In Waves | ✔️

44 | sour

What should come as a surprise to no one, I've never been big on school dances. I've only been to the ones I've been to because Rachel roped me in, not because I actually wanted to go.

Lewis Nelson asked me to homecoming in freshman year and I felt bad for turning him down, but I felt worse for it being so easy to make that decision. I was just too in my comfort zone to go. Not anymore. And not only am I going to homecoming this year, but being Matt's girlfriend has earned me an automatic nomination for Homecoming Princess. Which is absurd. Queen is reserved for seniors, but me being nominated for any title is absurd.

In no existing or alternate universe did I see that coming. I guess the days of flying under the radar with no one paying attention are long gone.

And this year, I'm going the extra mile. If I'm doing this then I'm doing it right. Dress shopping with Rachel and The Trifecta, beauty salon appointments for manicures and hair and makeup, pre-dance photos with Matt. The whole nine yards. I'll also be putting my glittery middle school card-making to good use and make a sign for Matt's homecoming game, and I'll go out of my way to talk to his parents and up my decent first impression into the stratosphere.

I'll keep my promise to myself and be the best girlfriend he's ever had. And that's not fueled by my guilt over the whole Carter blackmailing situation anymore, it's fueled by Matt being the perfect boyfriend. The perfect everything.

He deserves a girl who can meet that perfection down to a T.

〰️〰️〰️

I'm marching down the hallway on a mission to nowhere, the blue of the lockers one big blur. Overhearing the very obvious whispers between Kristy Landry and Nellie Sullivan behind me in algebra has caused a burning fireball to lodge in my chest. No matter what, I think a chunk of people will always be questioning my relationship with Matt.

"Homecoming Princess? Where are the standards? If she wins then it's only because of Matt."

"I know. I still don't get why he's even with her, he can do so much better."

"I can think of a reason why. Two reasons... you think she got a boob job this summer?"

"Just to get his attention? Oh my god, I never even thought of that, but she went from a total plank to like, balloons in there. That is so desperate."

"Seriously. I bet they're all plastic and hard, too. Matt's risking a hand injury every time she lets him touch them."

Nothing like mean girl snickering gossip to ruin a good day in twenty seconds.

I need someone. Anyone to vent to. Anyone who can distract me with anything other than two girls blatantly picking me apart like vultures. I'd stop if I saw the blaze of Rachel's hair in the blur around me, but I don't so I keep going. Until I'm out in the quad and the sun blinds me, until the white fades and reveals Nate and Alex under a tree.

She's sitting against the trunk, and he's lying with his head in her lap, their fingers intertwined. I spin around before I can take any more details in because that isn't the kind of distraction I need.

I swing open the door I came through just as Carter pushes it from the other side. He catches my arms as I stumble back. "Careful, Little Lia. Don't want you getting hurt."

I jerk out of his grip. "Whatever. Please move."

"Why're you in such a rush? Looking for Matt?" His attentive eyes float behind me, and then his stance widens, blocking the doorway even more. "Ah, so your sidepiece has a new girl. Tough break."