the ups and downs of micahs

14

    ▷ micah barrett ◁

"Why'd your girlfriend have to run for Student Body President?" Griffin moans next to me, sinking further down in the squeaky auditorium chair. She wraps a curl around her finger and starts to maniacally twirl it, eyes focused upon the back of the person's head in front of us. We sit in the middle of all the seats, a spot to be perfectly hidden because the lights fail to reach us. It's where we all sit for every assembly, speech, lecture.

"She's ambitious," I reply, looking between two heads to the stage. There are three podiums each washed in soft yellow spotlight, ready to be occupied by high school president candidates. "Why wouldn't she?"

The last week of October is "buzz campaign" week, the time where all the student body president candidates go fucking crazy to get their names out there before the final push and voting in December. There's campaigning all day, every day in a variety of ways. There's the usual 'baked goods and buttons' pushing, but some people go harder. They give out money, free stuff beyond stickers and candy, gift cards. It's a game that they're willing to play as long as we do too. On the first day of buzz campaign week, we have to listen to the candidates give speeches with their intentions and promises. It's mandatory and boring and nobody enjoys it but we do it because you get an automatic invitation to the massive Halloween party after it all if you just show up.

Sidney's been keeping her buzz campaign plans a secret from all of us, but apparently, they're some of the best presidential ideas she's ever had. Griffin predicts they're not.

The auditorium is filling up quickly, the murmur of conversation getting louder as more seats become taken. I look back towards the main doors and spot Watson and Jesse making their way towards us, pushing through groups of freshmen that squeal over being invited to their first high school party.

"Yo," Watson announces when he plops down into a seat by Griffin, who slightly shifts her body away from him. He notices and chuckles, engulfing Griffin in a gigantic hug. Griffin's body is stiff, eyes rolling as she begs for him to let her go.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I reach for it, eyes sliding over the notification.

blue: where tf is everyone going

barrett: auditorium. speeches for sbp candidates are today.

blue: grrrr ok

I crane my neck to watch the main doors again, and almost as soon as Micah's text comes through, she appears as a silhouette in the middle of the doorway. Jesus.

She receives her party invitation with scrunched eyebrows, reading and flipping over the paper while she walks. Everyone's eyes are on her and at first, I think it's for obvious reasons: the girl is gorgeous and it shows in every part of her.

Then, I see it. Her outfit. More notably, my hoodie. My entire heart stops, and I don't know if it's out of dread or lust or a small tug of love or what, but I know I have to do something.

Everyone's whispering and looking towards her and then trying to find me in the crowd.

I gather up my things in a flourish and race out of my seat, keeping my eyes on Micah while all eyes hit me as I run towards her.

She lights up when she sees me, a beautiful smile blossoming on her face, and it'd be the end of me if I wasn't so focused on my clothes on her.

"Hey-" I don't let her get the word out before I'm grasping her arm and nearly dragging her out of the auditorium, ignoring the burn I get on my cheeks as I feel her hand wrap around my tensed forearm. We're out of the space with a loud slam of the double doors, and I'm still silent as I take her into a more shaded area of the hallway, where a rusting red door leads us to Lovers Stairwell, aptly named for the fact that it's completely abandoned and it's a common hookup spot. I look through the tiny window and thankfully, there's no one in there banging it out before class.