x. challenges

My cleanse started the second we got to school.

In Gym, I had to dodge numerous questions about me and Reese, making the process of purging him from my system a lot harder than it needed to be.

Second period was easier. I thought it would’ve been difficult, but it was better than Gym. Even if he was in the same class as me, he sat on the other end of the room in the back row, so I didn’t have to look at him.

When I wasn’t listening to our teacher drone on about space and stars, I was coaxing out details from Gina about what happened with her and Lorenxo.

For more than half of the class, I’d forgotten Reese even existed let alone shared the same room with me. I did not look, much less glance, in his direction not even once and I felt great about it.

When lunch rolls around, we all meet up before heading to the cafeteria. The girls and I get in line for our lunch and ten minutes later, we’re sitting in our usual spot, already fussing about what crap we’ve had to endure so far.

With finals, prom, and graduation only a month away, teachers have been a lot crabbier lately. It’s not invalid. A lot of people, seniors in particular, haven’t been taking much into consideration anymore. College acceptances have been long received for the majority and our days in high school are numbered.

The excitement is hard to miss in the buzzing hallways, the hangouts that have been planned closer together, and our regular trips to beaches, and recreational places like the ice or regular skating rink and the arcade.

“I cannot believe we’re almost done with this place,” Jodene says, dabbing hot sauce on her pizza. She walks with one in her bag because she lives for spice. She can hardly stomach food that isn’t hot enough, so her solution since sophomore year was to carry around her favorite hot sauce just in case.

“I can,” Von says, moving her hair behind her shoulder as she leans forward, stuffing a fork full of salad in her mouth.

“So can I,” I agree, tilting my head back and raising my voice like a lunatic. “Ugh, I can’t wait for college.”

“Got that right.” Gina dances in her seat as she eats. I snicker at her puffy cheeks and ranch dressing smeared at the corner of her lips.

“You’ve got some,” I gesture to the spot. She gives me what I think would be a grin if her mouth wasn’t full, but doesn’t move to clean it.

*I love her.*

I’d given her my lunch like I do every couple of days. We alternate with who gets my share each day because I don’t eat school food unless it’s out of the vending machine. I bring my own lunch and then I contribute to my friends’ piggish ways.

They always tease me about being too ‘bougie’ for pizza or patties but it’s all jokes and I can take it. I bring fruit, salad in plate-sized glass bowls, and every once in a while, I treat myself to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Tell me, Gin,” I start as I set my food on the table, “heard anything scandalous going around about you and the handsome, the magnificent-”

She cuts me off with a disapproving sound through her mouthful, and I snicker. She swallows after a moment and reaches for a napkin to wipe her mouth before she speaks.

“No, not really. Surprising, right? I thought he’d tell the whole school by now.” She drops the used napkin by her tray.

“I’m not,” Von says. She sits back and finishes chewing before she goes on. “He’s more of a teaser than a gossip. I think you’ll be fine.” She shrugs.

Gina chews on her bottom lip nervously. “Have you two ever…”

“Oh, sweety no,” Von replies, letting out a genuine laugh. “I’ll take Thion over that hot mess any day.”

“What’s going on with you and him by the way?” I ask, busying myself with sprinkling croutons, then ranch and some nuts over my salad.

“Are you sure you want to know?” she says teasingly.

I glance at her to give her a blank stare. Her smile widens. “Do we have to apologize again for you to open up to us about your rendezvous?”

She pretends to think about it. A second later, she flips her hair and leans forward. Then she says, her voice low and sultry, “Nothing.”

“Come on!” Jodene waves her off.

Von laughs, shaking her head. “Nothing happens. I think we all know he’s… what do you call it? Community dick?”

“Yvonne!” Gina throws a piece of lettuce at her from her own salad. “I hear he’s a gentleman.”

“He is,” she repeats, successfully confusing me, “but that doesn’t change the facts—he’ll sleep with any girl in this cafeteria if they ask.”

“Okay, I’m officially confused,” Jodene says, not caring that we can all she the food in her mouth when she talks. “You guys have never had sex, then?”

Yvonne shakes her head. “No. I like his company. He really is a gentleman though. We’ve messed around but never did anything drastic. We just talk about a lot of things. Philosophy and all that. You wouldn’t believe how smart he is.”

“Huh.” I nod to myself. It isn’t hard to believe, the guy has a reputation for more than just hopping in bed with anyone. It’s all just coming together for me now because they’re bringing it up.

“I do. Had World History with him once. Knows his stuff,” Gina says.

I watch her dump salad on top of her pizza and bring it to her lips. I’m about to crack a joke about her enjoying her high metabolism while it lasts, until my eyes move above her head.

To my ultimate horror, Lorenxo’s walking by, a few tables away, talking animatedly to my brother when he glances in this direction. It’s only for a second and I’m momentarily grateful until his eyes swerve back over and he smiles. It’s not a sweet one at that either.

His expression tells me he’s ready to raise hell.

He doesn’t look at me. His gaze stays on the back of Gina’s head as he stops, still talking to Kellan who’s next to look in our direction.

Kellan meets my eyes and I widen my own, wanting to shake my head but knowing Lorenxo will catch the motion. Seconds later, Lucifer is walking away from Kellan while I try to plead with my eyes for my brother to help me out this once. I hardly speak to him during school. I don’t embarrass him. Most people don’t even know we’re related. He can do at least this for me.

But I already figure out Kellan’s decision before he does when he spots Yvonne, his eyes staying on her for a moment—seemingly trying to figure out if it’s worth coming over here.

He looks at me again, takes a step back, and gives me a salute gesture before he’s on his way.

“Crap,” I curse under my breath but it’s not as low as I want it to be.

“You got a problem?”

I don’t look up to address or confirm who that is. I’m flashing my hands in panic, speechless as I watch Gina force a pepperoni in her already full mouth.

“What is it?”

“The-” At a loss for words, I start stuttering out nonsense. “Satan.”

“What?” Jodene retorts, already looking around the rowdy cafeteria.

Von spots him first and I know because she says, “Oh shit.”

Gina glares at us in confusion, still chewing while perfecting her pizza toppings for her next bite.

“Lorenxo, Gina,” Jodene says, her words coming out frantic. “He’s coming over!”

Just as dramatic as the rest of us, Gina starts choking. How she wouldn’t would have been a bigger mystery with how she eats. Gina’s never been one to eat the general portion of food with each bite.

We throw handfuls of napkins her way but she shakes her head, holding her hand up, and fanning her face with the other. Her cheeks are still puffing out but she’s not chewing. She focuses on breathing in and out through her nose and not suffocating, while we all sit in shock and terror as Lorenxo gets closer.

Thankfully, she gets everything down just as he places his tray on the table and pulls out the chair next to her.

Not even looking at him, she places her water bottle back down on the table after a long drink, laughing as she breathes heavily. “You called him Satan.”

“I didn’t know what to do.” I still hear my nerves in my voice, but I laugh anyway. “And you were a second away from eating your finger.”

Sputtering out a laugh, she wipes her mouth and hands, still not acknowledging Lorenxo who’s waiting to be noticed.

“Interesting,” he says, staring at the side of Gina’s face.

She finally looks at him and so do the rest of us. “Yes?”

As usual, he’s in his full black attire, and besides a cut on his eyebrow, his face it bruise-free.

“You wanna go out later?”

A different kind of silence settles over our group. One clouded with anticipation and tension. My eyebrows raise at his forwardness. The guy has always been a cocky brat.

Gina smiles at him and shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I have old-fashioned parents who don’t believe in me going out with a guy they’ve never met.” Her voice is almost robot-like and it’s intentional. That’s her way of letting him know she’s probably lying and she doesn’t care if he knows. Technically, it’s a half-truth. Mostly, Gina’s parents like to know days in advance when she’s going out with a guy so they can interrogate her about him. But this is fun too.

My lips part in disbelief and I glance at the girls, holding back a grin.

She goes back to her food, taking a huge bite of her salad and pizza combo and act like he’s not even there.

Lorenxo’s expression doesn’t falter, but his smirk turns into a grin that says he’s accepting her challenge.