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"Hey guys." I said after an awkward silence. Dear God this was awkward.

The faces at the table were so familiar. I knew them all. There was Liana and Harrison, Christina Karrington and Penelope Darling. Finn Ocher and of course John. Penny smiled at me, her chocolaty curly locks framing her petite face.

"So Montana, I heard Sarah brought you to the party the other night." She asks.

"Uh, yeah thanks to your invitation." Suddenly Liana lets out a squeaky breath,

"Penny! You were the one that invited little Monty to the party? Oh that makes sense." She turned to Harrison "Baby, that explains it right?" Harrison nods, but his eyes are still on me. I give him a shy smile

"Yeah, shame I didn't get to see you two though," Penny says "I was hoping to say hello." She says and I nod. John lets out a grunt and I swallow hard.

Silence again. I reach to take a bite of my grilled cheese.

"Monty, right! You were at the party, I thought I recognized you." I jump a little at that. It was Finn.

I blush. He's a little slow to the parade... although maybe it was because he was so high at the time. There were so many people there too. I was amazed he remembered. He leans forward a little, and I grip my sandwich. he inspects my face.

"Yeah-" He leans backwards again a proud smile on his face and then he looks towards Harrison

"Did you see that? Do you know how out of it I was? I remembered though," he tapped his temple with his finger "I remembered a babe when I see one." I stopped mid chew,

"Babe?" Liana gave a little clap with her hands and quirked an eyebrow at him. I could feel grey eyes on me though. Burning into my skull like Superman and his laser eyes. I shifted in my seat and refused to look at him.

"Oh my, Finn." she chuckled and shook her head before looking at me and giving me a weird look. She wink and tried to say something with her eyes, but I really didn't understand.

"Didn't you have a friend with you last night? Or was I just seeing double?" Finn jokes, he makes himself laugh. I nod my head.

"Um yeah, my friend Sarah. That's who Penny was talking about."

"I see, did she have too?" He asked, though he seemed to be losing interest and finding more pleasure in his burger than our conversation.

"Yeah, we both had fun." he nodded, but took a big bite of his lunch.

Up until then Christina had been silent. She turned away from me and look towards Liana.

"Did you say you wanted to go out Saturday?" she asked and Liana nodded, Penny tuned in with her best friends and I was left to sit there and listen in silence. I didn't mind though.

Really it was fine.

I liked being invisible.

Actually I was surprised when I heard the boys talking about something that actually interested me.

"Yeah I think I want to go." Finn said as John gave him an amused look.

"You want to go on the art trip?" John's voice sounded so condescending that it even made Finn Ocher frown. I didn't think I had ever seen Finn without some large elastic grin on his face.

"Yeah, it's like twenty bucks or something and I get a day off school." He defended but I had a feeling he genuinely wanted to go. John shrugged at that.

"Why don't you just skip on Thursday then, save yourself the early wakeup and stuff."

"Because I don't want to skip, I'd rather go."

"I'm going on that trip." I suddenly say. It was true; Sarah and I were going on the trip. We were really looking forward to it too. Finn smiled brightly again and I smiled back.

"See, Tiny's going." John tensed and shot me a glare, which I gladly returned. Harrison gave me a look.

"Really?" he asked and I nodded, giving a casual shrug.

"Yeah, I've had my money in since Mrs. Portia announce the trip." That was my art teacher. I didn't know Finn took art class, though it didn't surprise me. Quite a few jock guys took it thinking it'd be an easy A only to find out you actually had to put in a lot of time for the class.

"I didn't know you liked art." Harrison cut in and my heart fluttered as his golden eyes held a real spark of interest.

"Um yeah I love it actually."

"I love it actually." John imitated me, making his voice high, Finn and Harrison sniggered at it and he smirked at me. I bush.

"You sound stupid when you do that." I say and he shrugs

"Only copying you."

"I don't sound like that."

"Don't you?" he asks raising and eyebrow.

Oh no. Where the hell was Sarah? I needed her right now.

"Shut up John, stop being a dick for thirty seconds. I mean imitation? What are you, five?"

My bones were turning soft and putty like. I was hardly ever in a social situation without some form of backup, usually Sarah was my backup.

Or maybe I was turning into a paper person who could blow away in the wind.

That would be nice actually; to float through the sky. Maybe I could go all the way up and get stuck in a cloud. Then I could look down on them all. I could just watch like the stars do and not have to deal with life and stuff like eating at the centre table...

I wish I had never opened my mouth.

"Well I'll see you on the trip, maybe I'll sit next to you on the bus." Finn was smiling and he seemed relieved that the conversation had drifted off of him.

"I'm sitting next to Sarah."

"On the way back then."

"Still next to Sarah."

"Come on, Tiny, please." he continues.

"She said no." John snaps and I get the urge to say yes all of a sudden to bug him. But I don't because I actually am sitting next to Sarah.

"Fine, next time you sit here you can sit nest to me then, right Tiny?" I was about to ask him why he called me Tiny, but I couldn't find the words as I was districted by the other thing he said.

"Um..." I trailed off. Next time?

"Next time? " John asked astonished. "She's not sitting with us again." I agreed with him for once. This had been awkward enough. I didn't need to come back.

I glanced over at Harrison who was watching Finn carefully. His eyes a little darker all of a sudden as though he was trying to see something in the dark. The others boy didn't seem to notice though, Finn was smiling at me. His brown eyes milky and his grin slightly lop-sided. He was more of the class clown. All the girls liked him because he was so light hearted and never took anything too seriously. I wasn't sure how i would feel about someone like that.. I think Harrison's in between personality was more suited for me. In a hypothetical way of course...

By the time lunch was over I still didn't know whether I would be coming back. I had a bone to chew with Sarah too because I saw her glance at me as she came into the lunchroom. She gave me an apologetic smile and didn't even try to come over and find a seat. I eyed her as she slunk over to Dillon's table and ate with him. Hmph. Some friend.

I thought slightly sourly. She promised! My cheeks were finally cooling down as I headed out to my car after the bell. Sarah at my side.

"Look Monty, I said I was sorry." She whimpered. I didn't reply. I just pursed my lips. Sarah sighed

"Please, Mon I- I know, I chickened out, but you seemed to be doing okay and there were no seats and I was later than I thought I was going to be and I didn't want to walk over unwelcome and Dillon's table was open and I'm- I'm just sorry okay?" I was amazed that she was able to get all that out in one breathe. I knew I couldn't stay mad at her for much longer. I knew how she felt because I myself wanted to skip lunch and eat in the library. I let out a frustrated groan and slowed my pace. I glanced at Sarah out of the corner of my.

Her short hair was in a half up half down ponytail in that was super cute. Sarah's hair made me want to cut mine sometimes, but Sarah had pin straight hair at any length and I didn't. If I cut it that short it would be a puffball without the weight to keep it semi straight. Anyway I'm purposefully distracting myself.

Sarah's face brightened the second she saw me look at her. I sighed.

"Okay- fine." She grinned and threw her arms around my neck, I slowly put mine around her small body "But, I'm still mad at you." I mumbled and I felt her nod her head and she pulled back, all the while keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"Yeah- yes I mean that's okay. I really am sorry Monty." She was smiling though. I couldn't stop the small smile tugging at my own lips.

She pulled me in for another hug before getting called away by Dillon. She was getting a ride home with him. She waved goodbye and then jogged off. I sighed again.

I was never good at holding grudges. I could never do it. I was about to get in my car when I heard my name. I turned around to see Harrison stood there and I immediately brightened.

"Harrison!" Oh crap, why did I sound so happy? Keep it casual. He smiled

"Hey Tana," I felt my cheeks heat up as he called me that. He had his hands deep in his pockets and his brown hair slightly more messy that usual. He took a step closer and leaned on my car and crossed his arms over his chest. We always seemed to be meeting by my car. Was that weird? Maybe... it sounded weird...

I cleared my throat as his golden eyes stared at me, a pleasant smirk on his face. There was something else there though. A little something that I couldn't place,

"Uh... was there something I could help you with?" I asked and He shrugged

"Well I wanted to make it clear that, you can sit with us again. We liked you there. I wasn't really sure if that was made clear or not when you left." He said it so casually. I wasn't sure though. John really didn't want me there. He seemed to read my mind though and he smirked again "Don't worry about Harper, he's an ass. Really I don't know what his problem is with you... but none of us listen to him anyway, just block him out." We also always seemed to be talking about John when he was there. He was always apologising for him.

"Oh well I guess. I'm not sure my friend Sarah-"

"Bring her too,"

"I don't know..."

"Please?" Well that was that. I was sitting with them the second he said the P word. "Tana?"

"Okay, if you're sure I won't be a burden."

"Not at all. Besides I think..." he shifted slightly and looked down at his shoes and shifting too look at me out of the corner of his eyes "I think Finn like you."

"Oh yeah sure, maybe. I'm glad someone at the table did." I say with relief, but Harrison shook his head.

"I mean I think he liked you." he repeats, putting a little emphasis on the word 'like' this time.

What?

What?

What? I almost chocked on my own spit when he said that. Was he teasing me? He was teasing me I was sure of it. I cracked a smile

"That's not funny." I say and he looks up completely again, looking at me like he's trying to see if I'm happy about it. Probably to see if I'm actually falling for his joke.

"I wasn't being funny... you don't care? You're not interested?" I laughed. Finn? Finn Ocher liking me? Ha! Haha- Ha!

"No. I don't care." I said and he smirked standing up as though he had accomplished something great.

"I'll see ya 'round Tana." And with that he turned and retreated, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he strode to his car. The easy confidence he held emitting off of him in waves.

Whatever that was... it left my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

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A/N- I'm so sorry that I skipped a week... possibly two? I've been so busy with school and I was away thins weekend with some friends. I got to visit Pompeii, which I've been wanting to do since I was a kid. It was such an amazing experience!

Thank you so much for all the reads, votes, comments and support! It means the word to me, hope you're enjoying Monty's story so far.

Please let me know your opinions, they will help me become a better writer, both in this story and my future ones!

~ElaRose