Julia Maxwell was diagnosed with leukemia when she was six. On side of dealing with this condition she has to deal with the struggles of moving to a new high school her junior year. She has to learn to lose and love again, and prove to people that s...
"Peach wake up. It's time for Spring Fling ." She opens the curtains. "No." "Yes." She pulls the comforter off of me. "Fine." I slowly get up and begin to get ready. "Hey mom. Why don't I just stay here with you tonight? I mean we could watch High School Musical. They're high school experience has been better than mine anyways." "You were over the top excited for this dance last week. What has happened in the past seven days that changed your mind?" "Seb slept with Gigi." "Say what now?" "Yeah." "So after all that. After buying you a dress, giving you his car, and painting you." "Yeah. He worked so hard to get me but made it so easy for himself to lose me." "Well if you don't go to that dance, I will be locking you out of the house." "Seriously?" "Yes. Now get up." She pulls me off my bed. "And let's get to curling your hair." We got up and turned on the curling iron. To be honest, I never do anything with my hair. I usually don't give two shits. But even though he says he doesn't, I know Seb has some feelings for Gigi.
"And you are done. Let's go put on your dress." I run into my room and unzip the dress. I step in and shimmy it up my body. When I looked my self in the mirror, I didn't see cancer, or anything other name people had called me this past year. All I saw was Julia Lee Maxwell. I walk down the stairs where Blake was already sitting. "Wow." "Oh Peach. You look beautiful." "I second that." "So go ahead and get in the car." "Actually we're driving separately." My mom grabs me and takes me to the side. "Um why?" "Cause if I have to get away I don't have to rely on someone else." "Smart Peach." "Alright let's go Blake." We get in our cars and drive to the school. Before getting out I sat in the car for a while. I wanted to scream. I was about to walk into a dance with the wrong person. I've never been the jealous type. But when it comes to Seb, that's the only emotion I feel.
I walk into the school and all my friends. Sawyer looks amazing with Ian on her arm. Harvey's flirting with every girl in the room that's available, and Julian is here with one of the most popular guys in school. Jack. They all got their happy endings, which makes me not getting mine feel so much worse. "Jules, you look amazing." Ian walks over to us. "Yeah you're pretty hot." Sawyer elbows Ian in the ribs. "But you look better Babe, always." "Yeah whatever, just come dance with me." I see Seb walking over to be. "I'm gonna go get a drink." I rush over to the snack table, hoping to get lost in the crowd. But I didn't. "Julia." I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I look up to see Seb. "You can't keep running from me." "I actually can, I mean I wore Converse for a reason." "Listen I messed up. I didn't mean anything." "Seb. I thought I'd never feel hate towards you. But I have to hate you now. I have no choice." "Yes you do. If it makes you feel better, I was thinking about you the whole time." "Yeah that really helps. Thank you for thinking about me while you bang the biggest bitch in California." "Wait that came out wrong." "Sure did. Well I have to go. See you hopefully never." I stomp off.
I honestly can't tell who I'm really mad at. Myself or Seb? I should have known something like this would happen. Damn I went from having two guys after me, to none. That's like, double homicide. "Come on girl, let's dance." "No it's okay Abby, I'm fine." "No. You are a queen nominee, have fun." She grabs my hand and pulls me out to where the group is. I was having fun, until I look to the opposite side of the gym. Seb standing their, staring at me. I could tell he was in pain. He knew he was in the wrong. Do I go over and help him, or do I ignore him? It's a lose, lose situation in my opinion. I continue dancing cause why the hell not. I only have so much time to just enjoy my life. If I keep living for other people, I'll never just get to live for myself. The moment I dreaded, a slow song. Everyone grabbed they're date and I was just there. My date was over talking to every other girl but me. It's almost as if I came by myself. How convenient. I lost what I didn't have, a life.
It was time. Time to see if being the most talked about girl this year paid off. "Hello students. It's time to announce the 2021 Spring Fling Queen and King. But before I do we're gonna do one more dance while we count the votes. The music turns on and I run over to Sawyer. "Do you think I even have a chance?" "Of course. And they won't be pity votes." "Now that I can't believe. Would people really do that?" "You would be shocked what people would do to get ahead in life." "Yeah but they're not the ones getting ahead, I am." "But if you win, they think they did a good thing. Which makes them feel good." Was Sawyer right? Did people really do that out in the world? Do people only do good things for other people, to make themselves feel better. God I knew we lived in a bad world but I didn't know it was this bad. I race over to the snack table. As I'm walking I hear people talking. "We can't have a queen with cancer. That's like having a president who's already dead." I run over and start shoving food in my face. Then Gigi comes over. "Someone's nervous. It's okay you won't have to walk up on stage, cause I'm gonna win." "How do you do it?" "How do I do what?" "You just walk around and don't care if people talk about you or give you dirty looks." "Who? Them? The astronomy club? They barley even exists. And you can fight a fight, I know that."
"What do you mean?" "When you came here. I thought you'd be an easy target. People here start at the top of the food chain, and I slowly push them down. But I pull out a knife and you pull out a gun. You always win. So just push me the rest of the way, do it." "I think you're living in a competition. But your competitors aren't other people, it's your sister. She's your main competitor. Even though she's gone." "She was always better. Everyone loved her but she didn't love me. She may have seemed nice, but she only did everything she did despite me. She was captain of the cheerleading team, student body president, she won Junior Prom Queen. She won every spelling bee ever, and always had better grades. And she's still everywhere. She's still being talked about in the newspaper. And last year they put up a memorial, then my dad paid the school to take it down. But just two weeks later they put it back up. On her locker, right beside mine. But if I take it down I'm a bad person and if I keep it up she stares at me and judges me everyday. She's popular in the ground and standing on it." "I'm done fighting with you Gigi. I'm already fighting one deadly disease, I don't need to keep fighting another one. So friends, or friendly acquaintances?" "Deal. Oh and if anyone starts talking, I'll give them a dirty look for you." "Gotcha." "Alrighty students. And the 2021 Spring Fling King is, Sebastian James." Everyone started clapping for Seb. "Well Gigi, looks like you won." "Not necessarily." "Come on, you guys are the it couple. If you don't win then that's a crime." "And the one everyone really cares about, the 2021 Spring Fling Queen is." Every girl in that room was ready to go up and except that crown. But only one gets to. "Julia Maxwell." Holy shit. I won.
In case you were wondering what the dress looks like that Julia is wearing ⬇️
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