deep blue eyes // Antoine Griezmann

Chapter 8 - Homecoming

On Saturday morning, I get a text from Rachel.

Rach: Do you still want a ride to homecoming 2morrow?

Oh, crap, that's right. Homecoming. I forgot all about it, after the events in this past week. What do I say? I've been making a point to stay away from Rachel, but at the same time, who else could I get a ride from? I mean, I really do want to go... Well, maybe it won't be so bad. It could be a chance to make up, right?

I quickly text back to her after some thought.

Me: Sure, thx. what time will u pick me up

Rach: 5:00? thats when the pep rally starts. right after that is the boys' football game, and then there's going to be a huge, free provided supper in the cafeteria. After that is the dance.

Me: ok, yea, sure. when will it be over? do u know?

Rach: i think the dance officially ends at 9:30.

Me: what shud i wear

Rach: well, I'm going to wear my school gear to cheer on the guys, but bring a nice change of clothes to put on for the dance.

Me: What is the change of clothes your bringing

Rach: a nice blue dress and matching high heels. Pretty fancy.

Me: Ok, thx

I sigh, staring at my phone, holding it tightly in my hand. I hope homecoming this evening will be really fun. I really, really hope it will be really, really fun.

I stand up and take out a blue sweatshirt I have with the logo of our school on it, a blue and orange phoenix, a white t-shirt with the same logo on it, black sweatpants, Reeboks, and my basketball cap with our school logo. After showering and getting ready, I do my makeup and put on my clothes. I look at myself in the mirror. I think I look pretty good...

Honestly, despite so many things, I'm actually really excited for homecoming tonight. I really really hope nothing goes wrong...

I look in my jewelry box and pull out a gold choker, a pearl necklace, and some gold rings. I put them on. I'll just wear them during the game, and keep the necklace tucked under my shirt.

Now, what will I wear for the dance...?

Finally, after a lot of digging and looking, I find a tight, fitting black dress covered in sequins that I wore for my grade eight graduation. Back then, it fit, but it was a little loose and slightly made me look like a potato sack.

Now, hopefully, it will fit perfectly, then.

The intrusive thought of, Yeah, because then maybe Griezmann will look at you and find you sexy, comes into my head, and I find myself blushing. I sigh. Why does my brain have to be like this?

I mean, it's true. It would be awesome if Griezmann looked at me like that... Oh, nevermind.

I find some markers made for drawing on your skin that my mom gave me for my last birthday and take out the orange and blue, drawing 'war paint' on my cheeks on it. For once, as I look at myself in the mirror, I feel like I look good.

I probably don't, though.

I don't really know if I ever, really, truly look good, or if sometimes I just think I look good. Oh well. At least I'm feeling confident right now, which is a rare occurrence in of itself.

Later, at 5:00 P.M. sharp, as usual, Rachel's car pulls up on the rode in front of my house. I walk out, carrying a bag containing my dress, some matching black high heels, my wallet, my phone, my keys, and some lipstick.

I walk out to Rachel's car and say, "Is it too much?"

She grins. "It's cheesy in the most cutest way possible. You look amazing."

I grin back to her, despite my mixed feeling about her. "Thanks. You look awesome, too." She's wearing tight, stretchy jeans with a faded, loose school shirt tucked into it and a baseball cap. She's wearing her cap forwards, while I'm going for the skater-backwards-tomboy style. I'm sure the t-shirt she's wearing is her graduated brother's old shirt, but it looks really cute on her, regardless.

"Are you picking up Eliza and Tori?"

"Yeah, Tori. But didn't Eliza tell you the amazing news?"

I stare at her, confused, trying to rack my brain of anything she said. Finally I say, "No?"

"Gee, girl, where have you been? You won't believe it."

"What? C'mon, Rach, tell me." It's kind of strange to me that after she did, we're just having a normal conversation like always.

"Okay, wait for it..." She pauses for dramatic affect, but I just want to learn the darn news. "Elizabeth is going to the homecoming dance with Kylian Mbappe!"

"Oh my God, really? She, like, loves him! How'd that happen, even?"

"Well," she grins. "Elizabeth being so brave and friendly, one time after we watched the boys practice this week, she ran ahead of my and Tori. We were confused. Well, she caught up to Mbappe and walked in step with him. Apparently, in that time she simply confessed that she really likes him and thinks he's super hot, and that she'd like to dance with him at homecoming. She said he looked unimpressed for a second, which made her scared. She said he teased, lightly pushing her shoulder, 'Nah, girl, you're ugly." Then, after a few moments of intense silence for Elizabeth, he said, 'Yeah, sure. We can go to homecoming together. Look for me during the dinner. I'll be with my friends. We can meet, then go to the dance together.'"

"Oh. My. God. This is so awesome for Eliza!" I'm so happy for my friend, but unfortunately, me being the selfish jerk that I am, I can't help but be jealous, and wish that I could go to homecoming so easily that way with my crush. Well, oh well.

"I know, right?"

"So, Sage, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Yesterday, during Health," Heat raises to my face. 

"Yeah?"

"You suddenly stood up and, like, yelled at Griezmann. What the heck did he do?"

"Oh," I sigh. "He was just being a jerk. Kept calling me stupid and stuff and wouldn't listen to what I had to say, like, at all. He was acting like a cocky know-it-all, honestly."

"Seriously? I didn't know Griezmann could be like that... He always seems like such a good guy."

Since I feel the need to defend the guy I love, even though I know she likes him, too, I say, "Well, there was other things going on, too. He was mad at me for lying about being on the phone with him and lying about it. He blamed me for all the gossip that was spread about him, which is understandable. I really should've lied, and if I hadn't, then none of that would happen. And don't worry, Rachel. Later he said sorry to me, and that he'd like to work on this project together, and cooperate with each other."

"Oh my God, he seriously said that to you? You're so lucky that you get to work with you're crush. Do you know how much I'd love to be you?"

I look away, grinning to myself, feeling my cheeks get pink. "Sure, I do. It's amazing, Rach. Just amazing."