Third Wheel | EDITING

Chapter 40 | Nothing Close To A Third Wheel

Chapter 40 | Nothing Close To A Third Wheel

It was bittersweet.

Attending Gray's dream school this upcoming fall had made me realized how much I missed him and how much he hurt me all at once.

It seemed that life decided to throw this curveball of irony towards me when I least expected it, my senior year.

Until then, I was the athletic girl who choose to stay out of the limelight of judgmental high school kids.

Until, Gray that is.

I had missed graduation, with the new move to Alabama.

It wasn't necessary for me to attend.

I had graduated with honors early and sent in the photos and final layout of the senior memory book two weeks prior to my departure so it could be printed.

That was why, I was holding the hardcover book decorated with fancy lettering.

Clearwater's Senior Memory Book

The hardcover was just how I had designed it, beautifully printed and elegant but filled with a bunch of trends over the four years of high school.

Slowly, I flipped through the pages as I sat on my bed in the dorm room.

My roommate was a quiet, shy girl that went by the name of Jenna.

Brunette, conservative, and awkward were words to easily describe her but those were the exact reasons we bonded quickly.

I had learned that she planned on finishing up school with her fiancé who now resided on the other side of the world in South Korea attending Seoul National University.

They had planned on marrying right after receiving their Bachelor's degree in a year.

•••

"What are you doing?" She questioned, moving to sit at a spot next to me.

"Nothing much. I just received our Senior Memory Book in the mail, then I'm headed to our first official practice." I told her, remembering the thought of when I first found out I was accepted into the cheer team.

It had come as a surprise but I tried out anyways as the early acceptance scholarship was presented to me partially of my performance on the cheer team at Clearwater.

To my surprise, I made it through all the cuts and here I was fast forward to the middle of summer.

I started flipping through the pages of the book, a wave of newfound nostalgia flooding me.

"Woah, I didn't know you were dating somebody." Jenna gasped, pointing to a picture of me and Gray kissing after a win.

One of my team members for the Senior Book Committee had captured the moment as I was pulled into a kiss with Gray, my legs wrapped around his torso as he held an arm around my back and used the other to old the helmet.

It looked all too picture perfect.

"I don't." I mumbled, flipping away from the dedicated football season pages.

"Oh I'm sorry, I hope it didn't end too sourly. I know we are a couple years apart but if you needed anything, please don't be too shy to ask." She reassured, hopping off the bed.

I nodded as she opened her mouth to speak again.

"I'm going to be calling Johnny in a bit, I'll tell him you said hi." Jenna smiled, bringing up her boyfriend.