I frowned. "I don't think I know how to answer your question."
Dee leaned over the table. "Do you like him, Ella?"
"What?" I scrunched my nose. "No."
"Well, what was that…display?"
"He was being a jerk." I shrugged. "You know, boys do that sometimes."
"Ella, Dace is always a jerk. It's kinda what he's known for."
Obviously she didn't get the humor in my comment. I sighed as the need to defend Dace surfaced. "He's really not so bad."
Dee shook her head and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were fastened behind me and I knew Dace was walking toward us. "Did you invite him to eat with us?"
"Yeah, I did." I looked at her pointedly. "Is there a problem with that?"
She shook her head. "No. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"He can't hurt me, Dee. We're just friends. That's it."
She nodded but I could see neither she or Kyle believed me. The chair next to me scrapped against the ground and Dace set a heaping tray of food down beside me before plopping down in the seat beside me. He scooted the chair closer to the table, before scooting it sideways, closer to me.
I recoiled. "You're going to eat all that?"
I couldn't take my eyes from the food. He had fries, potato wedges, fruit, salad, muffins, cookies, chicken strips and a chicken salad wrap. On their side at the front of the tray beneath the cookies and muffin were two bottles of water.
Dace looked at me as though I had a concussion. "No."
"You aren't?"
He shrugged. "You wouldn't tell me what you wanted, so I got a bit of everything that looked good."
"I told you I didn't want anything." I said icily.
"You told me you had a lunch." He set determined eyes on me. "Where is it?"
I fumbled for words. I had none. "I said I wasn't hungry."
He looked down at the tray. "Well I can't eat all this by myself, so you'd better help."
I shook my head. "You shouldn't have bought it if you couldn't eat it."
He gestured to the tray. "My purchasing this abundance of food could have been avoided if you'd only just told me what you wanted."
I glared at him. "Are you serious?"
He nodded, looking mighty satisfied with himself. "I've never been more serious."
"You're an idiot." I huffed. When I looked at Dee, she was vibrating with silent laughter. Kyle looked stunned into silence. I snapped. "What are you laughing at?"
Dee let her laugh loose and my hackles rose. "I think you've met your match, El."
"Go get your salad, Dee."
She set stern eyes on me. "I'll eat if you do." She nodded to the tray and I couldn't help but think she was lucky she was sitting so far away from me. My fingers were itching to pull her hair.
I swiped the chicken strips from Dace's tray while trying to ignore the smugness emanating from him. "Backstabber." I hissed under my breath at Dee who was already walking to the line for a salad.
Kyle leaned into the table, planting his elbows on the surface. "So Dace, am I betting on you or Daman next?"
Dace stiffened beside me and I looked up from my food in time to catch sight of his head shaking just the faintest amount. "We'll discuss it later, Kyle." His voice was gruff and commanding and Kyle nodded as he sat back in his seat. He looked pale and stricken and I was confused. I wanted to ask what they were talking about, but the air around our table was suffocating and tense. I decided to change the subject.
I nudged Dace with my elbow. "Looks like your making enemies for me, Dace?"
He frowned, his eyes searching mine. "What?"
I waved the hand holding my chicken strip around the cafeteria. "Do you not see the jealous vultures?"
He shook his head. "I'm not following."
Kyle laughed. "The chicks glaring at Ella, Dace. You don't see it?"
Dace looked around the room and their spiteful faces altered into innocent bubble-gum smiles. I rolled my eyes and laughed when one girl waved all cute-like at Dace when he scanned the table she sat at. It was all I could do not to make a gagging noise.
Dace fastened amused blues on me. "You're not jealous, are you?"
I waved my chicken strip in his face - it was the perfect replacement for a stern finger. "If that's your conclusion, you're seriously delusional." I nodded adamantly. "You might want to get that checked."
Dace caught my wrist in his hand, steering it directly to his mouth where he took a ginormous chomp out of my strip. My mouth dropped and he grinned behind his chewing. He winked. "Delicious, Angel."
I scowled. "You can finish it now."
He frowned, all joy vanishing from his eyes. "Why?"