Game On

I stepped into the lunch room with my friends and we sat at our table as I got a text.

Chase: Do you eat at school? I heard school food is nasty

Me: It is nasty, only sometimes I eat at school

Chase: You should. Please

Me: only bc u asked nicely

I smile at his consideration before putting my phone into my pocket going to the line and skipping to my friends.

I don't understand why he wants me to eat. Maybe he realized I'm underweight, but even so, I appreciate the consideration. Nobody usually pays much mind to those types of things.

On the other hand, this is how he could find out about what really goes on when I get back home and the truth about my mother.

My stomach churns uncomfortably as I pick up my food. I got some fries a milkshake and a brownie before we all filed back to our table.

"What does he look like?" Was the first thing Mackenzie said as we started trading food without even looking down

"Well, he has tattoos. He has a lot of tattoos, everywhere," I say slightly daydreaming about him, "A small nose ring, and dark brown hair," I tell her, "And he has muscles, like Hulk," I compare him, using my hands to show the size of his muscles

"Only you would compare that God to Hulk," Amber-Rose laughs

"How did you meet him?" Mackenzie asks me suddenly, seeming suspicious.

"As I was walking home from the gym I bumped into him and he dropped some money so I caught up to him to give him his money and he offered to take me home," I blush as I lie, "He's nice though and he helped me with my homework last night," I add quickly

"He does seem nice and she is almost 18," Amber-Rose vouches for me to Mackenzie as if she's our mother

Mackenzie sighed, rolling her eyes as a sign of letting it be, "What else happened yesterday?" Mackenzie she asks, changing the subject

"Well, when I got to the gym, I met Samantha, Ryder's girlfriend," I say without a slightly straight face

"You don't seem too happy about it,"

"She called me what Sydney told me to call mean girls and said I was hitting on her boyfriend and when I told her we were siblings and she apologized, Ryder told her to stop being a jealous b-word and I could probably break them up if I wanted and it made her sad and I felt bad," I sulk, "But then I made him apologize so it was fine," I quickly add to lighten the mood of my words

"What else did she call you?" Mackenzie asks, raising her eyebrow at me.

"She said I'm a little girl," I squint my eyes still confused by the statement, "I'm 17, not a little girl,"

"It’s okay," Mackenzie tells me and I nod putting a smile on my face as I eat the first brownie on my plate

I have 2 brownies and fries. Mackenzie has fries, a brownie and a burger Amber-Rose has 3 milkshakes and fries.

We aren't allowed to get 2 of the same thing so we always traded the same things for every different lunch.

I pass Mackenzie her fruit snacks from my bag and she smiles at me, "Thanks Dine," and I nod

I eat my food as my friends do the same and we talk. Mackenzie pulls out money from her bra like usual. I was like her treasurer because I liked helping her handle her money.

I counted 780 and rolled it up, but Mackenzie pulled out a 20 before I put the rubber band around it. She hands me the $20 and I furrow my eyebrows at the money.

"You're getting smaller, buy more food if you need to," she tells me

I hesitate before smiling and taking the money, "Is it that obvious because Chase also told me to eat," I tell my friends as I look at myself

"You really like this Chase guy," Mackenzie says

"Yeah, he's a good friend even though I only met him yesterday," I tell them biting into my brownie

"You're so naive, it hurts," Amber-Rose rubs her temples

"I'm not naive," I bite back

"Then why haven't you fucked him yet?" Amber-Rose asks

"Maybe because I'm a virgin and because I met him Yesterday," I tell her, emphasizing the word 'yesterday', with irritation.

"I don't think he just wants to fuck her," Mackenzie tells Amber-Rose, "He would've realised by now, Nadine is not the type for those sorts of things," they discuss

I shrugged, agreeing with her when my phone vibrated.

Chase: I can pick you up after school

Me: Would you be willing to drive me to Otterson Gym?

Chase: sure, I know the owner

Me: really? he's my brother

Chase: oh cool, I'll see you after school

Me: cya

I tuck my phone away and continue my conversation and lunch with my friends. We discuss Chase basically the entirety of lunch as we decide whether I should keep seeing him or not.

~Time Skip~

I hug Amber-Rose and Mackenzie before getting into Chase's car.

"Good afternoon!" I greet as I get into the passenger seat

"Afternoon, ma," he replies before staring at me, "Seatbelt,"

I giggle before pulling my seatbelt across my chest.

"So Ryder is your brother?" He asks as he begins driving

"Yeah," I reply smiling

"If he's only 18, how old are you?" He asks me seemingly worried

"I'm 17, I'll be 18 in 3 weeks," I tell him, attempting to ease his worry, "I don't see him much anymore since he moved out to live with his girlfriend and son," I change the subject

"He has a kid?" His eyebrows raise, "Since when?" He seems shocked

"Yeah, his name is Carter, he is the cutest little thing. Even though I haven't seen him in real life, I saw pictures and he looks more like me, than Ryder," I say

He chuckles shortly, "What do you do at the gym?"

"Gymnastics and my brother is teaching me self-defence. You should fight me," I tell him doing playful karate moves with my hands.

"Bet, game on," he says mischievously as we park outside of the gym.