Happier

Chapter 17

On Monday, the kids go back to school. The Goldberg sisters pick Cole up at home and drive to school together like they've done so many times before. For once this past week, Lacey isn't scared to go to school. She isn't scared to face the jocks or Violet and Melanie. Right now, she has Cole and that's all that really matters to her.
The three get out at the school parking lot and walk inside, tangled in a conversation about last night's dinner and how amazing it was getting to know Cole's family. They spent the whole night there, talking to his parents and sister and getting to know them better. If Lacey's going to stay with Cole for a long time, she'd better get along with his parents too. And his sister. She's the most adorable kid Lacey has ever met. She's funny, kind, and for a ten-year-old, pretty cool.
"What do you have first period?" Cole asks his girlfriend when they're standing at her locker to get her books. She checks her schedule she has hanging on the inside of her locker door.
"Maths," she answers, pointing her finger to the little square on the paper. Cole looks at it for a second, then notices the picture of her with Violet and Melanie. They actually looked really happy together. His sudden freeze makes Lacey follow his glance, then smiles while taking the picture off of her door. Her thumb carefully caresses the paper. "This was when we were shopping for junior prom dresses," she explains to him, a slight quiver in her voice.
"Talking about prom," Cole starts, trying to change the subject to prevent her from crying, "Do you expect me to have a spectacular promposal for you?" Lacey's face lights up when he mentions him taking her to prom. She'd love that.
"You know I'm easily pleased, young man," she tells him in a flirty voice, giving him her infamous 'kiss me'-eyes. With a pleased look on his face, Cole leans in to peck her on the lips.
"Ew! Get a room!" they get thrown to their heads. Lacey immediately recognizes the voice as Violet's. The two break away so she can give her ex-best friend a glare. However, the raven-haired girl doesn't see it as she already passed them. Melanie walks next to her. Not even an inch separating the two. Lacey has thought on multiple occasions the two had a fling or something, but then she remembers how close the two actually are and how Violet is such a slut for the guys on the football team. It's merely impossible.
"Let's get to class, yeah?" Cole suggests when the bell rings. Lacey nods and throws the picture she's still holding in her locker before shutting it and grasping the handle of her bag tightly.
"See you in English," she almost whispers and kisses him once more before heading to class. Cole watches her from where he stands and his heart swells with pride and love. That beautiful creature right there is all his. His girlfriend. His love. His little forever. He needs to find a spectacular way to ask her to prom. It's mandatory. This girl deserves everything special. She deserves the world.
"Shouldn't you get to class?" a familiar voice wakes him up from his daydream and when he looks up, he sees the even more familiar ginger locks of his ex-best friend, Archie Andrews.
"I have PE, I don't mind being late for that at all," he tells him, making the boy laugh. Cole has always hated PE. Ever since the seventh-grade catastrophe. During a game of dodgeball, he got hit in the head. He stumbled, tripped and hit his head against the wall so hard he blacked out. During said black out, he actually peed himself. That was the worst moment of his life and he hated PE ever since. Luckily, Archie helped him out and went to get him some underwear from the guidance counselor. Friendship built from that moment on until Freshman year.
"How are things between you and Lacey?" Archie then questions, closing his locker and walking closer towards the brown-haired boy.
"Good," Cole replies, growing a little suspicious of his kindness.
"She really seems happy," says ginger, the other boy just nodding slowly. "I'm happy for you two, man." Suddenly, his whole expression changes. Even his attitude. He's not The Quarterback, he's Archie. The Archie Cole knows since seventh grade.
"Arch..." Cole starts, but Archie cuts him off.
"Just don't, okay? Forget about it," he dismisses him, then turns on his heel to get to whatever class he'd be late for. Cole just stands there for a moment, completely unsure of what had just happened. If it wasn't for the attitude the ginger boy had at the end of their conversation, Cole would think Archie is actually heartbroken. The Quarterback of Roosevelt High is heartbroken. That's new.