Chapter 3

“Another day, another slay,” Jemima linked her arms with her girlfriends as they walked through the campus with their heads held high and their smiles bright.

“We look good, feel good, and we have no cheer practice today!” Zoe squealed, her Bob bouncing around her face when she slightly bounced with her steps.

“The new girl is starting today apparently, and as much as I don’t care, I am a bit curious,” Vanessa mentioned when they walked in through the doors of the main hall after a random boy held the door open for them.

Jemima had to admit that her interest was slightly piqued as well. She wondered who the girl was and why everyone seemed to be talking about her arrival so much. It was nothing new that the dean had a new step-child every semester, or that there was a new student joining campus, so why was she the new trending topic on campus? What made her so interesting that had people talking about her before she even showed her face?

“Uh-uhm, e-excuse me?” A new voice interrupted their conversation. The three girls turned to the person, their eyes eyeing her up and down as they waited for her to say whatever it was she called their attention for.

“I just-” the girl nervously looked down at the blue crocs on her feet, as she played with the ends of her pigtails, avoiding all of their piercing stares. “I uhm-”

“Out with it girl,” Jemima huffed.

There was only one thing Jemima Jackson admitted to lacking, and that was patience.

The girl swallowed, her nervousness only increasing by the minute under the heated gaze of the most popular mean girls on campus. “You kind of borrowed my-my notes last week, and didn’t return it. I uh- need them back for class to-today,” she finally managed to get out, her scared eyes meeting Zoe who had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

It took a second before the Albanian girl’seyes widened in realisation, “oh so that’s the book I’ve been carrying around all this time, I knew for a fact that wasn’t my handwriting, and I would never in a million years use a High School Musical book cover,” she shook her head as she opened the zip on her bag, taking out a High School Musical notebook, making Vanessa chuckle.

The girl held out her shaky hand, Zoe hesitated, looked at the hand and then at the girls bright red face.

Jemima raised a brow wondering what her friend was thinking.

“You know…you’re way too grown to be so nervous around other grown adults, this isn’t high school. You could’ve asked for this back the same day you lent it to me,” her perfectly trimmed eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the still trembling girl thoughtfully, “grow a fucking backbone.” And with that, she dropped the book to the floor, some loose pages scattering about.

The trio watched in disapproval as the girl scrambled to get her book and pages off the floor, and without even bothering to arrange them well, she practically sprinted away from them.

“Now, we can’t be that scary?” Jemima pouted.

“That was kind of mean,” Vanessa told Zoe who shrugged in response. It was nothing new, and it wasn’t like any of them were any nicer, if not worse.

“Oop your lover is coming this way, and we don’t wanna stay for the love fest, so see you after class,” Vanessa patted Jemima on the shoulder then grabbed Zoe’s arm and began dragging her away. “But I want to stay for the love fest,” she heard Zoe whine as they walked away.

“Hey baby,” Kaden was next to her the next second, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a short but sweet kiss, “what’s got you smiling like that if not me?”

“My friend’s being dumb,” she answered with a grin, her hands rested flat on her chest as she looked up at him with adoring eyes.

Kadens smirked, his hands rested on her hips, “what are you doing later today?”

Jemima faked a thinking face, “hmmm, well I was thinking of spending the rest of my evening with my boyfriend.”

“Oh that’s a bummer, I wanted to take you on a date this evening, but if you already have plans with this boyfriend of yours, I guess I can rain check,” he joked.

A date?

Jemima’s heart sped up as excitement rose within her. They hadn’t been on a date in so long, with the cheer competition taking up most of her time the past month, Kaden’s own responsibilities with the basketball team and then both their classes between all of that. She yearned to get all dolled up and nervous for a romantic evening with her boyfriend. She missed doing girlfriend things with her boyfriend, it seemed like college life had been getting in their way and they barely dated or did stuff despite being in a relationship.

“A date?” Her smile spread into a wide grin.

“Yeah, well with cheer competition being over and you guys securing another win under your belt, I thought I’d treat my little lady,” he playfully bumped her shoulder.

She pouted her lips at his thoughtfulness, “that’s very sweet of you baby.”

“Don’t mention it, just keep your lovely self ready and pretty by eight for me, okay?” He bopped her nose with his finger, and she nodded between giggles, “I gotta get to class, but I’ll see you in math class?”

“See you in math class,” she nodded, reaching on her toes to place a kiss on his lips.

She watched him walk away with a smile on her face, wondering how on earth did she get so lucky.

She was absolutely smitten with the boy, he was the perfect boyfriend to her. He was hot, rich, sweet, and what he lacked for in the brain department was made up by his pretty face.

She only hoped that he felt the same way for her, but with the way he treated her- Jemima could confidently say that he most definitely did.

They were perfect for each other.

Evening couldn’t come fast enough for her.

____________________