able to appreciate Jordan's kindness, so to me he actually mattered.

"And why do you say that?" I asked drily pushing my plate away.

"He said he'd sit with us at lunch right?" Chris didn't wait to be answered. "Well, it's lunchtime and he's not here. So he probably found other friends. Maybe one that doesn't consist of an over preppy girl, a nerd and a sarcastic mute."

I pursued my lips and nodded. He had a point.

"Ummm...Excuse you!" Cherry snorted. " Jordan would be fucking lucky to be in our presence. In fact I think we should at least give him an initiation test if he wants to be in this group."

I refrained from laughing at Cherry's dramatic antics and Chris' shaking shoulders told me that he was keeping it in as well. I also didn't mention that we'd also be the lucky ones and that it'd be a miracle if he actually wanted to be in this group of misfits.

"I didn't know that there was an initiation test." A voice pulled me outta my thoughts. I turned around to see Jordan with a smirk and a tray full of the death pasta. "I might reconsider."

"Scared Jordan?" Cherry grinned deviously.

"You wish!" Jordan shot back without hesitation.

Seconds later Cherry started clapping slowly.

"Okay well, he passed with flying colours."

"The fuck? That's it? A Harry potter reference & he's in the group?" Chris snorted.

I remained quiet.

"I'm sorry would you like him to recite MCU quotes or something?" Cherry narrowed her eyes.

"I can do that." Jordan quickly offered.

"Sure." Luke smirked obviously not believing him.

"Cmon hit me with one & I'll tell you who said it." Jordan challenged.

"All that for a drop of blood."

"I'm insulted by how easy that is. Thanos, obviously. A very awesome moment." Jordan stood there with a smirk.

"Im just getting started." Chris smiled cheekily before launching into more quotes that confused the fuck out of me.

A couple quotes later Chris declared that Jordan was an absolute champion and he had ni problems with him joining our group.

"That was ridiculous." I groaned, voicing what Cherry and I had been thinking the whole time.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't conduct some tests to see if I'm worthy." Jordan leaned forward & captured my gaze. I stared over him and merely laughed.

"You willingly sat through Chris' rant about Thanos & the multiverse. I pointed out."I think you're cool."

I wasn't gonna add the part that I was really surprised that he actually wanted to be with us. The way I saw it, if he wanted to be my friend, I wasn't gonna come up with some dumb test that could possibly keep him away.

"Cool indeed." Drew snickered. I didn't even have to turn to know him and his groupies were lingering behind us. Kaylee was probably hanging from his arm, smirking in that bitchy way she usually does.

"Is there something you wanna say?" Cherry glared. She would have probably stood up if Chris hadn't pulled her back down & reminded her that she was half the size of this jock.

"Im just doing my duty by warning the new kid." Drew explained.

"Yaaah well your announcement of having a small dick and brain have been taken into account. Feel free to leave now." Cherry snapped.

"Yoh bro maybe you should just leave." Jordan tried to be polite about it but Drew was much more concerned about Cherry spilling secrets about his genitals to give a fuck about the new kid.

"Now how would you know the status of my dick?"

"Because Melanie's mouth is way too tiny to give blow jobs to anything bigger than a pencil!" Cherry smiled innocently as she delivered that line.

She killed two birds with one stone. I let out a small laugh but unfortunately that only turned Drew's heated glare towards me.

"Anyway," he snapped, "back to the real problem - little Azula. I wouldn't get too close to her if I were you."

"What are you talking about?" Jordan stiffened just as Cherry hissed.

"Isn't it obvious bruh?"

"Shut the fuck up Drew!" Cherry warned.

"Bro," Drew put his arm on Jordan's shoulder effectively ignoring Cherry," she's a killer."

From that point everything happened so fast. I didn't even have time to react before Cherry shot out of her seat and slammed the food tray into Drew's face.

I didn't even stick around for the aftermath, which I knew would result in Drew's nose being broken.

Though I really wanted to watch the little fucker wither in pain, I could feel my chest constricting tightly.

I took off before the tears could go public.

I ran outta the cafeteria and through the school until I got to a corridor in the west wing.

I felt so dumb for letting Drew's words get to me, but it had been so long since I cried & I couldn't seem to stop.

This was the one thing I didn't want Jordan knowing about. I laughed humorlessly at myself as I thought of how hopeful I had been. I wanted him to like me but that was becoming very unlikely.

I heard soft footsteps. I immediately stiffened and my head shot up. Jordan didn't say anything until I met his gaze.

"Cherry said you'd be here." He explained gently." She would have come herself but she's busy explaining to a teacher why she broke that lying asshole's nose."

"He wasn't lying." I said quietly, wiping away the tears that had spilled down my cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Jordan frowned sliding down and sitting next to me. " I'm pretty sure that you'd be locked up for life if you killed anyone."

"It's not like that." I admitted, y voice sounding shaky because I never wanted Jordan knowing any of this. "It's...urgh it's sounds so fucking stupid when I say it out loud but it's like a curse."

I stared at the ground not wanting to see his reaction.

Jordan was quiet next to me, probably taking all this shit in. I was surprised he was listening to my crying explanations. Actually I was more surprised he found me considering no one used this corridor. It was undergoing some renovations.

"Azula, I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to." I grumbled. I pulled my knees up to my chest and put my cheek on it so i was looking at him.

"I want to." Jordan moved cooser. "Tell me why they made you cry with such stupid accusations."

"I told you they aren't accusations. They're rumours." I paused. "They're facts."

"Fuck this conversation is going nowhere." Jordan said softly. "Why do they think you killed those guys?"

"Because I was the last one to kiss them."