𝐑𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙣, 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝘾𝙪𝙩

01.

one.

    "Go Sweetly Go! Remember, homecoming tickets are right out the door of the gym- deadline is tomorrow! And don't forget to vote for this year's homecoming Queen and King!" Amber Acosta, Captain of the Sweetly Cheer Team, shouts into her megaphone as she smiles at every passing student.

    Her hair had been French braided on both sides of her head and tied off with two yellow and green pom-pom hair ties to match her yellow cheerleader outfit.

     Not only was the deadline for tickets tomorrow but that meant tomorrow was Amber's last day to find a date.

    She curses at herself lightly as she heads to the locker room to find her bag. She always does this.

   Waits until the last second to think of herself because she's too caught up in thinking for everyone else. No one needs a date by now except her and she knows this.

   "Have a good day." Amber tightly smiles as she hands a ticket over to some girl who gushes to her boyfriend about what they are going to wear.

    That's when he walks by.

    His hair hangs in his face as he looks down at his shoes as he pulls his jacket closer to his body. Amber's cheeks warm at the sight of him. Quinn Oliver.

   Physics genius, unfortunately lands him on the bottom of the food chain for bullies.

    "Hey!" Amber gets up quickly from her post, offering a sorry smile to her cheermate and a promise she'll be back in one second. Oliver turns around at the yell, his eyebrows furrowed once he sees who's running up to him- her perfect glossed lips forming a smile.

   "Uh, hey?"

    Amber folds her hands over one another as she bites the inside of her cheek. God she's about to sound so pathetic right now. "I was just wondering if you were going to homecoming this year. I noticed you skipped last year."

    Why did she say that? Now he's going to think she watches him. Even though she does admittingly.. Sometimes. But not creepily she swears, she just can't help how her eyes always seem to find him in every room they're in.

    Quinn's lips quirk up a bit as his eyebrows pinch together, his head slightly tilting in a way that makes Amber's heart skip a beat. "Sorry?"

   "Are you going to homecoming this year?"

   "I don't know." Quinn shrugs, sparking a bit of hope in Amber as she rocks on the heels of her feet. "Would you, maybe, want to go with me?"

    After some silence from the boy, Amber begins to deflate. Of course it was stupid of her to ask- it was stupid of her to even be here why would he want to go with her to homecoming when he could go with- "Yes, I mean. Yeah okay, sounds cool." Quinn sputters out but Amber doesn't notice his nervousness due to the fact her own anxiety is filtering through her as she looks back up at him with a beaming smile.

   "Perfect. See you this weekend? I'll text you my address. Bye, Quinn." Amber waves her fingers at Quinn and she doesn't wait to see his reaction or the fact that he might change his mind as she spins on her heels and makes a beeline back towards her post at the desk for tickets; not minding the weird looks she's receiving from her cheermate beside her. She just scored a date for homecoming last minute and she couldn't be more proud of herself.

   Scored a date with Quinn nonetheless.

   The thought made her giddy for the rest of the day, her smile never leaving her face which usually wasn't that abnormal but when Summer, Amber's close friend since elementary and co-captain in the cheer team, caught her doodling in her purple notebook during her favorite subject, she knew something was up.

  

       "What's up with you?" Summer finally snaps the question after a day of carefully watching, her hands resting on her hips as she watches her fellow short friend apply her gloss through her mirror in her small locker.

     Amber pops her lips together as her eyes find Summers, her eyebrows raising at the accusing tone. "I don't know what you mean."

     Summer rolls her eyes, closing the locker door and hooking her arm through Ambers to pull her away. "You've been in this weird state since yesterday- I don't know, like you are just in this little bubble of yours."

    Amber frowns lightly at this before smiling once she realizes. "I have a date for homecoming." Summer almost immediately grins, an excited squeal passing her lips as she tugs in Amber's arm to tell her more as the two make their way out the highschool doors.

     School had ended which meant Homecoming tickets and votes should be finalized tonight for the game tomorrow. "Amber I'm so stoked, you never have a date!"

      Amber laughs at this, patting her friend's arm as she nods. "I know! But I saw Quinn walking the hall by the ticket booth yesterday and I just gave it a shot. It was a long shot but,"

     "Hold up. Quinn? As in total geek Quinn?" Summer scrunches her nose trying to understand what her friend is saying. Amber rolls her eyes as she nudges her shoulder against Summer, a small laugh escaping. "Shut up. You have totally been pining for him for years Amber! This is so cute."

      Amber relaxes into her friend as they head over to her green beetle, her smile finding its way to her face. "You are way too loud, girl. Shut it." Amber lets go of Summer as she opens the driver's side to start the car up, waiting for Summer to hop in to head to her house- seeing as it's the only one available currently.

      "No no. We need to talk about this more! I mean this is totally big news for you. To be honest I was starting to think you were a little.. you know."Amber gapes as she quickly looks at Summer who giggles behind her hand. "Be quiet or I'm going to kick you out of this car."

      Though Amber had thought about it, she didn't exactly hate the idea of dating a girl but her heart had already been set on Quinn since she first saw him freshman year in Algebra.

        "Okay okay ouch. Just drive you weirdo." Summer snorts, reaching over to nudge Amber's shoulder who grins.