Linger

O N E H U N D R E D + T H R E E

"She knows." I paced the bathroom floor. "I know that she knows. There's no way that she doesn't know."

"Maddie, relax," Alice said as she watched me.

"I. can't," I huffed, whipping around to face her. "My mom is out there trying to set us up as if we don't know each other. And then Gina and Tina over there won't stop trying to get their chance to be with him--"

"Gina and Tina?" Chelsea knitted her eyebrows. 

"Kelsey and Sophia." I rolled my eyes. 

She blinked at me. 

"When their names rhyme, it makes this whole thing seem not that bad."

"It's not that bad," Chelsea emphasized. "It's the same thing they've been doing all year." 

"No, it's not." I shook my head, turning back to the mirror, fixing my hair. "They're all dressed up. And he's dressed up. And-- Did you see the way they were looking at him?" I whipped around to face her. Inside, my mind cringed at the pathetic whine in my voice but I couldn't help it.

"Did you see the way he was looking at you?" Alice countered.

I stopped, giving her a confused look.

The loud feedback of the speaker turning on suddenly screeched through the air, causing all of us to wince as we covered our ears, before Vice Principal Schultz's voice sounded through the speaker. 

"The awards will begin in ten minutes. Please make your way to the auditorium. Ceremony begins in ten minutes."

Alice, Chelsea, and I exchanged tired looks before heading toward the door, pushing it open, and stepping back into the crowded hallway. 

"Maddie!" Kelsey's voice called out.

I sighed, rolling my eyes before turning around and mustering up the biggest smile I could give her. "Kelsey . . . !"

"Maddie!" Sophia rushed up to my other side. 

I flickered my gaze between them. "Am I missing something . . . ?"

"Excuse me," a deep, accented voice spoke up. 

We all looked up to see a young man, maybe a bit older than us, walking up to us. His long, wavy brown hair reached just below his shoulders and his green eyes shined brightly as they stayed on us, expecting an answer.  

"Do you know where the office is?" he asked.

"It's that way." Chelsea pointed down the hall. "Last door on the left."

"Thank you." He gave us a nod before continuing down the hall. 

Alice turned to Chelsea. "Do you know him?"

Chelsea shook her head. "No. Do you?"

"No," Alice, Sophia, and I replied.

"Kelsey?" Chelsea looked up at Kelsey.

However, her mouth hung open as her eyes stayed on fixed on the guy as he disappeared into the crowd. 

"Hellooo? Kelsey?" Sophia exclaimed, snapping her fingers and waving her hand in front of Kelsey's face. "Kelsey . . ."

"Kelsey!!" Chelsea burst out. 

Kelsey jumped, turning to us, before smoothing her hands over her dark hair and clearing her throat. "Um, did you guys just see what I just saw?" 

"We saw you see what you saw," Sophia told her. 

Chelsea and I knitted our eyebrows at her. "Huh?!"