About You Now

Heartbreak

The day of the prom had finally arrived. Excitement flowed through the air for most. All except Serenity, at least, for the entirety of Senior Year, since beginning her journey at All-Star Academy, all she wanted was to be better than her cousin Echo, to be the Queen Bee of senior year, to be popular just like she was at every other school she'd attended. All those hopes and dreams had come to nothing. Serenity had no friends at All Star Academy to speak of, no friends to spend the day bounding with and having fun, no date to attend the event with, no popularity or stories to tell in years to come.

Instead, Serenity was alone, wandering through the malls and their many shops and random little stalls. She'd thought a shopping spree would help lift her spirits, but even that didn't work. Instead, she was haunted by the what-could-have-beens and the future that lay in front of her, destined to be just another teenage mother who'd possibly thrown her life away, a baby daddy who couldn't stand her and had since moved on, reconciling with old friends and finding happiness with another.

Her loyal friends were nowhere to be found now. Samantha was grounded by her parents until her twenty-first birthday, if she was lucky; if not, then she'd be behind bars by the time school ended. Allegra and Addison were no better, barred from seeing her or even interacting with her by their parents, the same people who had called her a bad influence and blamed her for the mess their daughters found themselves in. Serenity's only support was her mother, who had long accepted that she'd be a grandmother at a young age, and whose love was unconditional.

Just as Serenity was wallowing in her self-pity, she heard the oh so familiar voice of Roman, followed by those of the misfit boys and Wyatt's. They sounded so cheery, laughing and joking without a care in the world, reminiscing about times long past, having a great time. For a moment, Serenity watched them, none of them noticed she was there, sitting at the fountain, minding her own business, surrounded by shopping bags. She waited patiently for the group of girls who were often in their company to appear, but none did. Serenity silently questioned why until Drew loudly declared their ladies were spending the day at the spa before getting ready for prom.

As quietly as possible, Serenity began following the group of boys, listening to their conversations, as if hoping to hear secrets that might spill from their lips. She listened closer when Roman mentioned his girlfriend, Galina. Listened as Finn noted he and Summer planned to move in together once they graduated, even how Drew roped the boys into his surprise for Nikki.

Only when she'd gained enough confidence did Serenity strike with her quickly put-together plan. Her timing was almost perfect; the girls were in the spa that backed onto the mall, and the boys were intending on visiting the food court for some fast food. Surely if she struck soon, then the news of what happened would spread like wildfire, especially when some other All-Star Academy students were hanging around the mall. She'd spotted Charlotte and Sasha at different points, and Bayley too.

"Roman," called Serenity when she was close enough. When he turned to see who called him, Serenity grabbed the collar of his shirt and connected their lips in a somewhat passionate kiss. At first, he seemed to struggle to get away from her, until his hands found her growing bump, then he stopped fighting and almost melted into the kiss, nearly returning it. Time seemed to stop after that; voices were silenced, and everyone and everything else seemed to disappear. For a moment, Serenity was happy, but she knew it wouldn't last.

Just as quickly, the voices came rushing back, the people she hated appeared in view, each with identical looks of hatred painted upon their features; those passing by didn't seem to care or even realize they weren't a couple. Serenity's grin grew wicked upon noticing one girl in particular standing there, next to the group of boys, her heartbreak written across her features as her golden eyes were fixed on Roman and Serenity.