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"Come on, Jay!" Adam yelled at his best friend. "I'm starved."
"Just a minute," said the shorter young man. "Jeez, hold your horses!"
The two of them had just sat through the Calculus class they shared, and they'd planned to go to the cafeteria immediately after. Jay was fumbling with his bag, shoving his books and pen into it in a haste.
"I wonder if we'll run into Stacy," he said as they ran down the stairs of the building.
"Who knows?" Adam said. "I haven't seen her all day."
They reached the first floor and trotted out through the double doors to the outside. Students were strewn all around the campus, engaged in a myriad of activities. The two best friends didn't pay much attention to anyone until they were only a few feet from the cafeteria.
Adam's gaze hardened as he noticed a familiar and very unwelcome character walking past them in the way they'd come. He couldn't believe the nerve of that prick, or the fact that nothing had happened to him after what he'd done the previous year. Apparently, there was no justice. The guy didn't even notice his glare as he walked on by with his head up, a smug and somewhat self-satisfied expression on his ugly mug.
Adam nudged Jay, which got the shorter blond's attention. His friend hadn't been paying attention, but he instantly got wind of the reason the tall man had poked him.
Unlike his best friend, Jay had no qualms about openly turning to stare at someone. He made a face and turned back.
"That bastard," he said, shaking his head. "It's sick how some people get away with murder."
"You're telling me."
The two entered the cafeteria and nearly collided with someone who was just leaving.
"Amy! Whoa, sorry about that," the taller blond said.
"Oh, hey, guys! I didn't see you."
"We're grabbing some grub," Jay announced. "Care to join us?"
"Oh, thanks, but I just ate. But I'll tell you what - I'll hang out with you," she said.
"Cool."
It never occurred to either one of the two young men that Amy had just eaten with none other than the hateful guy they'd just passed on campus.
*
Stacy collected all of her books and stepped out of the classroom in a hurry. She knew Adam and Jay had just had a class that had probably just let out, and she wanted to see if she could meet them.
The leggy blonde made a brisk move toward the door and stepped just past the threshold when she dropped two of the books she'd been toting. She groaned and bent at the knee to pick them up, only to have someone else do that for her. She whirled around to see Shane McMahon standing there with a half-smile on his face. He handed her the two books, which she gratefully accepted, and with a smile.
"Thank you."
"Always ready, willing and able to help a damsel in distress," came his reply.
That comment elicited a soft laugh from Stacy.
"Need some more help?"
The tall blonde smiled but shook her head.
"No, I think I'll be all right now. Thanks for offering, though."
They began walking down the hallway and toward the exit.
"It's no problem," the dark-haired man said. "I absolutely insist on carrying your books." He held his hands out, not taking 'no' for an answer.
Stacy couldn't help but grin. Shane was really nice to her, and she couldn't help it. Finally, she relented and handed them over to him.
"Cool." They walked a bit more until they reached the doors. They stood there together for a moment as the young man turned to face Stacy.
"So, listen," he began, "since I'm already carrying your books and all, I was wondering if you would like to... go somewhere?"
The blonde bit her lip as she glanced around the immediate area. She didn't see Jay and Adam anywhere, so she guessed she had missed them. Well, she could always catch up with them later. Besides, Shane was so nice. She wouldn't mind hanging out with him for awhile.
"Um, yeah," she finally answered after a brief hesitation. "Sure. I'd like that, Shane."
Shane's smile grew larger as he kept his thoughts in his head. If things kept going this smoothly, he was definitely going to win the bet. It could not have been more perfect. And he knew Paul hadn't gotten anywhere with Amy Dumas - at least not yet. He'd stuck around for awhile after Stephanie had gone to her class and seen Levesque on his way out of the cafeteria - without the redhead.
This was good... Given the way the tall, leggy blonde was smiling at him, Shane figured he would be good to
cash in on this little bet soon enough. He smiled even more deeply as he led Stacy clear across the campus.