It was the Monday that kicked off Homecoming week and as I sat in the quad eating lunch with my teammates, I tried my best to focus on listening to whatever Mariah was talking about; but it seemed like every few seconds, my eyes would drift across the quad over to Sunny and the flower she was holding.
It wasn't the first one I'd seen.
Whoever this secret admirer was, they were closer than I thought; too close for my liking.
"Are you even listening to me, Nathan?!"
My focus was finally stolen and put back on Mariah, whose glaring stare had caused the vein in her forehead to pop out.
"Of course, I am."
"Really? Then what was I saying?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and began impatiently tapping her foot on the concrete, waiting for my answer.
"You were asking if I was going to do a prom-posal..."
Her glare was replaced with a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a kiss on the cheek before she whispered in my ear, so her friends on the cheer team couldn't hear us.
"Well, since you didn't ask me to Homecoming, I thought I'd let you make up for it in the spring."
I shook my head in frustration as I rolled my eyes, catching her friends staring at us from a few feet away.
"I told you I was gonna be busy with football. I don't have time for Homecoming proposals; it's just a dance."
"Yo, Nate. Come here, man!"
I was relieved to see Spencer waving me over from the other side of the picnic-style tables. I walked around the large group of people, linking up with my friends from the team.
"Looked like you could use a lifesaver."
"Thanks, man."
Spencer chuckled and shook his head knowingly, as I glanced back over to where Mariah and the rest of her cheer friends were sitting, still watching me.
"Was she really mad about not getting some big invitation to the dance?"
I looked over at Spence with a blank glare, rolling my eyes in utter frustration.
"Dude."
My eyes then drifted across the quad, back to where Sunny and Gia were sitting together. The smile on her face was enough to brighten even the worst days, and as I sighed in content at her happiness, Spencer interrupted my thoughts.
"Aye, have you noticed those flowers Sunny's been getting?"
If I could roll my eyes any further back, I would've been able to see everything behind me.
"Guess you have. Yo, I was wondering-- who do you think is sending them to her?"
I glared, cutting my eyes over at Spencer as he looked around the quad. Soon, I was doing the same, trying to decipher who could possibly be leaving these flowers for my Flower.
"I bet it's Cole."
I felt the air sucked out of my lungs and my head immediately darted back across the table.
Kyle Cole was another senior on the football team, who had basically been up Sunny's ass since she and Tristan broke up.
I watched from my spot, keeping an eye on him, seething as he blatantly stared at her from across the field, only glancing back at Spencer when I heard him say my name.
"I mean, come on, Nate-- somebody had to finally go for it."
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