The Wrong Path - By Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris Page 0,4
from the boy and girl and back to her friends. They were clustered together in a v-formation, Claire at the helm, several steps in front of her. She had become so distracted by the couple she’d fallen behind and lost track of the conversation.
As they waited expectantly, she frantically thought back to what her friends had been discussing. She was fairly certain she had heard Claudia say something about The Roux, which meant they had been talking about where to eat.
“The food court,” she declared, relieved she had been paying at least a little bit of attention to her friend’s chatter. They often saw other students in the food court, and since that was generally the main entrance, there was a high probability she would see Trevor if he showed up. “Never know who you’ll see out there, right?”
Claire grinned approvingly. Apparently Claire had wanted to eat at the food court as well. “Exactly,” she agreed, taking a few steps back to link her arm through Annabelle’s and bring her to the front of the group. Annabelle tried to sneak another look at the couple to see if she recognized them, but with Claire holding onto her and the other girls behind her, there was no way for her to do it without drawing too much attention. She tried not to be disappointed that her curiosity about their identity hadn’t been satiated when they rounded the corner to the food court.
They all ordered from the same place in the crowded cluster of restaurants so they wouldn’t have to split up, as was customary. Claudia looked annoyed they hadn’t gone with her choice, but at the sight of the tables full of boys who all turned their heads to stare at them, her features smoothed and lifted into a flirtatious smile. They chose a table on the outer edge, closest to the points of entry to the food court, giving them maximum visibility to anyone who should enter. Claire sat facing the hallway so she could see people as they streamed in, and to Annabelle’s surprise, she was pulled down into the chair beside her. Claudia, of course, sat on Claire’s other side, leaving Erin to sit beside Claudia.
Sitting beside Claire was the biggest honor the girls in the group could have, and Annabelle couldn’t help but feel pleased she had been chosen. She stuck her straw in her milkshake with a smile.
Claire discussed all of the gossip she had accumulated in the last day, which was enough to keep them entertained well through the meal and then some, especially with the other girls interjecting more gossip and their opinions. Annabelle enjoyed being included in the epicenter of the high school—knowing everyone else’s business and being able to discuss it all. There was something comforting about knowing something about everyone, as if it made the school smaller; made even people she barely knew almost like friends.
Out of nowhere, Annabelle watched Claire straighten, deliberately resuming control of the conversation. Her laugh suddenly became louder; her presence more commanding. She had paused in “casually” looking around, fixing her eyes on her friends.
Someone Claire had wanted to catch the attention of and impress had clearly come into the food court.
Sure enough, a moment later, Annabelle’s suspicions were confirmed. To her delight, Trevor Scarlett and his best friend Zach Coffman appeared at the end of their table. Both boys were dressed in polo shirts and lettermen’s jackets, their short hair styled to perfection. Zach had been Trevor’s best friend since they were kids, and as far as Annabelle had ever been able to tell, they were together all the time.
“Hey ladies,” Trevor greeted, smiling in his cheerful, friendly manner. Annabelle’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. Trevor was incredibly handsome, with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes set against deeply tanned skin. He was large, but not overpoweringly so, and Annabelle admired his ability to be so tough on the football field and yet not intimidate people on the street.
“Hey Trevor; Zach,” Claire greeted, in almost a purr. “What are you guys doing here?”
Trevor grinned. “Just grabbing some food.” He paused and studied them with a curious, polite look. Annabelle tried not to fidget under his scrutiny. “Did you guys get your hair done?”
Delighted he had noticed, Annabelle’s heart sang with more adoration for him. “Yeah,” Claudia confirmed. “We all did. We just stopped here for something to eat while Mary finishes up.”
“It looks nice,” he complimented. He was so sweet, Annabelle had