Love In Destin ✔

34 - sight of you

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𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒂

~━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

DESTIN'S WEATHER IS back to usual with the sun shining so bright in the sky and the fluffy clouds joining its spotlight. The smile it brings to my face is astounding but I think it is only one for my smile. The other reason is the discussion I had last night with Jada and Cassie about Rick.

Finally, telling them about him felt similar to emptying your bladder after holding it in for too long. It was a breath of fresh air, but I couldn't help how my cheeks heated when I talked about him. They noticed it, too, and teased me about it. In the end, they demanded to see what he looked like, bringing to my attention that I have no picture of Rick. So, I plan on getting one together today.

Once I've gathered my books from my locker, I close it shut and start heading to homeroom, but I can't help the looks people give me. The whole thing has been weird. At first, when it began, I thought that maybe I had something on my face, my teeth or in my nose. Now I know it's none of that and probably has to do with me dating Rick. Is it because he's popular? Maybe we've broken some sort of stereotype by dating each other. I catch a snort from a group of girls as I walk past them. Who cares? That's their problem to deal with.

I'm expecting smirks and laughter from Mark and Rick when I reach homeroom only to find the two with saddened expressions. They are whispering things to each other, and each time, Rick's face transforms into a hard frown. They take note of my staring, and their faces turn blank before returning to "work".

"Everything good?" I inquire, taking my seat next to Rick.

"Hey, Maya!" beams Mark. "How did your weekend go?"

"Awesome. Rick?"

"Everything's good. Why wouldn't it be?" he gives me a small smile.

"Because the both of you looked upset just a second ago,"

"I was just telling him about this crazy dude in our team," he replies.

Just then, Mia, the girl who thinks of herself as the class representative, throws the school newspaper on my desk. At the same time, everyone's phones chime with a message from the school web. Gasps escape excited lips, including my own. The conversations are louder now, especially from the girls, as they squeal and share info on what they're going to wear.

"The senior summer ball's earlier this year," mentions Mark in the big bold letters on the school newspaper announcing that advertisements for the senior summer ball will begin today and that any volunteers are welcome. Thoughts about outfits, makeup and shoes pop into my head and add to my joy.

My joy is multiplied when the announcement of the girl's first soccer match of the season catches my eye, and Rick startles next to me as I squeal. "Not you, too,"

"We're gonna have our first soccer match," I unconsciously place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze, my heart high in elation. Mark laughs and sends me a congratulations while Rick shakes his head.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

The bell rings for lunch, and I don't waste another minute in math. When Rick joins me to head to the cafeteria, the stares become more prominent, and he starts glaring at a couple of them. "Ignore them," he whispers into my ear, sending chills down my neck. I nod at him, but my face falls at his poker face, not a pinch of a smile from him.

There's something definitely not okay with him today. I know he doesn't smile much, but most of the time, he's either playful or open to conversation. Today, he's been more reserved and grim. It's so unlike him. Why won't you speak to me, Rick?