"Caleb!" I call across the school cafeteria.

His back is turned to me, and he's walking in the opposite direction. I jog closer. Maybe he can't hear me since everyone's talking.

"Hey," I shout, "Caleb!"

He doesn't even flinch.

I push myself through the crowd and closer to him. He moves faster away from me, obviously determined to ditch me.

"Caleb, get your lousy buttocks over here right now," I announce, apparently too loud because multiple groups of people stop to stare at me.

Caleb turns around slowly, taking a deep breath. I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Seriously?" He asks, looking irritated. I stare at him.

"Come here," I sigh.

He cautiously steps towards me, looking annoyed by all the attention on him now. "What?"

"You're acting like a twelve year old. Stop being immature," I tell him in a low voice.

Caleb looks at me in confusion for a moment. "I have no idea what that's supposed to mean."

I roll my eyes. "Are you kidding me? All the dramatic angry fight thing. Yeah, that's really lame. Get over yourself."

"Get over myself? Get over myself?" Caleb asks, taking a single step closet to me. "You're the one who suddenly decides to become a converted cheddar roll. You're the one who decides to run along and ditch me for those guys. You know, just as well as me, what kind of people they are."

"You don't know them, neither did I, Caleb. We went over this," I sigh.

"I know what I see. I know what I've seen over the past four years, Lili," Caleb says.

"You haven't spoken a word to them, how could you know who they are?" I stepping front of him before he can walk away again.

"Oh, and you've said more than 3 words to them now have you?" Caleb asks, shaking his head. "You're all of a sudden an expert with the Cheddar Rolls and you're defending them? Is that how it is?"

"I never said I'm an expert," I frown. "I said I know they're really not exactly what we thought, Caleb. Come on."

"Oh look, there are your best friends coming now. Go sit with them today," Caleb says, before turning around and walking away.

I stand, staring as he moves to a new table with his friend from science, Malcolm. The crowds of people are no longer paying attention to me. They're going about their business as usual.

Caleb's eyes flicker to mine for a split second before he slides into his chair and focuses his attention on Malcolm and Sarah, his apparent new best friends.

"So she really is a loner."

I turn around, coming face to face with Brendan. He's smirking at me, arms crossed. The others are all behind him, settling at a table.

"What do you want?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair with a sigh.

Brendan raises his eyebrows, shifting his weight. "I was going to do you a favor and ask if you wanted to sit at our table... But I guess if you want to get all sassy over my kindness, you can continue with your isolation..."

"Come on, Lili," Drew says.

"Yeah, come sit!" Danny laughs, throwing a carrot at Drew's head.

"Dude, watch the hair. I spent freaking twenty minutes making it lay like this," Drew says, standing up from his chair to look more intimidating.

"Whoa, man. Sorry. Didn't realize you cared about that 'fro..."

Drew launches an apple across the table at Danny, and it hits his jaw. They both start laughing, which really confuses me... They're going at each other but think its funny?

I turn my attention back to Brendan who is watching me curiously. "You sitting or not?"

Karen, Missy, and Shelby are looking at me with utter disgust. How can girls make that ugly of a face and still look pretty? When I make ugly faces, I look ugly... As planned.

"Sure," I let out a breath, moving towards the table. I start to sit in the empty chair beside Brendan, but Shelby puts her foot up on it, stopping me.

"I need to put my bag here," she says, narrowing her eyes at me. "It's brand new and I don't want it getting dirty."

I stare at her in disbelief for a few moments. I force myself to just take a deep breath and move along with life. Don't start this fight, Lili. Don't start it. "Okay..."

I move around the other side and sit in the only other empty chair between Missy and Danny. I pray, sitting down, that neither of them have a freaking bag that needs a chair.

"So," Danny smiles at me. "How's your day been."

"Fine, I guess..." I reply, tilting my head in thought. "Not really exciting."

"Oh really?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"Really," I nod, looking at my lap.

"Don't you think everyone needs some excitement in their life though, Lili?" He asks, smirking at me.

"Uh, yeah... That'd be nice," I nod, looking at him in confusion.

"Tell me, Lili, who was your first boyfriend?" Danny asks, still smirking at me.

I feel my face grow hot as I notice that all eyes are now on me. "Um... His name was Grant, in my freshman year."

"Really," Danny nods. "And how many have you had?"

"That's it," I shrug.

Missy lets out a gasp, in shock.

"You're kidding, right?" Shelby asks with a laugh.

"I've had nineteen," Karen says, eyes wide.

"Yeah, I'm serious..." I look away awkwardly.

"Well, in that case, I'm about to make your day," Danny laughs.

I look at him questioningly, tilting my head to the side. All of a sudden, he grabs my face in both hands and presses his lips to mine. I let out a gasp of surprise as he lets go. He starts laughing and my face gets even more red, if possible. That was my first kiss, and it was sort of forced upon me... Is that sad? I'll answer that question for myself: yes, yes it is.

Brendan stands up abruptly, knocking his chair over. "Really, Danny? Was that necessary?"

I turn to him in shock, my face still burning.

"Why do you care, Marks?" Danny laughs, his head falling back.

"Obviously that was invading her personal space... And you sort of just kissed her without permission... I find that uncalled for and actually really wrong," Brendan says, his eyes flickering down to mine for a split second before going back to Danny.

"Or you wish you were me," Danny says, smirking, and pulling out a thing of Chapstick. He puts it on slowly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, shut up," Brendan rolls his eyes, sitting back down.

"He didn't deny it," Danny mutters under his breath, not loud enough for Brendan to hear. But I sure heard it.

And apparently Shelby did too, because she turns to Danny looking really offended. "He doesn't like that stupid new girl, Dan. Come on, get real," she says in a loud whisper.

"I never said he likes her... But now that's open to interpretation too. Thanks, Shel," Danny laughs, making Shelby turn red with rage.

"You are such an idiot, Danny. There's no way. Just shut up. You don't know anything," she stands, raising her voice, with an audience of most the cafeteria witnessing it. Caleb catches my eye again, looking furious. I'm guessing he saw what happened in these last few minutes...

"Sorry for not asking your permission, Lili," Danny taps on my shoulder, getting my attention back. "I should've asked you..." He winks at Brendan.

"It's... Fine," I say, looking away.

"But you enjoyed it, didn't you?" He makes a kissy face, quirking an eyebrow.

"You wish, homie," I roll my eyes, laughing.

"Aw, how cute. I'm your homie!" Danny says.

"No, I didn't mean to-"

It's too late. Danny stands up on his chair and shouts for everyone in the cafeteria to witness. "You all hear that? Liliana Carol just said I'm her homie."

I put my face in my hands.

Danny resumes his seat, laughing when he sees my misery.

"You are so embarrassing," I groan.

"I bet I just got you fifty new friends," Danny smiles.

"Not likely," Shelby mutters under her breath.

"Cocky much?" I roll my eyes. Though I don't really want to admit it to their faces, these guys (notice I specifically said guys) are actually really cool and their cockiness doesn't bother me anymore. It might just be because I've started to know them a little better, but either way I wouldn't be sad to start hanging out with them more often.

Minus those three girls that I don't even want to mention.

"I've got to go," Brendan shakes his head, looking annoyed and concerned all at once. He stands up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walks out of the cafeteria.

"Well that's normal," Drew smirks.

"What's up with him?" Karen asks, frowning. "He's acting so foreign."

"You don't even know what foreign means, Karen. Please be quiet," Missy says, crossing her arms.

"It only started when new girl came," Shelby purses her lips.

"New girl has a name," I roll my eyes in annoyance.

"A really pretty name," Danny winks at me.

"I think if we want to get rid of the problem, we need to take out the source," Shelby says.

"Huh?" Karen turns to Shelby, looking totally lost.

"Brendan was perfectly... Well, perfect, until Lili came into the picture. Now he's starting to act all strange. Maybe the only way to get the normal Brendan back is by saying goodbye to the new girl," Shelby says, looking at me apologetically. Yeah, nice act Shelby. But I can see through those devilish eyes of yours.

"I think we'd all be in agreement in saying Lili's fine to stay," Danny says.

"More than fine," Drew corrects.

He winks at me, and I smile back, cheeks tinting pink. I really need to lay off the blushing. It makes me feel all sensitive and such.

I see Caleb from across the cafeteria watching me again. He's shaking his head and frowning. You know what? I he cares about being that irritated, he should at least come see what these guys are really like.

"What's the matter, Lili?" Drew asks.

"Oh, nothing," I look back, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing yet," Danny says. "Remember, we have day two of detention today."

I groan at the same time Drew does.

"I forgot about that!" I slap my palm to my forehead.

Oh, Mr. Bennett, you hate me so.