when the lunch bell rang, matt grabbed jamie's hand and led her to the table, cutting through at least five different groups of students. 

"matt!" jamie yelped after bumping into another student. "it's not that serious, bro! slow down!" the two found their usual empty table and jamie sat down on the bench, looking up at matt like he was insane.

"chris meets paris at that tree." matt pointed to the tree nearest to their table, breathing heavily to catch his breath. "we need to get here before them so they could see us before going to wherever the fuck they go for lunch."

"did we need to run?"

"yes." matt pointed behind her. jamie turned and saw chris heading their direction, toward the tree. "chris usually gets here first. at least that's what nick told me."

"so what are we supposed to do?" jamie asked. "like do i have to fake laugh and act like you're funny?"

"hey!" matt exclaimed, before crossing his arms. "i am funny." jamie scoffed.

"to a baby, probably. but they laugh at everything." matt playfully hit her arm right as chris passed them.

"oh my god, jamie, you are so mean." he exaggerated his tone to make it seem like he was genuinely offended. jamie couldn't help but laugh.

"shut up, matt." 

"you're laughing!" matt pointed out. "see? i am funny."

"sure." jamie shook her head. she scoot over a bit so matt could sit down next to her. in her peripheral vision, she could see chris turn his head to their direction. 

"he's looking at us, right?" matt leaned over and whispered, trying himself not to fully look over. jamie nodded. 

"yeah."

"who's gonna tell him that paris left early?" the pair heard nick's voice approach the table. 

"not me." caroline replied, taking the seat next to jamie. "did he see you guys?"

"yeah, he's been looking over a couple of times." matt replied. "wait, nick, did you say paris isn't here today?" nick shook his head, him and isaiah taking the bench across from them. 

"she wasn't here in third period." isaiah explained. he looked over at chris, who was furiously texting on his phone. "i feel kinda bad."

"me too." jamie admitted. everyone looked at her in shock. she held her hands up in defense. "hey, i wouldn't wish my worst enemy to sit alone during lunch." nick looked over at chris, who was now looking around helplessly.

"should we ask him to sit with us?"

"where are his lacrosse friends?" caroline asked. she turned to matt. "aren't you friends with them, too?"

"yeah, but most of them have second lunch. and tyson usually eats off-campus."

"oh." caroline sighed. she narrowed her eyes at the lost looking boy. "okay, let's ask him to sit with us."

"chris!" nick waved him over. "you know that if your brothers are right here, you don't have to stand there like a fucking loner." 

"didn't want to intrude." chris mumbled, his gaze shifting over to matt and jamie. an awkward silence hung over the table, as no one knew what to say. caroline and isaiah haven't spoken to chris since he started going out with paris. nick and matt usually talk to chris about everything other than that when they're home. and jamie, well. 

she hadn't actually had a conversation with chris since they broke up back in february. it was mainly just paris she was really upset about. 

"you're not intruding anything." caroline replied, simply. "we just got here."

"paris isn't here?" matt asked him. chris shook his head. 

"she was feeling sick, so she left during second."

"better hope she didn't get you sick after the way you guys were eating each other's faces this morning." jamie said, bitterly. matt's eyes went wide. nick nearly choked on his sandwhich. caroline and isaiah were trying not to laugh while chris glared at jamie. 

"we were not eating each other's faces." he said. "we kissed once." 

"it was a very long kiss." isaiah noted. chris rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"it doesn't matter! you guys are probably waiting for me to get sick and not show up."

"i know i am." caroline muttered, but chris heard her anyway.

"and what's your problem with me, carol? last i checked, we were pretty good friends!"

"that was before you started acting like a fucking idiot!" caroline shot back.

"hey, guys, let's calm down!" nick intervened. "chris, you need to shut the fuck up and admit that you messed up. carol, just try to keep the comments to yourself. and jamie," he sighed before continuing, "it's best to just ignore whatever the fuck chris may be doing. don't bring it up."

"got it." jamie replied, not sparing a glance toward chris. "i think i'm gonna head to the bathroom, actually. i'll be back." she gathered her things and left the table. jamie decided to go to the bathroom near her first period, the one she cried in that very first day of school. 

jamie set her backpack down on the counter and pulled out her phone. her heart almost dropped to her stomach when she saw a text from someone she hadn't texted in months.

IMESSAGE

chris
are you alright?

jamie
i'm fine
don't worry about me

chris
okay good
can you come outside so we can talk

jamie
what

jamie looked toward the bathroom door. there was no way chris had followed her, right? putting her phone into her back pocket and grabbing her backpack, jamie exited the bathroom. sure enough, chris sturniolo stood on the other side of the hallway, leaning against the wall while scrolling on his phone. he was, in fact, waiting for her. 

"what do you want, chris?" jamie asked, making chris jump. he cleared his throat and looked at her. 

"i, um, wanted to apologize. for how i acted last night. it's none of my business what you do with matt. you said you were studying and i should have respected that instead of questioning you. it was fucked up and i'm sorry." chris said. jamie was taken aback. she wasn't expecting him to apologize to her.

"oh. it's okay, don't worry." jamie replied. she hesitated for a moment before looking down to her shoes. "i'm sorry, too." 

"for what?" chris furrowed his eyebrows. jamie looked up at him, confused as to why he was confused.

"for being rude to you?" she asked. chris's expression was blank, making jamie roll her eyes. "i shouldn't have made jabs about your relationship with paris, chris." chris opened his mouth in realization.

"oh, yeah, that." chris ran a hand through his hair, something that used to make jamie go crazy. "it's okay, really. i kind of deserved that."

"yeah, you did." jamie agreed. she didn't know why, but it felt good talking to chris again. the two haven't had an actual conversation like this in a really long time.

"i'll see you in art later?" chris asked, his tone hopeful. jamie nodded, a pang of guilt bubbling in her chest as she remembered her 'plan' with matt.

"yeah, i'll see you."

maha speaks :)

a little progress with chris and jamie!!!

(it's not gonna last)

ANYWAY sorry for the late update, i've been crazy busy.