tomorrow's promise

chapter eight | veronica

When I finally made it to school, I went past the commons and made my way through the crowds of students clogging up the halls. I headed toward the second-floor bathroom, where I met Vivian every day.

There wasn't a day when she wasn't scrambling to put on her mascara before the bell rang. "V, I love the new shoes," Vivian says whilst rushing over to hug me. A group of cheerleaders is surrounded by a puff of white cloud vaping behind us. "Did you hear about the new basket player?" Vivian asked. "Yep, My boyfriend," I add with a laugh.

"Really?" Vivian fully halts. "I've said he was hot to everyone I've seen. I'm so sorry!." Vivian exclaimed as she finger-combed her hair."Yep, since eighth grade." whilst looking at her in the mirror I added."he'd float with all the compliments, you're boosting his ego and he's not even here"

Vivian cracks up in response as she twisted the mascara closed and shoved it into her makeup bag."Come on." Vivian stuck her makeup bag into her backpack and grabbed her coffee. "I can't be tardy to Creative Writing again, and I told Victoria I'd drop gum by her locker on the way."

As we headed to Creative Writing, we walked to the back of the room and took a seat near Hazel as Mr.Harris placed my Exam on my desk. Surprise, surprise, fifty percent of the class got a C- or lower on the Exam. Me? Oh, I aced it. And I'd be lying if I said the A! on top of my Exam had come as a complete shock. Even though I haven't had time to study, Mr.Harris hands out multiple-choice questions and a final "exam" consisting of a personal essay that poses a moral dilemma and asks how you'd react to it.

My eyes shifted over to Tiffany. If surveyed, everyone on the planet would agree that the girl was stunning. She had one of those noses that were so adorable. Her eyes were huge like a Disney princess's, and her blonde hair was always shiny and soft and looked like it belonged in a shampoo commercial.

Too bad her soul was the exact opposite of her physical appearance. She was rotting under all that beauty."take a fucking picture, it will last longer?" Tiffany rolled her eyes with her perfectly arched eyebrows raised."No, thanks," I muttered and turned my attention to the front of the room as Principal Fike came in and informed Mr.Harris that Lio was taking this class.

My phone pings multiple times with messages from Victoria so I immediately swipe up.

Victoria: Lio is in my class!                                    
Me: Lucky! I haven't even seen him today...
Victoria: Meet me in front of my class he just walked in here.
Me: See you then
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Just after the bell rings, Victoria and I meet outside her class for Lio which is hard when we're in a busy hallway. "Uh him?" I ask Erica whilst pointing at the third blonde kid I've seen walk outside her class. She gave me a hard side-eye this time. My attention was pulled when I heard a familiar voice "V?" I immediately shifted my gaze to Lio walking towards me.

I tried to not look surprised as I said, "Lio?" so he didn't think I was waiting outside his classroom to get a glimpse of him. Lio stretched his arms around me and engulfed me in a warm hug, his lips on mine. I don't know why I'm being so awkward but it's just been so long since we've roamed the same high school walls together.

"Oof." Someone bumped into us, hard, destroying the kiss. I was shoved into and then away from Lio, and as I turned around, I saw who it was. "Sebastian," I said, irritated that he'd shoved me and knocked my Exam onto the ground.

Sebastian bends down to pick up my Exam "Fucking hell. You aced it?" he says wide-eyed looking at my paper. He can't be serious? it was multiple choice questions. I let out a cocky grin "Holy shit. I feel like I've just bumped into fuckin' Albert Einstein" he says in amazement he finally hands me the packet and shifts his gaze to my eyes as he glides his hand through his hair while giving me a knowing grin.