The Perfect Candy

Chapter 13: Skipping

A/N: Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and if you do, please consider voting. As always, comments are encouraged and appreciated. Also: I've created a new cover and would love to hear everyone's thoughts. 

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Spence was waiting for Candice at her locker, and she fought back a smile, raising a brow at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he parroted, stepping aside so that she could put her things away. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine. Yours?"

"Fantastic. Listen, I've been thinking, and I think it's time for me to meet your other friends."

She looked up from switching out her books and eyed him with a bemused smile. "That's an odd request."

Spence shrugged and moved in beside her when she closed her locker making her way down the hall. "Well now that you and Coop are dating, I figured−"

"What?" Oblivious to the people around her, Candice came to a full stop in the middle of the hall and turned her incredulous eyes on him. "We are not. He doesn't date."

Undeterred by her words, Spence tossed an arm over her shoulder and began to forcefully steer her towards the courtyard where her friends would be waiting. "Yeah, so what an accomplishment that you were the one to finally rope him in. I'm proud of you. So anyways−"

"Rope him in? I didn't rope him in!" Even Candice could hear the panic in her voice. "You're putting too much importance into what you saw. We're just friends." Was that what they were?

He waved off her protests, seeming to revel in her panic. With that same wide grin, accompanied by a wink, he replied, "I understand. It's still new, and you don't want it to become public knowledge until you're both feeling more comfortable. Say no more."

Letting out a frustrated huff, she wriggled out from under his arm and shot him a look. Hadn't she always said there was no point in arguing with someone if you couldn't change their mind? She'd already wasted way too much of her breath. "Just don't breathe a word of your ridiculous accusations in front of my friends."

A few minutes later, all of her said friends were eyeing this new addition to their group with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "Who's he?" Faith asked with all the subtly of a rhinoceros.

"Candy's newest friend," Spence said, completely unaffected by the unwelcoming tone. "People call me Spence."

Cyn studied him with a frown, popping one earbud out, which was as good an invitation as any. "You're friends with Coop."

Faith's already untrusting expression turned downright deadly and her eyes narrowed on him. Hope caught Faith's look and rushed to speak first with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Spence. Candy's not usually big on new people."

"Yeah, well I'm hard to hate," Spencer said easily, nudging Candice in the side. "Right, Candy?"

Candice sighed as she slid into a seat beside Hope. Holding a friendship with him was exhausting. "He's surprisingly likable," she admitted, looking directly at Faith in warning. Not that warnings had ever done a thing to silence her oldest friend. "Nothing like Cooper."

"When you lie with dogs..." Faith trailed off, but the implication was clear. She wasn't going to welcome the newcomer.

Clearing her throat, Hope stood up, shooting Faith a reprimanding look. "Fay, let's get to class. I forgot my textbook in my car."

Ignoring the warning glare from Candice, Faith stood from the table, still eyeing Spence with contempt. "See you at lunch." With a wave, she allowed herself to be dragged away by Hope, who was already whispering furiously with a disapproving frown.