A Neighbouring Romance

15 - tree

Enjoy <3

- M

"You're all probably wondering why I gathered you here today."

My best friend Aaliyah Qureshi has taken us all hostage in a classroom. Why? Nobody knows. One minute we were all ready to leave school for the day, and the next minute the group text is spammed with Aaliyah saying that she needs help. Correction, urgent help needed ASAP.

Cami lets out a laugh.

"Why must you be so dramatic? Just tell us your plan."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine, I'll skip over the suspense."

Despite this, she disappears into a closet and emerges with a flourish, wheeling in a large board covered in detailed drawings and notes scribbled all over in various markers.

"I need.." She motions to the drawings, "you guys to help me plan the most epic winter ball you've ever seen."

"Remember last year?" She points to a big screen behind us, and we all turn our heads to a photograph of last year's event, people dancing in the hall, decked out for the occasion. You can faintly make out Cami and I in the background next to the blue bowl of punch.

"They all seem happy enough." Tyler comments, turning his back to the photo.

"Oh do they Tyler? Look again."

A photo of Jessica Robinson – a senior from last year – hurling into a trashcan appears on screen as we all exclaim in disgust. It's followed by a photo of guys looking bored in the corner of the hall, one with a hand down his trousers. Aaliyah flickers through multiple pictures, all just as horrifying.

"Exactly." She adds smugly.

"This year needs to be glamorous, fancy. An evening of class and- Tyler I swear if this another dumb-"

"This is unnecessary." He rolls his eyes. "I have soccer practice and I'm not even on the prom committee."

"Excuse me? One, this isn't prom. You can all do whatever at prom." I raise an eyebrow at her, knowing full well that she'll take the reins on the high school event of the year. She can't help turning into the ultimate planner, but I stay silent nonetheless, glad that she "Two. Who's helping you plan your Halloween party even though I won't be there? Me. So-"

"Okay!"

Tyler sits back in defeat and Aaliyah jokingly wiggles her eyebrows at me with a look that tells me my boyfriend is not very high on her list of people she likes at the moment.

He isn't very high up on mine either. I haven't spoken to Tyler in four days since he stormed out of my house. For once in my life, I'm too busy to care. Normally I'd text him or call him, asking my best friends for advice, but Aaliyah has enthralled Cami and I into so much after-school planning and studying, that I don't have the time.

He's not even sitting next to me, he's on a beanbag at the other side of the room. I'm perched next to Cami and Seoung, eyes glued to Aaliyah in front us all.

She goes through everything and then gives us all a list of personalized tasks to do, which surprisingly nobody objects to. I glance down at my paper and am relieved to see that I just need to make a color scheme mood board. That's easy enough.

As everyone slowly files out, Cami and I linger to help Aaliyah clear up the mess she's made in the secluded classroom. A tap on my shoulder alerts me to another presence.

"Hey, can we talk?"

Cami and Aaliyah side-eye me, unaware of what transpired the other day. It's not that I don't want to tell them, it just feels embarrassing. As much as I love them both, more than can be put into words, I know that their thoughts about Tyler will sway me to consider the dynamic of our relationship, and I don't have the time nor energy to think about that. I like him enough to date him, is that not plenty?