Chapter 27:

Three days later, Nicole had never expected she would be sitting between her friends. Emma and Arya, as they chatted away.

Her mind trailed away to Xander, her breath suddenly hitching, was he planning to kiss her? Was he planning to do wicked things? She felt her skin crawling and her cheek getting puffed up a bit. She leaned on the chair, sipping the water.

"Nicole?" Someone jerked her shoulders but she didn't care. "Are you there?" The jerk pierced through her bone, and only then did she look up, with a controversial sigh.

"Huh?" She said, her hands fiddling around the table.

"Is something wrong?" Arya crouched her brows slowly, her voice lacing with concern. "You seem odd lately."

Nicole bit her lower lips, even they noticed, they picked it out, was she bad at hiding her emotions? Or they just figured out.

Her head tilted to their side, and she tried to smile, even when she knew she couldn't. She still tried, and as always, it failed, her lips only ended up being curled and she si