"Oh my God, have you seen the new substitute teacher? Phwoar, he is gorgeous." Elodie, my best friend, swooped in beside me at the cafeteria, closing the book I'd been reading. Michelle, her classmate who didn't usually say much, at least not to me, followed suit.
"Hi to you too," I said, sitting up a bit straighter. "Actually, I have. He taught my class this morning." I said, trying to sound as unbothered as possible. I put my book in my bag and crossed my legs. Elodie gave me a puzzled look.
"Eh, I don't think you heard me. The new substitute teacher is drop dead gorgeous. Right?" She glanced to her left for Michelle's approval. However, her classmate was too busy unpacking her lunch.
"Right," Michelle finally said, taking a bite of her sandwich and moaning. "My mum's burritos are the absolute best," she said, her mouth full.
My friend shook her head and turned her attention back to me. "Anyway, we have to find his socials. What's his name?"
"We're absolutely not looking him up on social media, Elo."
"Why not?" She sounded genuinely disappointed.
"Because," I said, getting my own lunch out of my bag, "he just started. We don't want to run him out of our school."
"I don't see how checking his socials is going to do that."
"Well," I thought about it for a second. "You're probably going to come across more reasons to drool over him, and we need to focus if we want to pass our final year."
"Har, har. You're talking like I'm some obsessed teenager who just hit puberty."
I cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Okay, fine. You might be onto something." Elodie sighed. "I'm going to get myself a drink. Anyone else want one?"
Michelle didn't look like she would respond anytime soon. I noticed she was too invested in her sandwich to pay attention to anything being said.
"Dr. Pepper, please," I replied, giving her my widest grin.
"Coming right up." Elodie didn't bother repeating the question to her classmate. Instead, she spun on her heel and skipped toward the vending machine.
Elodie was practically the only thing Michelle and I had in common, and that usually meant complete silence whenever she stepped away to do anything. I was expecting today would be like any other day, when Michelle spoke to me.
"So, he taught your English lit class, huh?" She was on her last bite.
I nodded.
"I haven't seen him yet, so I'm kind of curious to know what he looks like."
I lifted my shoulders. "You never know. He might be teaching your English Lit class next."
"English Lit? Nice." Michelle gathered her things. "Listen, tell, Elo I went to the shop across the road to get a few things. I'd shoot her a text, but my batterie's low."
Something unfamiliar burned inside me at hearing Michelle call Elodie by the nickname I'd given her. The thought of the two of them growing close enough for nicknames had never crossed my mind. As far as I knew, I was the only close friend Elodie had. Michelle turned to leave.
"Oh, before I forget," Her golden locks fell over her shoulders as she swivelled around. Her hair had always been pretty glorious. "A couple of us are doing a bar crawl tonight. Feel free to join." She walked away before I had a chance to respond. Elodie hadn't told me about tonight. Then again, we'd only just seen each other at lunch today. Even so, I was more puzzled at the fact that she was joining a bar crawl. Since when did Elodie go to those? Clubbing and house parties were more her thing.
"Hi. Where'd Michelle go?" Elodie asked as she returned.
"She had to go, but she said to tell you she'll see you in class."
"Oh, okay." She pulled out a chair and scooted closer to me. Leaning her head on my shoulder, she looked up at me and pouted. "So you're not going t show me your new, hot teacher?"
"Nope." I uncrossed my legs. "But Michelle invited me to your bar crawl tonight."
"Oh." Elodie slapped a palm to her forehead and sat up. "That's right, we're meeting at nine outside of WireTap. I almost forgot."
I scrutinised her.
"I thought you said bar crawls were for, quote unquote, incels, and people desperate for a quick hookup."
Elodie looked around the cafeteria, probably to make sure no one had heard me, before she pulled me closer.
She lowered her voice, so only I could hear her. "Okay, I didn't put it like that, exactly."
"Really?" My brow shot up.
"Okay, fine. But people change, okay. I'm kind of excited for this, and," she put one of my hands in hers, "I absolutely want you there."
"I'll think about it," I said, glancing at my watch and pushing my chair back. "I've got Social Studies, so I'll see you later."
"Yes!" My friend planted a kiss on my cheek. "I'll walk with you," she said, grabbing her bag and sliding it onto her shoulder. I'd known Elodie since secondary school, but I couldn't help but think this might be the beginning of the end of our friendship. Suddenly, I felt like I no longer knew her.
The noise from inside WireTap was a mix of music, drunken singing, and loud chatter. I pulled my cardigan closer as a light breeze ruffled my skirt. For tonight's outfit, I had paired a black backless top and a frilly black skirt with sandal heels. As much as I had spent time making fun of Mrs. Hill's bun, I had decided on a similar hairstyle tonight. Looking into the bathroom mirror before leaving the apartment, I'd spent a few moments appreciating how my sleek bun looked coupled with a pair of hoop earrings. My ruby red lips definitely completed the look.
A group of men headed into the bar whistled and howled as they passed me. I pulled my cardigan even tighter around me, fishing my phone out of my clutch purse to find out where on earth Elodie was.
There was a text waiting. I was overcome with disappointment once I read it.
So sorry, J. Don't know why we thought pre-drinks were a good idea, but Michelle is absolutely shitfaced. She threw up all over herself. I'm staying to clean her up and get her in bed. But don't let us ruin your night. You can still mingle. I promise it will be worth. Make it up to you. Love you x
Bloody Michelle, I thought, tossing my phone back into my purse and clenching my fists at my side. If there had been any chance of me liking her, it was completely gone now. I 100% detested her. Not just for stealing my best friend, but for making sure I was left out in the cold while she was at it. I pictured her pulling her tongue at me and teasing me.
The daydream paused when I noticed someone pause in my peripheral view.
"Jade?" I turned at the sound of their deep voice, stunned to see Philipé of all people here. "It is Jade, right?" he asked, sounding a little unsure.
"Yes, sorry. Hi," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. It was embarrassing, the type of effect he had on me. However, it was almost impossible not to feel intoxicated staring into those green eyes.
When the group of people in his company nagged for him to hurry up so they didn't have to queue at the bar, Philipé responded that they should go ahead without him.
"Are you here alone?" he asked, looking around. I assumed he was looking for my friends.
"Yeah, I am. My friend was supposed to be here, but she ditched me last minute."
"Ouch."
There was silence between us. I figured he might want to hear the reason why my friend had left me here all by myself, but I wasn't ready to tell him.
"Listen, I know hanging out with your teacher might not be the coolest thing in the world, but why don't you join us for a few drinks?" When I didn't respond, he added, "I mean, it's better than standing out here in the cold, right?"
"Yeah." I kept my composure, but the little girl inside me was screaming. Being invited for a few drinks with one of the most gorgeous men I'd ever laid my eyes on certainly wasn't the worst thing in the world. I thanked the universe that Michelle had been sick, wondering if things would have been different if her and Elodie had shown up tonight.
I followed Philipé inside and was unexpectedly overwhelmed by how much louder everything was. My first instinct was to cover my ears. I'd been to bars in the past, but they weren't my favourite, and the crowd had been nothing compared to this one. Philipé reached for my hand to help guide me through the group of people in front of us, squeezing us past their sweaty bodies.
There was a football match playing on a TV screen mounted in a corner behind the bar. Loud cheers rang out around us as one of the teams scored. I was tempted to put my fingers back in my ears.
Finally, after a bit of a trek around the bar, we reached the table where Philipé's friends sat chugging beer from large mugs.
"Aye, there he is!" said one of them, patting the seat next to him. "Come on, there's plenty o' room right here."
"Thanks, mate," Philipé said, taking a seat and offering me the one next to him. "Everyone, this is Jade."
"Hi." I offered a small wave.
"My goodness, you're stunning, and that beautiful brown skin." One of the women sitting opposite of us leaned in to examine me. "Have you ever seen eyelashes this long and perfectly curled ever in your life, Magda?" she asked the woman sitting beside her, who immediately agreed, getting an eyeful of me.
"That's enough. You'll scare her off," Philipé warned. Turning to me, he whispered, "They've already had a fair share of drinks." He tipped his head in the direction of their empty glasses, and I giggled.
"Oh, come on, Weston. Give us some grace! We've only had a few," the woman who'd just complimented me complained. She shifted her attention to me. "I'm Lucy, by the way," she said, offering her hand, "and this is my friend Magda."
"Pleasssure to meet you," her friend slurred.
"He's right though. You're both off the rocker," the other guy in their company — I learned his name was Joe — said. Despite having cleared at least eight mugs of beer, he seemed nowhere near as tipsy as the them.
As the night wore on, I learned more about Philipé's friends than I had ever learned about Michelle since Elodie had introduced her to me. Joe and Lucy lived with him in a flat in the town centre, while Magda stopped by occasionally. According to Joe, she practically lived there too. They all seemed like an awesome bunch, and at no point did I feel discriminated against for being the youngest out of them.
What had started off being a group conversation morphed into a private one on one between Philipé and I by the end of the night. I'd had a few cocktails by then and felt slightly breezy. I laughed, lightly brushing my hand against his whenever he said something I found funny, and there were moments where I could have sworn that the looks he gave me were a little more than innocent.