Serenity Falls

Chapter 53

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"Have you got a dress for the dance?"

Chelsie looked at Olivia expectantly, unable to stop a small smile from spreading onto her face. There was no hiding the fact that she was excited for the school dance, which was happening at the end of the week.

Olivia paused, glancing at her best friend. The two of them were lounging around Olivia’s bedroom, studying while chatting randomly to each other. It was already Tuesday, and the number of days until the end of the week was quickly diminishing, causing the excitement levels at Serenity Falls to raise significantly with every day that passed.

"Uh... I don’t think I’m going to go."

"What?!" Chelsie threw her a disbelieving look. "You’re not going?"

Olivia looked at her, somewhat taken aback by her startled reaction. She had expected Chelsie to be a little disappointed, but the way she was looking at her as if she was some sort of alien was slightly unnerving.

To tell the truth, she really didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Even if it was her first dance at Serenity Falls, it would still be all of the same people she saw and ignored every day in the hallways, overdressed and crowded into a stuffy gymnasium and decorated lamely by whatever poor souls happened to be on the dance committee. Sure, this was a grand private school with stacks of money to spare, but that still didn’t make the idea any more appealing for her.

"Probably not. Why, are you?"

"Of course I’m going!" Chelsie said. Her expression softened and she widened her eyes, looking longingly at Olivia. "You have to come. It’ll be no fun without you."

"You’ll be going with Fred, though, won’t you?"

"Well, yeah," Chelsie shrugged. "I mean, he hasn’t officially asked me yet, but there’s no reason why he wouldn’t. It doesn’t matter though, does it? We can still go together."

"I don’t want to be a third wheel," Olivia said, sighing. She was happy about her two best friends’ relationship, but at the same time it did mean that she often felt somewhat left out. She supposed it could be worse – the two of them could be constantly sticking their tongues down each other’s throats in her presence, which they definitely didn’t – but that still didn’t make her feel much better. Especially in a setting like a school dance, she didn’t want to be hanging around them feeling uncomfortable, even if they were her best friends.

"You won’t be!" Chelsie assured her. "Anyway, I’m sure someone will ask you."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "I know you’re just trying to be nice, but seriously? Who would even consider asking me to the dance?"

"Ethan?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You know full well that’s out of the question."

"It doesn’t have to be."

"But it is."

"I don’t know. Ethan seemed like he was really sorry."

"Well, that doesn’t make up for what he’s done. Even if he asks me, I’m not going with him, okay? Finished. Done."

Chelsie sighed in defeat. "Even so. You’re still coming. I swear, it’ll be no fun without you. I’ll even come shopping with you, and we can pick out dresses."