The cappuccino was warm in Jezebel's hands as she had just taken a sip. She allowed the comfort of not just the drink entering her system, but as well as the friendly atmosphere of the cafe for her eyes to enjoy. A smile appeared on her lips; if there's one thing better than a drink, it's at least looking dressed up pretty, like she was prim and classy.

Not to mention, she had plenty of beauty sleep, and her skin looked new and refreshed.

Now she didn't come here just to grab a cup and sit at a table to be that cute girl who would be marked as an aesthetic as those kinds of photos that were everywhere on Pinterest. Although, if someone were to secretly take a good photo opportunity of her without her noticing and edit it with a good filter, and she looked good in it, she couldn't complain about that.

It was one o'clock in the afternoon, 1:17 pm on a Saturday, and Jezebel texted Mackinley earlier to meet her at a cafe. He played her monstrously when she was the one late for their meetup, and now that the role was reversed, she fought back any urgency to lay into him about his tardiness.

At least this time, she could take care of her skincare routine and put them on relaxed. Picking out her clothes and putting on her makeup was a slight therapy; she had to keep up with her angel-like appearance. The only times she didn't was at home or when she had no one to meet up with, which she usually does.

Jezebel went normally for a sleek and flattering look without the trying too hard aspect. She wore her black mock neck shirt in long sleeves but paired it with a sage green skirt and a thin brown belt through the loop so that her image evened out as gracefully as she maintained them to be.

The topics of today: where his usual spotting during lunchtime; tell him you will invite him to your table on Monday with the girls and let his friend come along to show you're being real.

Keep the conversation going light, but with that unpredictable rascal, I can't tell where it'll go, and I can't make promises.

Mackinley showed up soon enough. Sitting down in a chair across from hers, he leaned back lazily as he looked at her. "Hey, Jezebel."

Oh, now you decided to come, she chided mentally. Her inner voice wished to speak out like that, but instead, Jezebel pulled up a smile pointing toward him, and placed down her cup on the table. 

"Mackinley, so glad you're here."

He let his head turn, and his eyes examined the place as he soaked up the bits of details and scenery. "You like coffee and tea?"

"Coffees are just the best."

"I would have to disagree there. Tea reduces free radicals and is rich in antioxidants."

"Coffee is one of the richest sources of antioxidants and reduces the risk of liver disease or cancer," she supplied. 

"And having caffeine is highly addictive over time, creating pleasure in the brain the same way how people can easily get into drugs, nicotine, and alcohol substances. Tea has more added benefits with herbal remedies that can be easily absorbed into the body, and certain teas can contain calming properties like a healing hand." He showcased visibly with both hands, almost like a small gesture of the jazz hands.

The way Mackinley started it was just like he was prompting her to see how she would take it.

"You must really love your tea. How good for you." She had a blank face but a polite smile, the expression of what a polite cat would look like.

Mackinley blinked, then looked to her inquistively. "So..., you said you want to chat?"

She sipped quickly into her cappuccino and nodded. "Of course." Her hands clapped together, and Jezebel moved to tuck them under her chin. "I want to be able to know a little bit more about you personally. So for lunch during school, where do you normally sit and hang out?"

"Do you ever see me sitting at the cafeteria?" Mackinley asked with sarcasm as his head tilted.

Jezebel went into her recollection of her time spent sitting there. While her knitted group of friends she sees every day was her main circle, she spotted other large numbers of acquaintances occupying a place somewhere. Mackinley didn't fit into her memory not once. Perhaps he didn't want to be spotted.

"I don't think so?" she guessed.

"You don't think so?" he repeated her words. "You don't care too much about people not worth your attention?"

Now was this a trick question? If it was, she didn't let it affect her, as she was quick to make a comeback.

"I like people that have a classy personality. Such as me."

"Hmm, classy," he said, his lips pursed conceitedly as his eyes made a once-over at her. "Okay."

Detected a dry enthusiasm from him, he was skillful at tampering with the mood. Like the lights just went down even when the ceiling chandeliers were dazzling above their heads.

"Back to my question, where do you sit? I'm interested in where you go," Jezebel said, bringing her initial question back up again to his attention.

"Fine, fine, I'll give what the lady wants," Mackinley relented. "I hang around in a hall with a big group of crazy drama kids."

Drama kids? That mental picture now slid into her brain. She wouldn't make him out as a social misfit being near people who were planning ahead to set up early spring plays and stressed Les Miserables was top-rated in best performance and highly emotional.

"But now hanging out with Joss, a calmer place with him somewhere on the school grounds. But you know, we split our chances where," he added.

"Already chummy with him?" With keen interest, she leaned her head forward on the table. "I feel like I should get to know him too. Since he's your companion."

"Nah." He shook his head with a ghost of a smile playing around his mouth. "He's an alright guy. I wouldn't count on getting familiar with him in your place. He stumbles a lot around womanly species."

Remembering that first time she talked to Joss, he appeared immensely timid around her with his quiet voice and taking the time to pause before a response could come out. Perhaps she should cater to him with a slow-to-warm-up approach to get him to become less nervous around her. What's better to approach the subject she's charming than including his companion in case he becomes useful for later purposes if she thinks of one.

"But wouldn't it be nice to try?" Her voice turned sugary, then Jezebel suggested, "You could meet my friends too. I declare that you and Joss come sit with us during lunch. I want to make you feel included."

"Included? Is that what you're going to do? Are we moving on that fast?" Mackinley queried, appearing taken aback and not yet confirmed if her words rang the bell true to him.

"Give them a fair shot. They'll be thrilled to learn more about you."

For sure they'll talk an earful about Mackinley. Olivia and Harmony could load up questions and comments about that guy, but Breella, on the other hand, might not have anything to express. As long as Breella could get through long enough, Jezebel would be the happiest and give her everything she deserved for sticking by.

"You do know that people will start whispering when they see me near you." He narrowed his eyes to a pointed, curious look. "It happened at that party with several witnesses around."

"They'll be inquisitive, but you don't have to pay attention to them. I think you're already okay with eyes on you before."

Although unseemly unbothered, it took him a moment to absorb her words. Even she couldn't believe that she was going to commence this plan.

"Interesting." He nodded his head with a smug look. "I guess this will be entertaining; the social dynamics are merging. I'm sure your lineup suitors will envy me now."

"Because my eyes are on you now? Definitely. It'll be... something different because you take the cake," Jezebel joked lightly.

Mackinley hadn't wanted anything to drink, albeit she insisted she wouldn't feel right if she was the only one drinking. He didn't care; he'd rather save his money on something better. Because she didn't like to make her company miss out on anything, she offered to share half of her cookie with him she recently ordered.

Jezebel smiled as he looked at the cookie doubtfully. "Go ahead. It's safe to eat."

He stared at her for a short while before he shrugged it off and bit into the cookie. "Yaaah, I was just chaccking if they meet the standurds," he spoke with one side of his mouth full. 

Boys that talk with their mouths full... disgusting. 

She maintained a good face. Not even a thank you since she paid for the cookie. He seriously needed to be worked on more to be a decent guy to count as believable proof for her ex.

She waited until he swallowed that cookie. Now to understand what kind of outlook he had in life in order to understand his character. "Are you a pessimist or an optimist?"

"Going in with the deep questions? I'm not sure what approach you're trying to tackle with this," Mackinley said.

"Just getting to know you. I'll reserve my judgments before making them. After all, what kind of person would I be if I'm one of the others to act like you're a bad character if I believe in groundless rumors."

"Assuming is very easy and quick."

That feeling came all too familiar. She knew what it was like being on that boat when people filled their boredom with talks all about her and assumed she was this perfect picture person, with the way she maintained the image that she looked and acted the part. She didn't want to fill the disappointment they had for her. 

One roadblock that slightly and incidentally frayed her popularity was because of her heartbreaker status with her being seen with every different guy she sought out. Some assumed she was innocent as she was a normal teenage girl going through her stages, and some others believed she was toying with the guys.

Those who guessed that she was intentionally toying with the guys were right, but not that she would admit it even when some guys shared what Jezebel was like with them.

"Of course, but that's why I'm asking you, so I don't have a wrong idea of you," Jezebel said.

He chuckled. "You can admit that you might have thought different things about me. I'm a fucking troublemaker. You called me that, didn't you?"

She didn't forget it. And she still believed that he was all about causing destruction and ruckus. But that didn't mean he needed to know. "That was before you had me. I think now we can push that aside for a while and just focus on who I'm looking at."

"Yeah, sure thing," he responded sarcastically. "To answer your question, I like to think the glass is half-full." He pointed to her half-filled cappuccino drink. "You must look for every cutting corner to any disadvantage. That way, you can retaliate and find the most enjoyment you want out of life."

So he was foolish but daring as to try hard enough to get his way. Sound like a classic act of rebellion.

"So you want to have fun at all times?" she asked for reassurance.

"Exactly, there's no point to things if you live a mundane routine. Then why exist?"

Sound like he did a lot of things to feel that way. For herself, she loved to go out to parties when there was one and go outside anywhere to enjoy priceless things like getting herself a cup of coffee or buying herself pretty jewelry to flaunt around and receive compliments. The recognition and glory made her feel good in lots of ways. She liked the attention.

Jezebel asked cutely, "So a mundane routine for you is like going out for a cup of coffee with a pretty girl like me?" Her eyelashes batting subtly.

"Especially with a pretty girl. I ride solo," Mackinley said straight up and gestured to himself. A car engine would sound in the background with the way he appeared without a single care. Like he could get up and go, driving off with no direction planned.

"That could all change if you find someone. Maybe she's sitting right in front of you?" Jezebel's arm crossed on the table as she displayed herself greatly, sneakily smiling at him. 

He inspected her quickly, deeply in thought for a moment, then bluntly said, "Hmm, I don't see it."

This is going to take some time. Perhaps he's not used to affection. 

"No problem. You don't know me yet. I understand the confusion."

"I actually can't wait for next week." Mackinley laughed. "Imagining everybody's face with their eyes on me with painted disbelief and horror. I don't think I imagined sitting with the populars, but I'm not the one to turn that down."

"I'm just excited to be getting to know you further," Jezebel enthused. Oh, she loved herself the power and advantage of the popularity side, especially when it helped her win over boys.

"Then are you to say you're an optimist?" he asked.

"Oh, I am. I like to be hopeful and positive about things." Mostly when she was the one to be prepared and when things were going her way just accordingly.

"What kind of hopeful and positive things are you talking about?"

"I just want to live a good life. Stay forever young as long as possible, have a good circle of friends, get good grades, and maybe find love in my life. I want to experience the best possible things there is to come my way."

He mulled it over quietly. It wasn't a total lie except for that last bit about finding love. There's no expectation happening for that.

"That sums up the expectations of every teenage dream, but life's brutal out there. You're better off desolate as a hermit crab."

His words slapped every hopeless romantics out there, giving them a lot to cry about.

"You mean you don't dream about those things? You can't be as guarded and tough as you look, right?" she asked.

She retained her brown eyes to come across to him as curious and hopeful. "There's something sentiment about you, I'm sure."

Mackinley looked at her foolishly. "Ha! You wish. I just want to live fast and die young."

"Not on me, you won't. I won't let this opportunity waste to know the real you."

Jezebel shot him a wide grin for reassurance. 

As this boy, Mackinley Rineer he's her new primary target, he won't know what unexpected storm there was to come and what she had readied for him.

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Hello, happy Friday! October is almost over, but before that, I wish you all have a Happy Halloween if you have plans on the 31st. Eat candy, dress up if you want, go out and look at halloween decorations or to go to have fun, and stay safe!

So what do you think about this chapter? I hope you're okay with this pace of slow burn because I want to make the process happening accordingly as though you're not seeing it happening everything at once too fast. I love the fire staying lit, and I hope that's the same for you guys too.

But next chapter, we're going to see a group dynamic. And everyone will know too. That's gotta be something to see. Let's see Jezebel's plan set in motion, and watch her process in every step of the way. 

Do you like the new book cover as well? I tried to match the inner self of who Jezebel is. The inside of her is twisted. 

Please vote and comment as it means the world to me.