Twisted Family Ties

Amelia

Lunch came quickly, and I found myself standing in front of the cafeteria doors, unsure of what to do. The thought of sitting alone didn't sound appealing, but I didn't have many options. Maybe I can find a quiet corner and eat by myself.

As I walked in, I immediately felt the weight of the eyes on me again. The cafeteria was buzzing with chatter, groups of friends already sitting together, eating and laughing. I scanned the room for an empty seat but didn't spot any.

My mind raced. Okay, don't panic. Just find a spot and sit down. But before I could make a decision, someone called my name.

" Hey, new girl!"

I turned, surprised. It was the boy from my last class. The one with the messy dark hair and the cool expression. He was learning against the wall near the entrance, holding a tray of food in his hands. He gave me a crooked smile, the one same teasing look from before.

" Didn't expect you to be alone." He said, raising an eyebrow. " Come sit with us. I mean, if you don't mind being around a bunch of guys who like to joke around a lot."

My heart skipped a beat. He wanted me to sit with him? I hesitated for a moment but the thought of sitting alone made me feel uneasy. Maybe this was my chance to break the ice.

" Okay, thanks." I said, my voice softer than I intended.

The boy nodded and started walking toward a table near the back. I followed, my eyes nervously darting around the room. I could feel the stares of the other students as I made my way to the table, where three other guys were already sitting. They were all loud and joking around, but when they saw me approach, their chatter died down for a second.

" Whoa." One of the guy said, looking at me up and down. " So this is the new girl, huh?" You're...different."

The others laughed, but the boy who called me over shot a look at his friend. " Lay off, man." he turned to me and smiled again, the same carefree expression on his face. " Don't mind them. They're just messing with you."

I sat down cautiously, feeling a little out of place. The guy who had spoken earlier—who seem to be the leader of the group—grinned at me. " So, what's the deal? You moved here just to make our lives interesting or is it something more?"

My cheeks flushed as I sat my tray down. " Uh, no. I just moved here from different schools. trying to get used to everything."

" Well, welcome to Oakwood Middle School." He said, leaning back in his chair. " I'm Sebastian, by the way. And these are my lovely friends." He pointed to the other guys one by one. " That's Jacob." He said, pointing to a boy with black wavy hair and blue eyes. " and that's Owen." He said, his finger pointing at a boy with light brown curly hair and hazel eyes. " and this is Asher." He added with a smirk toward the guy with the messy dark hair.

I smiled awkwardly and nodded to each of them, trying to keep my cool. But I couldn't help noticing how different Sebastian seemed from Jason. Sebastian wasn't exactly warm and friendly, but there was a conference about him, a certain charisma that made it hard to feel completely uncomfortable, even if he was teasing me.

" You'll get used to this place here." Sebastian added, still looking at me with that same teasing expression. " This school is not so bad once you figure out who's worth your time."

I couldn't help but feel a little curious about him and his friends. They seemed...well, a little wild. But maybe that was what I needed to help shake off the feeling of being out of place.

" So," Sebastian said, taking a bit of his lunch, " How's your first day been so far? Anyone giving you trouble?"

I hesitated for a moment, remembering Jason's coldness and the way other students had been watching me. " It's been okay. A little overwhelming, but nothing to bad."

He nodded, then shot me a grin. " It gets better. Trust me."

I smiled back, feeling a little more at ease. Maybe my first day wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

Jason

I learned back in my chair, wrapping an arm over my girlfriend sitting beside me with a smirk. She was hanging onto every word, laughing at whatever joke I had just made, and for a second, I almost felt like today was going to be fine. Almost.

Then I saw her.

My grip on my drink tightened as my gaze locked into Amelia across the cafeteria. She was sitting with them.

Sebastian and his crew.

My mood instantly changed. The laughter around me fade into background noise as irritation prickled at the back of my neck. My new step sister was sitting at my enemies table, looking like she actually belong there.

Sebastian was talking to her, leaning in slightly with that stupid smirk on his face. She was smiling back.

I clenched my jaw. My friends must have noticed the shift in my mood because one of them nudged me.

" Dude, what's your problem?"

My eyes didn't leave Amelia as I muttered. " The new girl."

My girlfriend sitting next to me giggled, flipping her hair. " What, are you mad that she's getting more attention than you?"

I shot my girlfriend a glare, making her shut up instantly. I could feel my other friends watching me now, waiting for an explanation.

Roman followed my gaze and let out a low whistle. " No way. The new girl's already hanging with Sebastian and his guys?" He snorted. " That's gonna be interesting."

" Yeah." Another one of my friends chimes in, shaking his head. " Sebastian never lets anyone new sit with them. Wonder what makes her special?"

My fists clenched under the table. That was exactly what I wanted to know. Why the hell was Sebastian— my biggest rival—giving Amelia the time of day? More importantly, why did she look comfortable with them?

My stomach twisted with frustration as I watched Sebastian lean closer, saying something that made Amelia laugh.

I tore my eyes away, shoving a hand through my hair as I forced myself to focus back on my own table. Fine. Let her hang out with them. If she wanted to make a mistake, that was her problem.

~~
Hey besties!

Thank you for reading this chapter. I decided
to write from two POVs, so let me know if you guys liked it!

Well that's all bye besties!