“Holy shit.” Zeck’s comment had her turning to him to see him staring wide eyed behind her.
Jess was scared to turn, but taking hold of Travis’s hand she spun to see Britney with her tray of food. “May I sit with you? I don’t like the company over at the table I was sitting at before.”
Jess looked at Travis, who shrugged and Zeck, who nodded eagerly. “Sure, Britney.”
Britney sat next to her and smiled showing two dimples. Jess had seen dimples like that before. Last night when Brandon laughed or smiled she’d seen them, and they were just like Britney’s. Jess turned back to her food and felt good that she had support. That Britney didn’t agree with what Kelsey said. When she turned back Travis’s arm came back around her.
Britney paused with food to her mouth as she glanced at Travis, then at her. “Brandon is going to freak when he smells you.” Britney leaned towards her and took a whiff of her. “Yeah. If I was you I’d cover myself in deodorant. You smell like him.” She nodded her head in Travis’s direction.
Jess bit her lip and furrowed her brows. Britney was acting strange. Not that she really knew Britney, but she’d just sniffed her, and she was talking like Brandon would know that she’d been snuggling Travis just by smelling her. “Are you saying I smell?”
Britney nodded, and Zeck burst out laughing. Jess shot a glare at Zeck and noticed that Travis was strangely quiet. “You smell like your friend. You only smelt of him faintly before, and my brother’s smell was stronger, as it should be. But his smell is starting to overpower it, probably because it is full of lu—”
“Don’t. I think Jess gets the idea.”
Britney stopped, not finishing what she was saying as Travis butted in. Britney looked behind her to Travis studying him for a moment. “You know, don’t you? How?”
“My sister is mated … argh, married to one of you.”
Britney nodded. “That’s why you let her go with my brother even though you didn’t know him, wasn’t it?”
“I didn’t think he’d stay at home with her. I thought he would go out and work.”
“Fate’s a bitch.”
Jess had no idea what Britney and Travis were talking about. It sounded like a code for something. Jess glanced at Zeck to see he was struggling to understand what was going on, too. Jess wanted to know what was going. Travis was acting strange.
“What are you over here for, Britney?” Mac Fierce startled her out of her musing. When he noticed her he walked around and sat next to a wide-eyed Zeck. “Hi, Jezebel. Good to see you again. Did you enjoy the movie last night?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to the next one.”
“I’m sorry for Steph. I didn’t realize she was like that. I’m not taking her out again.”
Jess was sure she’d stepped into the Twilight Zone. Why the hell did Mac Fierce care whether or not she liked the girl he dated? “It’s your call, Mac, not mine. Don’t stop seeing her because she said what most people have and do.”
“What she said was wrong. The Prides are close friends of mine, and we don’t treat people’s mates like that.”
“Oh I get it. So if I wasn’t Brandon’s friend, mate, whatever they call it, you’d be okay with her calling me those names?” Jess couldn’t help herself. Poor Mac, he knew instantly he’d put his foot in it and had no idea how he was going to dig himself out. He sat squirming and looking around for help.
“Britney, want to help a friend out?”
Britney giggled. “You’re an idiot, Mac. Your charm won’t work here. I’m looking forward to you digging your way out of this one.”
Feeling sorry for him, Jess winked at Mac. “Don’t strain your brain, Mac. We wouldn’t want to hurt it.”
He sighed and smiled at her, and Jess laughed as it dawned on him that she’d insulted him. “Hey, I am apologizing, and you’re picking on me.” He drastically pouted his lips and batted his eyelashes.
Jess knew Mac hadn’t taken offence. “I’m sorry. No more teasing.”
Mac winked at her. “I like teasing, especially the flirting kind.”
Brittney shook her head beside her. “Oh Mac, quit while you still can.”
The banter and talk went around the table. Zeck and Travis even joined in. By the time she walked to class Jess was feeling better about her friends being okay her being with Brandon.
Chapter Five
Brandon had a sense of déjà vu as he sat in the high school car park. Only a couple of months ago he’d been sitting in almost the same spot next to his brother waiting for Sasha to come out of school. This time Brandon was waiting for his own mate.