Mike didn't reach for the pen the girl pulled out from under her skirt. He just stared at her, his face turning serious. "It's lunchtime right now," he said firmly. "If you want an autograph, ask me some other time. Okay?"
Even thick-headed Georgie finally caught on to what was happening.
Girls who wanted Mike's attention before usually just "bumped into him" in the hallway—maybe drop a book or suddenly bend down to tie a shoe.
But this? Walking right up and doing… whatever that was? First time anyone had been this bold.
And yeah, it was clearly messing with Mike's normal routine.
Georgie didn't even bother wiping the soup off his chin. He just leaned in, full gossip mode, dying to see how this train wreck ended.
Half the cafeteria was watching now too. Everybody knew if Mike didn't shut this down hard, he'd be dealing with this kind of random stuff all the time.
"Please? It's just a signature," the girl begged, switching to puppy-dog eyes and a whiny tone.
Honestly? She was pretty cute—great figure, decent face.
Most guys would've caved the second she pulled the sad act.
But Mike was already annoyed. Her pushy vibe had killed any chill he had left. "Like I said," he replied coldly, "it's my lunch break. Next time."
Truth was, if she'd just walked up normal and asked for an autograph, he wouldn't have minded at all.
But that clumsy, over-the-top stunt? Total turn-off.
"Next time" was just his polite way of saying "no thanks forever."
Mike usually came off as the sunny, easygoing guy—always smiling, super chill.
But right now? Stone-faced and giving off major "back off" energy. Nobody could miss it—he was not in the mood.
That finally snapped the girl out of it.
She noticed everyone staring, whispering, pointing.
That killed whatever courage she had left.
"I'm… sorry for bothering you," she mumbled, covering her face and bolting down the side aisle without looking back.
"Ten bucks says she's crying in the bathroom right now," Georgie said, watching her go. Then he answered himself: "Yeah, definitely crying."
He nodded like he was some expert.
The look on her face as she left—real hurt—was way more genuine than the fake pout she tried earlier.
After a rejection that brutal? Totally possible she'd find a corner and let it all out.
"How should I know?" Mike said flatly, sitting back down and going back to his sandwich like nothing happened.
Over at another table, Lena watched the girl flee, then grabbed the two other officers from Mike's fan club sitting with her and followed.
The whole reason the fan club existed was to protect Mike—keep all the other "thirsty chicks" from snagging him.
Because even if they couldn't have him, no way were they letting some random girl win.
And that bold stunt? Straight-up threat in the girls' eyes.
Back at the table, Georgie watched Mike casually finish lunch and realized he was seeing a whole new side—ice-cold when he wanted to be.
Of course, Georgie couldn't really relate to having too many girls chasing him.
He kept poking anyway. "Hey, man—be honest. How many girls have tried hitting on you this week? That one makes… what, five?"
"No clue," Mike shrugged.
There'd been a bunch dropping stuff in front of him, "fixing" their shoes—whatever. He didn't bother keeping count.
"For real though," Georgie leaned in, lowering his voice like they were trading secrets, "some of those girls are pretty hot. You're telling me you're not even a little interested?"
Mike gave a serious look. "You know me—I'm a one-woman kind of guy when it comes to feelings."
"Huh?" Georgie blinked, totally confused.
From everything he knew about Mike's dating life, "loyal" was not the word that came to mind.
Mike smirked and held up two fingers. "My standards are super consistent: young and gorgeous. Of course… if she's drop-dead stunning, I can be flexible on the 'young' part."
Georgie finally got it. Mike wasn't ignoring those girls because he was Mr. Faithful—he just didn't think they were hot enough.
Lightbulb moment.
No wonder. The dude had turned down Regina—the literal queen of the school. Regular cute girls didn't stand a chance.
Georgie grinned that classic guy grin, thinking he was in on the secret now.
Just then, Mike's eyes locked with Regina's across the cafeteria.
She'd been watching the whole thing, waiting for her shot.
Regina had been dying for a moment like this—a chance to "casually" talk to Mike again.
She started to stand up, ready to walk over.
Mike grabbed his sandwich and stood first. "Georgie, take your time. Oh—and can you grab my tray when you're done? I gotta bounce."
Before Georgie could even reply, Mike was out the side door.
"What the heck?" Georgie muttered, watching him disappear.
They'd been having a good chat—Georgie still had a ton of gossip to unload.
Now? Nada. Plus he got stuck with cleanup duty.
Over in the middle of the cafeteria, Regina watched Mike rush out, stomped her foot in frustration, and sat back down.
She'd planned to use the crowd as cover—just a quick "hey" to look friendly.
After that other girl's embarrassing crash-and-burn, Regina would've looked classy and confident by comparison.
Plus, two popular athletes chatting? Instant buzz. Good for both their reps.
But Mike straight-up dipped. No face given.
If this had been the old Regina, she would've written him off right there.
Except now? She needed something from him. She was the one chasing.
So she had to swallow the attitude and find another opening.
Big test for the queen bee.
Thing is—she hadn't realized yet that Mike had already seen right through her.
That's exactly why he dodged her in the first place.