after they met her

twentysix

i v a n a

The next day everything felt heavy as I sat with Lily at lunch. The exhaustion weighed me down, making it hard to focus on the lively discussion Ethan and Sam were having about our next art project. Ray didn't sit with us. He hadn't at home either. Still, I could feel his eyes on me, watching me carefully. I didn't know if he did it because he had to or because he wanted to.

Next to him sat Joshua, he sat with Ray, because he felt bad for him. Everyone knew why we weren't sitting together, yet they wanted us to make up.

Lily sighed beside me, breaking my train of thought. "You guys didn't make up yet?"

I gave her a look, trying to convey my frustration and exhaustion. "Does it look like we have?" I rolled my eyes, trying to mask the hurt.

She pinched me in the side, her way of saying she was concerned. "Hey," I called out, rubbing the spot she pinched. "That hurt."

"Come on, cheer up," she said, her tone both playful and concerned. She wanted to say something more, but the door to the cafeteria burst open with a loud bang. The sound echoed through the room, and everyone's attention shifted toward the entrance.

The cheerleading team burst into the cafeteria, shaking their pom-poms and flashing wide smiles. Their infectious energy temporarily shifted the room's focus to their enthusiastic display. Following closely behind were the members of the soccer team, adding to the growing excitement.

Then, even the principal hurried in, looking particularly pleased.

"Hello, everyone! We can happily announce," the principal began, his voice carrying across the room, "that final our  yearly summer festival will take place again after the school pool renovation finally finished!"

The announcement was met with a wave of cheers and applause from the students. The principal continued, detailing the plans for the festival and the improvements being made to the pool.

"Summer festival?" Lily and I said simultaneously, our voices tinged with surprise and excitement. We turned to Ethan and Sam, who were grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, it's going to be awesome," Ethan said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "The school pool is getting a complete makeover, and the festival will be the first big event after it's done."

Lily and I exchanged looks, our excitement bubbling over. "Oh my god, that sounds amazing!" I exclaimed, barely able to contain my joy.

Lily grabbed my hand, and we started wiggling in our seats, the excitement too much to keep still. "What kind of events will there be? Will there be games? A dance?" she asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.

Sam nodded, laughing at our giddiness. "Yep, all of that and more. There's going to be a big setup, complete with rides and games. Every club will organise something in the afternoon and of course, there will be a dance in the evening by the pool."

"By the pool?" I repeated, my mind racing with images of a beautifully lit pool area, music, and everyone dressed up. "That sounds magical!"

Lily squeezed my hand, her excitement mirroring my own. "I can't wait to start planning our outfits. We need to look fabulous!"

Ethan chuckled. "You two are already getting way ahead of yourselves."

"Of course we are!" Lily said, her voice filled with mock indignation. "A summer festival is a big deal! We need to be prepared."

I nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. We need to plan everything down to the last detail. That also means the art club will organise something, right?"