Be Mine

"remember when you taught me fate? // said it'd all be worth the wait"

Sorry that this is a late update! It's been a crazy week, lol.

This chapter's lyric is from "Strawberries and Cigarettes" by Troye Sivan.

Enjoy!

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PETER POV

APR 30

Interested in showing of a hobby to the school? Youre in luck!

What: MidTown Talent Show

When: May 7th

Where: West gym

Who: anyone can register!

Why: school spirit!

I frowned at the glaringly obvious student-made poster in the middle of the hallway. "I didn't know this was a thing."

"Me neither," Nick added.

"Well, you're all just unobservant," Abby joked. "We've had one each year. Besides, we get out of fifth period for it next Friday."

"You have my attention," Nick said. "I mean, I'm not gonna complain about not having to go to class."

"Do we know anyone doing it?" Simon asked. Everyone shrugged. Harley and Bram were usually the most 'up with the times' in our group, but they weren't there. Leah, however, was staying uncharacteristically silent. I tried to catch her eye, but she just kept walking on her side of the hallway, listening to us but saying nothing.

I guessed that that funk Simon mentioned a while back was still happening. As much as I disliked feeling helpless, I knew Leah liked to fight her own battles, so I tried to move on.

* * *

On the day of the annual talent show, I'd completely forgotten all about it until an announcement came over the speaker at lunch. Following instructions, I got up from my spot and threw away my empty bag. (Harley and I had been waiting, sleep deprived from a restless night of studying, on the curb for Delmar's to open this morning, half-napping on each other's shoulders.)

I started jogging/walking with the rest of the student body down to the West Gym instead of my usual fifth period. When I got to the end of the last hallway, I could already hear the calamity of the show from behind the huge oaken doors. I pushed them open and took in the sight: hundreds of students on the bleachers and walking around the track that surrounded the gym floor below. All sorts of equipment was set up, and our principal fiddled with a mic setup as everyone chatted casually. It smelled like bacon and eggs breakfast from the home ec classroom across the hall, and I shifted nervously in such a big and crowded space.

Luckily I found my friends soon enough, already at their seats. Abby, Nick, Bram, Simon, and Harley were all together, sitting on each other's backpacks for cushion right by the door where students were currently streaming in.

I nudged them in greetings and said hi. Pointing at their small setup, I asked, "Why is everyone reclined on backpacks and using them as pillows?" I was only joshing them, because since my mind was working the way it did, it made perfect sense to me, but hearing my friends' answers was still entertaining.