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A/N: An image of the school cafeteria above.
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The cafeteria was bustling with students as Jayden and Noel made their way in. Paul had left them on the way to search for Samuel so it was just the both of them when they headed over to pick their food.
‘So,’ Jayden began after they had taken their seats at their usual table. ‘Paul?’
Noel bit his burger and looked up at him in confusion. ‘Huh?’
‘You. Paul. This is now a thing?’
Noel choked on his burger. ‘What?’ he finally sputtered.
Jayden fixed him with an expressionless gaze.
‘I don’t have feelings for him.’
Jayden gazed at him for a long moment before nodding. ‘Probably for the best, he’s as straight as they come just really nice. Too nice in fact and besides, he is a crown prince so you really had no chance anyway.’
‘Yeah, I mean he’s hot and all but…’ Noel trailed off.
Jayden studied him closely before finally nodding in realization. ‘You like someone else,’ he finished for him.
Noel stared up at him in surprise. ‘How the hell did you know that?’
Jayden ignored the question. He gazed at him curiously. ‘Who could it be, you don’t…’
His eyes widened. His hand shot out and gripped Noel’s arm tightly, pulling him close until their foreheads were only inches apart.
‘Are you crazy?’ he hissed.
Noel’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘What… I don’t know what-‘
‘Don’t even bother.’ Jayden cut him off sharply. ‘Of all the people, why? Why him? Why Charles?’
Noel tore himself from his grasp and leaned back in surprise. ‘How did you… it doesn’t matter, you’re wrong. You don’t know him, not like I do.’
Jayden’s eyes narrowed then suddenly filled with pity. ‘You love him.’
It wasn’t a question. Noel shuffled and looked down, avoiding Jayden’s piercing gaze.
‘I…I don’t. It’s just a crush.’
Jayden shook his head sadly. ‘No, it’s more than that. I can see it in your eyes.’
Noel looked up defiantly and met Jayden’s stare squarely. ‘So what if it is? You don’t know what I saw when I kissed him. We shared something special, we felt something. I know it and he knows it too.’
‘I know him much more than you think and nothing good is going to come out of loving him.’
‘You’re wrong,’ he whispered. ‘You don’t know that. You can’t know that.’
Jayden let out a heavy sigh. ‘For your sake, I hope you’re right.’
Noel patted Jayden’s arm in comfort. ‘Thank you for worrying but you don’t have to. I’ll be fine. I know how to take care of myself. Besides, what about you?’
‘Hmm?’
‘Anyone you’re interested in?’
Jayden cocked his head contemplatively. ‘No. No, I don’t think so.’
Noel smirked at him. ‘Oh really? What about Samuel?’
‘What about him?’ Jayden replied absently.
‘You and Samuel. He’s always seeking your attention, maybe there could be something more.’
Jayden wrinkled his nose as if he had smelled something particular revolting. ‘Definitely not. He’s hot and all but he’s definitely not my type and besides, he’s straight.’
Noel’s smirk widened. ‘Speak of the devil…’
‘No…’
‘Hey, Jayden! How have you been? Haven’t spoken to you in forever!’
Jayden closed his eyes and counted to ten. He opened them to see a beaming Samuel standing in front of him with Paul behind him.
‘Go away.’
Samuel chuckled. ‘Don’t be like that. Those are the first words you’ve spoken to me this year.’ He gestured to their table. ‘Mind if we join you?’
‘Ye-‘
‘No.’
Jayden shot a glare at Noel who just shrugged it off, smirking even wider.
Samuel didn’t seem to have paid attention to them because he had placed his tray on the table and sat down by them before any of them had answered. Paul did the same, sitting opposite him.
‘Won’t your friends miss you?’ Noel asked, glancing up at the cool table where the jocks and other popular kids usually sat.
Paul just shrugged whiles Samuel waved his concerns away dismissively. ‘They’ll live.’
He turned eagerly to Jayden with a cute pout on his face. ‘I texted you loads of time over the vac but you never seemed to get it.’
‘I did.’
‘Then why didn’t you respond!’ Samuel whined. ‘I invited you to loads of stuff. We could have had so much fun!’
Jayden ignored him and turned his attention to the slice of pizza sitting on the plate before him.
Samuel continued to pout but quickly forgot all about it when Paul drew him in with a conversation about sports. The conversation then moved on to different topics, drawing Noel in.
Despite Jayden’s cold shoulder, an atmosphere of cordiality had settled over the table. However, it was not to last.
A group of guys came over and before they knew it, their table had been surrounded.
‘Well, well. Look what we have here.’
The boys parted to allow a smiling Charles through. He wore a proud smirk as he sized them up. ‘The beggar and his street dogs just ripe for the picking.’
Paul shot him a dirty glare whiles Jayden just ignored him. He continued to munch on his pizza with no care in the world.
Samuel gave him a bored look. ‘What do you want?’
‘What do I want?’ He laughed. ‘I don’t want anything, just my retribution.’
Paul frowned at him. ‘For what?’
‘You lot have insulted me one time too many. It’s time I put you in your place. You need to be taught who the boss is. I run this school and it’s time you learned that the hard way.’
His friends cracked their knuckles threateningly.
Jayden snorted.
Charles glared at him. ‘What is so funny, Mills?’
Jayden ignored him. He took another bite of his pizza and munched away in silence.
Charles slammed his fists on the table, upsetting a few drinks. Jayden didn’t even flinch. He picked up his drink to prevent it from spilling and took a calm sip.
‘You are,’ he finally said. ‘Now go away before I break your arm.’
Charles laughed. ‘You?’ he sputtered, drying the tears from his eyes. ‘I would like to see you try.’
An evil grin snaked its way onto Jayden’s face. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’
He stood and faced Charles who smirked wickedly, cracking his knuckles. ‘This is going to be fun.’
They circled each other but before either one could make a move, Noel shot to his feet.
‘Wait!’
Charles turned to him with a scowl. ‘What?’
Noel was shivering but his voice was steady. ‘I can’t let you hurt him.’
Jayden scoffed.
Charles turned away. ‘Be patient. I’ll deal with you later.’
But before he could move, a sickening splat sounded at the table. Everyone froze in shock.
Charles raised an arm and touched the back of his head disbelievingly, pulling it back to stare with wide eyes at the pieces of cream cake on it.
‘You-,’ he turned to say but was cut off when another splat sounded.
This time, it hit him square in the face. The shock soon wore off and they all burst into laughter at the comical expression on his face. Even his gang had to hide their stifled giggles behind the back of their hands.
A dark look crossed Charles’ face and he reached down and picked up a bowl of soup. He flung it hard at Noel but Paul pulled him out of the way at the last second, causing it to fall on a senior sitting two tables away.
He turned around in shock and flung the pie he had been eating at another table, thinking them to be the culprit.
That’s where it all went downhill.
‘FOOD FIGHT!’ Samuel roared, leaping onto the table with a plate on each hand. He flung them on Charles’ friends but before he could leap down, pieces of half-eating victuals sailed through the air, landing splat on the centre of his face.
The entire cafeteria had turned into a warzone. Pieces of food whizzed about and the air was filled with the excited screams and laughter of the students as the pandemonium continued. Tables and chairs were overturned and trays were being employed as makeshift shields.
Noel stood confused in the middle of the chaos. He walked about trying, and failing, to dodge the flying projectiles when a hand suddenly grabbed him from below and pulled him down sharply.
He blinked in surprise at Jayden who was sitting against an overturned table to protect himself from the food bullets. He glanced worriedly over him. ‘Are you alright?’
Noel nodded silently.
Jayden chuckled, reaching up to pick off a piece of ham that had landed in Noel’s hair.
‘What did you do that for? I was in no danger, I can take care of myself.’
Noel bit his lip. ‘I know but I wanted to protect you. You’ve protected me more than enough times and it was time I returned the favour. I couldn’t stand seeing him threaten you like that.’
Jayden stared at him but before he could speak, Samuel crawled over on his elbows.
‘Hey, what are you guys doing hiding over there? You’re missing all the fun! I need more ammunition… there!’
His eyes were alight with joy as he picked a fallen turkey leg and a piece of cake from the floor before leaping back into the fray.
Jayden picked up two cupcakes and handed them to Noel before picking some for himself. ‘Come on, let’s go show them what we are made of.’
Noel nodded eagerly and with a grin, they both leaped up and threw themselves into the chaos.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: So… how have you been?
Hehe, sorry for the late update and the small chapter, I’m still struggling to regain my flow.
Quick question; Has any of you been in a cafeteria food fight or any food fight? I haven’t 🙁
What did you think about the chapter? Lemma know in the comments and don’t forget to vote 😉.
Peace.
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