Should I be jealous?

Though it was nothing more than a small kiss on the lips, it was enough to crush whatever hope the others might have had. Still holding onto her, Nick greeted Elizabeth with a gentle "Hi..". Where Jenny disliked public display's of affection, Elizabeth didn't mind them at all. If anything she liked them, because it showed everyone clearly that he was her man. And the fact that Nick was willing to do this in front of all of them, showed her that he didn't think anything of those other girls, making her feel more secure in their relationship. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said with a teasing look on her face "Already flirting about I see. Should I be jealous?". "That? That was just socializing. It could barely be called flirting. All my real flirting is reserved for you." Nick replied with a flirty look. Satisfied with his answer and making sure that the message to the other girls was loud and clear, she continued with the real question on her mind. "What brings you to this classroom? Does this mean what I think it means?" "It sure does babe. From now on you and I will be classmates as well, so take good care of me." Nick said with a playful smile.

Nick looked at the time and saw that class was about to begin, so he grabbed Elizabeth by the hand and walked her to her seat. Once she was seated, he grabbed her face and placed a final peck on her lips. "My my, aren't you afraid that all this affectionate behavior will break the hearts of your little fan girls?" Elizabeth said as she pointed at the girls standing behind Nick, in the same position as before, with shocked and saddened eyes. Nick replied without even looking behind and said "Don't be silly. Who would actually involve their heart when meeting someone for the first time. I have spent half an hour at the most with them, if that was all it took for them to lose their heart to me, then I feel sorry for their future partners." He had used his words to unknowingly deliver blow after blow to their already broken hearts. Filled with disappointment and dejection they returned to their seats, just in time for the teacher to walk in. As the teacher called for attention, Nick gave Elizabeth's hand a final squeeze before returning to his own seat as well.

Classes went by in a flash as Elizabeth was lost in the happiness she had received from Nick's behavior today. His gesture was much appreciated by Elizabeth and suddenly she felt she didn't mind it all that much that she was in a different classroom than the others. Now that break time had come around, she caught herself feeling a bit nervous. Mainly because now would be the moment she would find out if Jenny had meant what she had said, about them possibly being friends and her being allowed back in the group with the others. In her mind this could still all be the friendship equivalent of a summer fling. With slightly clammy hands, she held onto Nick tightly as they walked up the stairs leading to the rooftop. Nick could feel Elizabeth's tensed hand and gave a small squeeze to make her relax. Elizabeth looked up for a brief moment and saw Nick's faint smile as he had his head turned to the side to meet her gaze. She nodded to let him know she understood his meaning and let out a deep breath to calm herself.

Considering how far their classroom was, they would be the last to arrive, but that was exactly what Elizabeth wanted. That way she would be able to confront them all at the same time. Luckily she had Nick to take a bit of the edge off. One step, two steps, three. With each step she got closer to the door of the roof. Finally the last step had been taken and she could see Nick's hand on the door handle. In a sense of slow motion she watched him open the door and take a step forward. With each step he took, she was pulled forward as well, until they were both standing on the roof. In the distance she could see the five of them already chatting and laughing as they were unpacking their lunches. The moment the rooftop door fell back into the frame, the sound made all of them turn around. For a split second it felt like Elizabeth's heart was standing still. That was until the faces that had turned to them, turned bright as they smiled at them, greeted them and Jenny even waved at them. The tension she had felt, made place for a sense of relief and a feeling of happiness. Today had been such a change from last term that it all still felt like somewhat surreal. How could things have changed so much in just a weeks time?

As she sat down with the others and looked at what she had once lost. Or better yet, what she had finally been able to gain, she made a proclamation to herself. That she would change herself for the better. That she would do whatever it was to never return to that place of solitude, to never do anything to risk losing these friends again. She could say with certainty that this was the happiest she had felt in a long time and she wasn't willing to give it up ever again. Even the food that she used to force herself to eat, tasted better now that she was eating it with company. With each bite her appetite grew and even the best meals prepared by the best chefs in the world couldn't compare to that simple meal she was eating at that very moment. Elizabeth rode that wave of happiness all throughout the rest of the day. Finally not feeling like some forgotten has been, she enjoyed the stares she got from the other students as she walked the halls holding Nick's hand. Though this time around it was more because she could finally show those who had looked down on her these past weeks, instead of wanting to be the center of attention like had been the case before.