Page 6 of Billionaires Don’t Date Cheerleaders (Texting the Boyband #2)
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Sloane @its_sloane
I’m eating lunch with Take Five. How’s your day going?
“Is this seat taken?”
If one more person asked me that, I was going to scream. Why was Megan taking so long to come down to the cafeteria?
“Yes,” I said forcefully. I put a hand out so the two girls couldn’t sit down like they seemed they were planning to, regardless of my answer.
“I wasn’t asking you,” the taller girl said snidely.
“Really?” I asked. “Because I’m the one sitting here.”
I’d stretched myself and my stuff across the bench as much as possible to make it obvious there wasn’t space for anyone else to sit down, but that wasn’t stopping the fangirls who wanted to sit down with Take Five. I was pretty sure they would all just shove me onto the ground if it guaranteed them a spot.
The girl sneered at me and then looked at Finn and Zach, who were sitting on the other side of me.
“You two don’t mind, do you?” She asked. “There’s just… nowhere else to sit.”
I snorted. Half the cafeteria was empty since so many people chose to eat outside in September while the weather was still nice. She could have a table entirely to herself if she wanted to.
“Something funny?” She asked.
“Not at all,” I muttered. I reached across the table and grabbed the bag of chips off of Jude’s tray.
“Hey!”
“You don’t mind, do you?” I asked. I gestured at my very empty tray and then looked at him with what I hoped were good puppy dog eyes. “I don’t have any, and I don’t want to wait in line again.”
I guess my puppy dog eyes were enough to rival his because he just sighed and nodded. “Have as much as you want.”
“Thank you!” I pried the bag open and took a couple of chips out, trying to ignore the ever-looming presence behind me. Why were they just hovering there like that?
“Did you girls need something?” Neil asked, his Irish accent strong and thick. “Like Sloane said, we don’t really have space for anyone else to sit. But we can take a photo or something with you if you’d like.”
They’d taken so many photos with fans that I was surprised any of them had time to eat their lunches.
“No, that’s fine,” the girl said. “Maybe we can sit with you some other time.”
“Hudson and his guide are here,” Finn said, jerking a chin toward the cafeteria doors. I jumped to my feet, accidentally ramming my hip into the table and shaking the whole thing.
“Sorry,” I said as I jumped over the bench and headed toward the doors. As I walked away, I heard someone ask if I was coming back for my seat. I picked up the pace. I wasn’t going to let someone take my spot all so they could have five minutes of face-to-face time with the band. As soon as I was close enough, I grabbed Megan by the wrist and pulled her to the table. “Come on. What took you so long? I swear every kid in the cafeteria has come by the table trying to take your spot. I was practically fighting for my life to keep it. Sit here.”
I shoved her down in a spot at the end of the table and then reclaimed mine. Hudson sat down next to her, looking pretty amused.
“Um… hi,” Megan said. She glanced around the table, looking a little overwhelmed. I guess, like me, she’d only met Hudson and Jude so far.
“This is Zach, Jude, Finn, and Neil,” I said, pointing at each of them. I wasn’t sure if she knew any of their names already, but I figured it was easier to just reintroduce her to all of them.
“She’s the girl I spilled coffee on at Starbucks,” Hudson added. Megan made a disgruntled face but didn’t say anything.
“Hope he didn’t hurt you too badly,” Neil said.“He can be a bit of an idiot when he’s around pretty girls.”
“Shut up, Neil,” Hudson muttered.
“He couldn’t stop talking about you,” Jude said. “When he came back from Starbucks, he was mortified that he had spilled coffee all over the prettiest girl he’d ever met.”
“It was a little annoying how much he was talking about you, actually,” Finn added. “And after he saw you again in the mall? I thought he’d never shut up.”
Hudson grabbed a plastic knife off Jude’s tray and pointed it at the other boys.
“ You ’ d better shut up. Any of you say another word, and you’re not surviving the night,” he said. Megan snorted, and he whirled around on her. “You think it’s funny? I’m not above killing you too.”
Megan lifted her chin. “I’d like to see you try.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” I said. “I know she looks innocent, but she could take you.”
“Give me a time and place and we can test it out,” Hudson said.
“Careful,” Megan said. She grabbed her phone. “You wouldn’t want me to tweet about Hudson Shaw threatening my life, would you? Can’t imagine that would go over with the press or—hey!”
I looked at Jude and smirked as Hudson pretty much tackled Megan to get her phone from her hand. They were definitely falling in love.
Hudson managed to get the phone out of Megan’s hand, then leaned backward toward Jude. Hudson copied down Megan’s Twitter handle into his phone.
“You didn’t need to tackle me for it,” Megan said. “I only have like ten Twitter followers anyway.”
“Not anymore,” Jude said.
“What?”
“Followed you,” Hudson said. He tossed the phone back to Megan. “And just sent your Twitter handle to all the guys so they can follow you too. I imagine you’re going to be gaining followers by the second now.”
“Why did you follow me?” Megan asked, her voice high and squeaky.
“Why not?” He asked. “You’re my guide. It only makes sense.”
My phone buzzed with a notification that Megan had tweeted for the first time in a while. I opened twitter and laughed when I saw her new name.
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
To all my new followers: sorry to disappoint, but my tweets are super boring
Unsurprisingly, her replies were filled with fans asking how she got the boys to follow her and asking if she could get them to follow them, too. It was similar to the first time Jude had replied to my tweet when my notifications became filled with people asking how I’d convinced him to do it. And I guess it wasn’t just people on Twitter who were jealous—glares were coming at us from every direction, and it didn’t take a genius to guess why.
After two years on the cheer team, I was used to being stared at, but not like this. Not stares filled with hate. But I wasn’t going to let it affect me. Even though I knew it was wrong to think like this, I was actually a little proud that Jude had picked me, of all people, to be his guide. It was a stupid thought because it wasn’t even like it was on any sort of merit, just that we happened to be in the same class, and he thought he might have recognized me from Twitter. But in a way, it still felt like I’d won, and nobody could take that away from me.
Sloane @its_sloane
If two of your friends are obviously in love but oblivious, what do you do?
Fiona @fifi.2006
Send them on a trip. Make sure to book them a room with only one bed. Boom, in love
Alisha @alishashere
Push them (physically) together until they kiss. Even if it's an accident. Maybe even better if it's an accident
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
This is rich coming from you
Sloane @its_sloane
@meganwhite0202 you weren’t supposed to see this :’) don’t look at my post about Starbucks yesterday, k?
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
I’m taking applications for a new best friend. Only requirement is that you don’t have twitter
Sloane @its_sloane
Do you not see the flaw in your plan
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
Correction: I’m taking applications for a new best friend. Only requirement is that you have to delete twitter
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Hello I would like to apply
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I can’t delete twitter BUT I would just like it to be noted that anything @its_sloane can do, I can do better
Sloane @its_sloane
I—
Call Me Jude @judeturner
My first week at a real high school: a thread
Call Me Jude @judeturner
FIRST of all, the school name is stupid. I won’t say it here because I’m not sure if I’m technically allowed but suffice to say it’s boring
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I don’t like having to wear a uniform every day. I never went to private school when I was young so I’m not used to that
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Math is stupid
Sloane @its_sloane
Amen
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Ah good timing! Shoutout to @its_sloane for being a great guide and making sure I don’t get lost. 10/10 for the buddy system
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Being in real classes is boring but I’ve been using the time to go on twitter so I guess it’s not a total waste
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I also dragged the other boys to a football game last night. Not sure @hudsonshaw and @neilhadley totally understood the game but it was fun anyway
Call Me Jude @judeturner
And it’s fun to meet so many fans in person!
Sloane @its_sloane
So the only negative is that you don’t like math?
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I also don’t appreciate the early starts
Sloane @its_sloane
We’re all in agreement on that one. School should start at 10 and not a second earlier. I can teach you to nap in class if you want
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
That’s something you need to be taught??
Sloane @its_sloane
Gotta teach him how to not get caught, obviously. You would know if you let me teach you
Hudson @hudsonshaw
Nah Megan’s too much of a goody two shoes to nap in class
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
HEY
Hudson @hudsonshaw
We both know I’m right
Call Me Jude @judeturner
@its_sloane ok but hear me out: we convince the faculty to have a new class… entitled nap. You can teach it
Sloane @its_sloane
You’re a genius