"Hey girls! I'm back," Jocelyn called out as they approached the table.
"Hmm, and I see you brought something with you," Rebecca said, eyeing Jake.
"If it ain't the infamous Silent Killer," Leah added with a sly grin.
"Oh hey! Leah, Becca," Jake said, still forcing the smile. Then his eyes landed on the last girl. "Emily," he added, and the smile faltered into a faint frown.
"Was just asking about you girls," he recovered quickly, flashing the fake grin again as he shifted focus back to Leah and Rebecca.
"No, he wasn't," Jocelyn cut in as she took her seat, flashing a knowing smile.
"C'mon, have a seat," Becca added, her voice laced with excitement. "We've been waiting for you."
Jake let out an awkward chuckle. "Haha…"
Waiting for me…? he thought, uneasy as he slowly sat down.
"Wow, I love what you did with your hair," Leah said, leaning in.
"Oh yeah, I noticed the dreads too," Becca added. "You even got taller-what are you, like seven feet now?"
She chuckled, giving him a playful nudge.
"Don't even get me started on that build," Leah said with a smirk. "Just look at those arms…"
He let out yet another awkward chuckle. "I see you girls haven't changed a bit."
"Give him some space," Jocelyn said teasingly, pulling Jake closer and draping an arm around his shoulder like she owned him.
Jake stiffened slightly.
"He's not yours!" Emily snapped, breaking her silence. Her voice cut through the noise like a blade.
A brief moment of silence fell over the table.
Becca picked up her cup and took a slow sip. Leah exchanged a glance with Jocelyn, then cleared her throat.
Jake shifted uncomfortably, glancing between Emily and Jocelyn-both locked in a silent, vicious stare. Here we go… hehethought.
Jocelyn broke the silence with a soft chuckle, eyes drifting down to the table. "What was that?" she asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.
Then, with a deliberate smile, she wrapped both arms around Jake and pulled him even closer, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder. "You don't like it when I touch my Jakey like this, do you?" she added with an annoyingly cutesy, high-pitched tone.
"I said he's not yours!" Emily yelled, slamming her hands on the table as she rose to her feet. The music screeched to a halt. Conversations died. Every eye in the gym turned toward their table.
"Don't you have any shame?" she continued, her voice sharp with fury.
Jocelyn stood just as quickly, her expression darkening. "Shame? You're seriously talking to me about shame?" she snapped. "Have you forgotten what YOU did? Or should I remind everyone how you were so obsessed with breaking Jake and me up? You just couldn't bear to see us happy together!"
Her voice rose. Gasps echoed. Whispers rippled through the room.
"You never loved him. You just-"
"Shut the hell up!" Jocelyn cut Emily off, eyes blazing.
"Who the fuck are you to shut me up?!" Emily shouted, her face flushed with emotion, her voice trembling with fury.
"I said shut the hell up, you slut. Not another word from your disgusting mouth," Jocelyn snapped back, her voice venomous.
Jake sat frozen in his seat, jaw tight.
What do I do? What do I do? – how did I get dragged into this? his thoughts raced, panic simmering just beneath the surface.
He looked between them, heart pounding as the tension flared.
"Okay, ladies, break it up," Becca said calmly, stepping in with her hands raised. "This is a reunion, not a cage match."
Leah scoffed. "Yeah, seriously. You're fighting over a guy from eight years ago?" She rolled her eyes. "The dude doesn't even look like he gives a damn about either of you – just look at him."