"Hey Jolie. I thought about our conversation earlier and I thought maybe you would reconsider my offer if I was more supportive of the team," he said, pulling his hoodie off and revealing a black t-shirt that said "Touch Down" on it in big white letters.

She couldn't help but laugh as she picked up one of his fries and threw it at him. She looked into his brown eyes as he smiled, and she smiled back. She liked this playful side of him. Looking across the table at him with his messy mop of brown hair she realized how cute he really was and she could understand why he had gotten so many votes on the website. She knew a lot of girls would have a hard time resisting his charm and not falling for him.

"So what's the hottest girl in school doing sitting here all by herself?" he asked, making her face blush.

"You think I'M the hottest girl in school?" she asked. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard," she said laughing out loud.

"What? You don't think you are? Have you even looked in your mirror lately?" he asked, staring into her eyes and making her skin suddenly feel hot. "So you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here alone?"

"I'm not here alone. I'm actually here with Austin but I don't know where he went."

"Is this like a date?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, we're just friends," she said sadly, but she noticed that Blaze perked up and smiled a little bit more after hearing that.

"So who were those guys you were sitting with? I haven't seen them around school? They look pretty rough," Jolie asked.

"Oh, ummmm. They're just some guys I work with. They're older."

"Oh okay," she said, dropping the subject. She had heard some rumors around school that Blaze was in business with some very bad, dangerous people and that they were drug dealers. She wasn't sure if it was true but after seeing those two men he was with earlier she guessed it probably was. They looked like they literally just got out of prison and had tattoos on their neck and face.

"Why? Do you want their number or something?" he asked and she laughed out loud when she suddenly saw a shadow standing over her and she looked up to see Austin. He didn't look happy.

"Jolie? What are you doing sitting here with him?" he asked, glaring down at Blaze. "You came here with me."

She suddenly felt guilty and embarrassed.

"Oh, ummmm, when I came out of the bathroom I didn't see you so I sat in an empty booth and Blaze came over and sat down since I was all alone."

"I was just in the bathroom and got a phone call from my Mom. Come on. I'll show you where the booth is that I always sit in," he told her, holding his hand out.

She slipped her hand into his and he helped her to her feet before leading her away from Blaze to a booth on the other side of the diner close to his friends. If she didn't know better she would have almost thought he was jealous. She looked down at their hands clasped together, getting chills from the touch of his skin and she wondered if he had any idea of the effect he had on her.

As they got to the other side of the diner his friends called out "Austin!" as he gave them a fist bump walking by and they congratulated him on having such a great game.

Jolie couldn't help but notice the glares of the cheerleaders, mostly Mandy, at seeing her here with him.

Austin sat in an empty booth and scooted over, patting the seat cushion right next to him. Instead of sitting there though, she sat in the empty booth across from him. He looked surprised and gave her a funny look but didn't say anything. He sat there quietly, checking his phone and she could sense some awkward tension between them for some reason.

A waitress rolled over to them on her skates and asked "What can I get for you two tonight?"

"I'll take a salad with grilled chicken breast and vinaigrette and an ice water and we want separate tickets," Jolie told her confidently, handing her back the menu.

Austin shook his head. "What do you mean separate tickets? I invited you out tonight so I'm paying."

"Why? It's not like this is a date," she said with a sharper tone than she meant to use. She couldn't help but feel a little aggravated and angry about the fact that he called her his friend because she had felt like they were more.

"I'm paying," he insisted. "I'd like two chicken breast sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and no bun and some broccoli on the side instead of fries and a large glass of whole milk. Please bring the check directly to me after," he said, looking right into Jolie's eyes defiantly with a smirk that let her know he had won as he handed the waitress the menu and she skated away.

Before Jolie could argue she heard someone shout "Austin!" from across the restaurant and the next thing she knew a good looking guy with blondish-brown hair and hazel eyes had slid into the booth next to Austin. She recognized him from the lunch table but they had never been introduced. He dressed, talked and looked like a typical California surfer guy, which was funny to her because he lived in Illinois.

He was joined by a pretty brunette who was smacking her gum loudly and had her face buried in her phone. She slid into the booth next to Jolie without looking at her.

"Ryan!" Austin said, giving the guy a fist bump and smiling.

"So you're Jolie? The girl that has the entire town losing their minds," he asked, looking at her with his bright white smile.

"Yeah sorry I didn't introduce the two of you at lunch. I was too busy being distracted by Chaz hitting on Jolie every five seconds. Ryan this is Jolie. Jolie this is Ryan, my best friend since 2nd grade," Austin said with a proud smile, ruffling up Ryan's hair and then punching his shoulder, getting a punch from him in return before they both laughed. She could tell right away that they were really close.

"Nice to meet you," Jolie said shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you too. You're just as beautiful as Austin said you were," he smiled.

Austin smacked his arm. "Hey! Quit trying to hit on my girl and focus on your own," he said teasingly.

Ryan had said Austin told him she was beautiful and Jolie noticed he called her his girl. Maybe he did like her after all. She was so confused by him.

Ryan looked over at the girl across from him and said, "I think she's a little busy. She was checking out that betting website for Jolie and reading all the comments. It's crazy."

"Really? There are a bunch of comments now?" Jolie asked, concerned. "Never mind. I don't wanna know. I'm supposed to be pretending that website doesn't even exist," she said, shaking her head.

"You're not curious about what everyone is saying about you? I would have to look," the girl said without even looking up.

"I need to find out who's behind this whole thing," Austin grumbled. "Have you heard anything yet?"

Ryan shook his head. "No man but like I told you before, if I find out I'll let you know."

The waitress came by and delivered their food and Ryan said, "Ok. We're gonna head out but I'll catch you tomorrow at school. It was nice to meet you Jolie. When you're ready for a real man call me," he said winking at her.

Austin said "Get outta here!" jokingly pushing him out of the booth.

She watched them walk away and out the door before saying, "Ryan seems nice. That girl that was with him isn't very friendly though. She's obsessed with her phone."

Austin laughed. "I wouldn't worry about it. You probably won't see him with her again anyway. Ryan has a new 'friend' almost every day. He's an even worse player than Chaz. He changes women as often as he changes his underwear," he said laughing.

"If that's true, why didn't you warn me about him instead of Chaz at dinner that night?"

"Because Ryan's my boy. If I tell him someone is off limits he respects that. Chaz doesn't. I'm still half-tempted to knock his block off for having the nerve to put his hands on you like that earlier."

They both looked up and saw Blaze McDaniels, strolling towards them wearing his hoodie pulled up over his head now.