Blackmailing A Werewolf

Chapter 22

Pushing the mashed potato around her plate Tessa sighed. The scratch of forks against plates, the screech of plastic chairs, the thrumming chatter of students presses into Tessa ears. It's all too loud and she really just wants to go home and curl into bed because every time she looks over to the far table she has to battle the tears.
Simone sits there, bronze cheeks shining like they were carved out of marble, her hand interlocked with Jerome's. Every few minutes she would toss her head in raucous laughter that would carry across the room like a ringing bell. Keri never came to lunch. Probably hunkered in a corner of the library researching her latest monster while eating a cheese and pickle sandwich. It was all wrong and Tessa wanted them back. However, a part of her didn't. Not without an apology from them. Keri for putting her monsters before their friendship and Simone for having the audacity to accuse Tessa of not caring. The thing is, sometimes Tessa believed she cared more about Simone and Keri than they would ever care about her and this just proves it. Keri has never been that bothered about having friends as long as she had her books and Simone can replace her friends with a bat of her eyelashes. So where does that leave Tessa? Alone? "You look like a constipated Border Collie." Rye stabbed a piece of broccoli. Maybe she wasn't entirely alone right now. They sat side by side, him with hunched shoulders and eyes that analysed every inch of the dining room and her with an apparently 'constipated' expression. "Thanks. That's exactly the look I was going for: constipated Border Collie." She hates how saying it makes her smile. "You know normal people might try to compliment someone else." "Well I'm not normal." He smirked, a devilish thing which made her stomach crackle like it was filled with popping sweets. Lowering his voice he whispered the next bit just for her. "And I'm technically not a person." "I've got a plan." Walter drops his lunch tray in front of them and they jerk a part. It's only then Tessa noticed how close they had gotten, how she could feel the heat radiating off Rye and how now it had gone. Plopping into chairs, Walter and Otto sit with matching grim expressions. The table seems incomplete without Keri and Simone there. Tessa has the same empty feeling in her stomach. She pushes her plate away, Otto reaches over and takes her apple crumble, Walter her chicken and with a quick flick of his wrist and with a shy smile Rye has stolen her potatoes. Good thing she had a Kit Kat in her bag if she did get hungry later.

"Elaborate."

"I think we have to spoil Si," Walter puts his hand on Otto's forearm, stopping his interruption before he can even open his mouth. "Take her to Clare's Coffee shop, go shopping with her, you and Otto can do some make up or something with her. Show her we care and then I think she will be able to reconcile with Keri."

"I'd rather pick up a pile of sheep poo and clap." Said Otto. "Simone can't throw a toddler tantrum and then get what she wants. As Ma would say, friendship is a two way street."

"Now who's the dramatic one." Rolling his eyes, Walter pinched one of Otto's chips making him squeak. "Do you want them to keep fighting?"

"Of course not, but I don't think we should reward her bad behaviour."

"Si is not a toddler," Tessa interrupted, "I say we meet her half way. Propose a meet up at the coffee shop and explain our side and listen to hers and go from there. Besides, if we indulge her too much it will backfire and tick Keri off."

"Fair enough," Otto sighed, leaning over to dig his spoon into Walter's treacle tart. "Rye, do you think your auntie would give us free drinks?"

Rye smirked.

"She doesn't even give me free drinks."