Heartbreak High: New Hope

13

The moment I got to my room I dropped my bag on the floor, slumping down on my bed, a heavy sigh escaping my lips as I ran my hand through my unruly, brown hair. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror,
I looked a bit rough around the edges. The weight of the day still lingered in my eyes. After a moment of idle mindedness, I shook off the frustrations and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before dinner.

***

At the dinner table, I took my seat across from Liam, who shot heated looks my way. I couldn't help but return them every now and then, it wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking when our mom broke the tension and silence, asking,

"So, anything new happen today?"
Liam grunted a flat
"No," but when she turned to me, I shared,
"Coach is thinking about having a car wash to help raise money for the team." Mom nodded, expressing her approval, "I heard about that. I think that's a good idea." She replied and I offered her a small smile.

"I remember back in my day when my team needed money, we'd do a dunk tank." My dad chimed in, reminiscing.

"Back in your day, being what, 40 years ago?" Liam quipped unable to resist making a sarcastic remark. Dad faked a laugh, retorting, "Keep talking, and that's how long you'll be grounded for."

Mom, however seemed unbothered by my brother which wasn't her usual response hinting that there was something on her mind. "Well, I have something I'd like to say," she announced, capturing everyone's attention.

"I think that it's time that I looked for a new job," she spoke, a sense of hopefulness lacing her voice.
"What? Who's gonna pick me up from school then?"
Liam retorted selfishly. "Well, you're old enough; you'll figure something out, it's just so lonely here when everyone's gone." She replied her face saddened.

"Mom, are you sure? It's not like we need the money; that's what Dad's for." Liam argued and I couldn't resist muttering, "Do you ever shut up and think of anyone that isn't you?" before turning to Mom with a warm smile,
"I think that's a great idea, Mom."

"So do I," dad chimed in and mom rewarded us with a small smile in return. Liam looked at me, sneering,
"God, you're pathetic."

"Well, at least I'm not in my room v-" I started but he shot me a glare that instantly silenced my words. I rolled my eyes at him, dismissing his comment, and the dinner continued into the night.
After dinner, my dad nodded at me, signaling it was my turn to tackle the dishes. Reluctantly, I gathered them up and headed to the sink, scrubbing away while dreaming of my bed. Once the dishes were done, I flopped onto my mattress, quickly drifting off to sleep.

***

The next day at school, I slouched into my seat at the back of English class, surrounded by my chatty friends buzzing about the carnival tonight and my eyes kept wandering to Tyler sitting up front, but Alec's stare made me uneasy, so I looked away fast.
"So, we're all good for tonight, right?" Ethan's voice broke through the chatter.

"We're going together, right?" Jazz pressed, and Ethan and Stephen agreed. Meanwhile, I stole another glance at Tyler, still unsure about my plans. Soon, the bell rang, and we headed to lunch. Just as we had settled in and began to speak, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, making me jump. Looking up, I saw Tyler standing there, a grin on his face.
"Lucas, can I borrow you for a second?" he asked not waiting for a reply as he gently pulled me up from the seat before he addressed my friends, saying, "He'll be right back."

He then led me over to his table and sat me down when Casey began, "So, we were just talking about tonight."
"Yeah, what about it?" I asked.
"Just ask him."
Maya giggled. "Ask me what?" I questioned, giving them all a confused look. "I was just wondering if maybe you'd want to go-with me." Casey asked shyly.

"Aren't you all already going together?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, well, now we're thinking about that, you see it's just that we do it every year and now some people." She paused gesturing to Maya and Tyler who beamed at her before picking up again, "Think it'd be better if we split up this year to spice things up, and I caught sight of the icy looks I was getting from Nick.

"And it's obvious that Maya and Tyler are going together, so I was just wondering, you know since you're already coming with us,"
She smiled.
"Well-" I intercepted, but she just continued, cutting me off, "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me,"
she said.
"Like together? Together?" I gulped.
"Yeah like a date," she replied, smiling warmly and my eyes widened at the thought of it.

A date?