I guess my puppy dog eyes were enough to rival his because he just sighed and nodded. “Have as much as you want.”
“Thank you!” I pried the bag open and took a couple of chips out, trying to ignore the ever-looming presence behind me. Why were they just hovering there like that?
“Did you girls need something?” Neil asked, his Irish accent strong and thick. “Like Sloane said, we don’t really have space for anyone else to sit. But we can take a photo or something with you if you’d like.”
They’d taken so many photos with fans that I was surprised any of them had time to eat their lunches.
“No, that’s fine,” the girl said. “Maybe we can sit with you some other time.”
“Hudson and his guide are here,” Finn said, jerking a chin toward the cafeteria doors. I jumped to my feet, accidentally ramming my hip into the table and shaking the whole thing.
“Sorry,” I said as I jumped over the bench and headed toward the doors. As I walked away, I heard someone ask if I was coming back for my seat. I picked up the pace. I wasn’t going to let someone take my spot all so they could have five minutes of face-to-face time with the band. As soon as I was close enough, I grabbed Megan by the wrist and pulled her to the table. “Comeon. What took you so long? I swear every kid in the cafeteria has come by the table trying to take your spot. I was practically fighting for my life to keep it. Sit here.”
I shoved her down in a spot at the end of the table and then reclaimed mine. Hudson sat down next to her, looking pretty amused.
“Um… hi,” Megan said. She glanced around the table, looking a little overwhelmed. I guess, like me, she’d only met Hudson and Jude so far.
“This is Zach, Jude, Finn, and Neil,” I said, pointing at each of them. I wasn’t sure if she knew any of their names already, but I figured it was easier to just reintroduce her to all of them.
“She’s the girl I spilled coffee on at Starbucks,” Hudson added. Megan made a disgruntled face but didn’t say anything.
“Hope he didn’t hurt you too badly,” Neil said.“He can be a bit of an idiot when he’s around pretty girls.”
“Shut up, Neil,” Hudson muttered.
“He couldn’t stop talking about you,” Jude said. “When he came back from Starbucks, he was mortified that he had spilled coffee all over the prettiest girl he’d ever met.”
“It was a little annoying how much he was talking about you, actually,” Finn added. “And after he saw you again in the mall? I thought he’d never shut up.”
Hudson grabbed a plastic knife off Jude’s tray and pointed it at the other boys.
“You’dbetter shut up. Any of you say another word, and you’re not surviving the night,” he said. Megan snorted, and he whirled around on her. “You think it’s funny? I’m not above killing you too.”
Megan lifted her chin. “I’d like to see you try.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” I said. “I know she looks innocent, but she could take you.”
“Give me a time and place and we can test it out,” Hudson said.
“Careful,” Megan said. She grabbed her phone. “You wouldn’t want me to tweet about Hudson Shaw threatening my life, would you? Can’t imagine that would go over with the press or—hey!”
I looked at Jude and smirked as Hudson pretty much tackled Megan to get her phone from her hand. They were definitely falling in love.
Hudson managed to get the phone out of Megan’s hand, then leaned backward toward Jude. Hudson copied down Megan’s Twitter handle into his phone.
“You didn’t need to tackle me for it,” Megan said. “I only have like ten Twitter followers anyway.”
“Not anymore,” Jude said.
“What?”
“Followed you,” Hudson said. He tossed the phone back to Megan. “And just sent your Twitter handle to all the guys so they can follow you too. I imagine you’re going to be gaining followers by the second now.”
“Why did you follow me?” Megan asked, her voice high and squeaky.
“Why not?” He asked. “You’re my guide. It only makes sense.”
My phone buzzed with a notification that Megan had tweeted for the first time in a while. I opened twitter and laughed when I saw her new name.
