FOREIGN [S.T. S.Harrington & B.Hargrove]

head down

The morning light filters through the blinds as I pull my sweater over my head, still feeling the remnants of last night's conversation with Carol and Tina. My heart feels heavy, but there's a slight buzz of excitement underneath it all. The idea of the Halloween party is the only thing keeping me afloat.

I grab my bag and head downstairs, hoping to avoid Steve on the way out. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I hear the familiar clink of a cereal bowl in the kitchen. I force myself to stay composed. I don't have the energy for another confrontation this morning.

Sure enough, Steve is leaning against the counter, a half-eaten bowl of cereal in front of him. He looks up as I enter, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to gauge my mood.

"Morning," he says cautiously.

I nod but don't respond, heading straight for the door. I can feel his gaze following me, the tension in the air so thick that a needle couldn't pierce it.

"Sunny, wait," he calls out just as I'm about to open the door. I freeze, my hand on the doorknob, but I don't turn around. "Can we talk? About yesterday?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Steve," I say, my voice cold. I twist the knob, but before I can pull the door open, he's standing beside me, his hand gently pressing the door closed.

"Please," he says, his voice softer now. "I just want to explain."

I finally turn to face him, meeting his eyes with a steely glare. "Explain what? How you ditched me for Nancy? How you've been stringing me along?"

Steve flinches at my words, but he doesn't back down. "That's not what happened. I didn't want to hurt you, Sunny. I just.. things got complicated."

I shake my head, pulling the door open despite his hand still on it. "You're the one who made things complicated, Steve. And I'm done with it."

I step outside, the cool morning air hitting my face like a wake-up call. Behind me, I hear Steve curse under his breath before he follows me out.

"Sunny, please don't walk away like this," he pleads, but I'm already halfway down the driveway. I hear a car engine roar to life and glance up to see Tommy's car pulling up to the curb.

"Perfect timing," I mutter to myself as I jog the rest of the way to the car. Steve is right on my heels, and I can feel his desperation radiating off him.

"Sunny, just talk to me!" he yells as I reach for the car door. I hesitate for a split second, but then Tommy rolls down the window, glaring daggers at Steve.

"Get in, Sun," Tommy orders, his voice leaving no room for argument. I don't need to be told twice. I slip into the backseat, and as soon as the door clicks shut, Tommy flips Steve off with a smirk and hits the gas.

I watch as Steve's figure grows smaller in the rearview mirror, a pang of guilt hitting me as he runs a few steps after the car before giving up. But the anger is still there, simmering just below the surface, keeping the guilt at bay.

"You okay, Sun?" Carol asks, turning around in her seat to look at me. Her face is full of concern, and Tommy's grip on the steering wheel tightens as he glances at me in the mirror.

"I'm fine," I lie, forcing a smile.

"You want me to turn around and kick his ass?" Tommy asks, half-serious. There's a dark gleam in his eyes that makes me believe he wouldn't hesitate.

"No," I say quickly. "He's not worth it. Let's just go to school."

Tommy mutters something under his breath but doesn't push the issue. Carol reaches back and squeezes my hand, giving me a sympathetic look.

"We're here for you, Sun," she says softly. "Don't forget that."

I nod, my throat tight as I lean back in the seat. The car ride is silent, except for the low hum of the radio, and I can't help but think about the upcoming party. It's the perfect distraction, the escape I desperately need from all this mess.

I watch Tommy and Carol's entwined hands and how Carol toyed with his fingers casually. It makes my chest feel hollow. I decide to stop looking there until we pull up in the school's parking lot.

As we exit the car at school, I spot Billy Hargrove leaning against his Camaro, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looks up as we pass by, his gaze locking with mine for a brief moment before he smirks and looks away.

My heart skips a beat, and I quickly look down, trying to shake off the strange pull I feel towards him. I don't need more complications in my life, but something about Billy is hard to ignore.

He's a showoff. A player. All cards on the table- he isn't claiming to be anything else.

Carol turns to me with a knowing smile. "So, about that Halloween party.. I think we should invite Billy. What do you think?"

I hesitate, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. But then I remember Steve's face as he watched us drive away, and a small part of me wonders what it would be like to see his reaction if I showed up with someone like Billy.

"Sure," I say, forcing a casual tone. "Why not?"

Carol grins, clearly pleased with my answer. "This party is going to be legendary."

Tommy twirls Carol in a spin and wraps his arm around her. "You little vixens are gonna invite the whole school."

"All the more booze," Carol offers. 

I glance back at Billy. He'd put out his cigarette now and was walking to the school as well. I cursed myself for wanting our eyes to lock again and looked at the school doors.