This Prom Queen is winning out of spite.
Since the dawn of internet video, the AV Club of Van Buren High has hosted a reality show for twenty lucky seniors to compete for the coveted titles of Prom King and Queen. Self-imposed social outcast, Aspen...
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Ky sat with me at lunch today, which was surprising. Not that I minded; my twin brother was one of my best friends. But it was strange, to say the least, considering I was positive he would have rather been sitting with his friends. The popular crew. The ones I never really clicked with. And if I sat with them, it would be another time Ky Faust's loser sister was shoe-horned in to their plans.
I didn't need that kind of social anxiety on the first day of school.
Or ever again.
"I hate the first day. It always feels so weird to be back," he complained, shoving his fork into a pile of low-tier mac and cheese. We'd spent the summer splitting tons of Mom's incredible recipes late into the night while watching cheesy 70s movies. Mac and Cheesy Movie Night. It only served as a reminder of just how terrible the mass-produced rehydrated version our school served us really was.
"At least this is the last time we have to deal with it," I replied. "Senior Year, baby."
"And you decided that now was the right time to cram your schedule with AP American History and Ancient World History. What is wrong with you, freak?" he teased, laughing while he leaned into me, shoving me playfully with his shoulder.
"Oh, shut up. That joke stopped being funny at least three months ago."
Our table in the corner of the cafeteria was empty besides us. I was overly aware of the fact that Ky was only sitting here so I wouldn't be alone after learning that my best friend, Liv, and I didn't share a lunch period this year. I couldn't decide if I was touched by the brotherly love or embarrassed by the pity. Sitting by myself was no issue. I'd done it plenty of times before. It was significantly easier than trying to pick a table full of new people to introduce myself to.
"Oh, how cuuute!" I looked up to the grating, overly-enthusiastic voice of Hailey Stevens, finding her half-running, half-bouncing up to our table. "The twinsies are sitting together!"
"Hey, Hailey," Ky greeted her, one of those charming grins that he knew to paste on around anyone he wanted to impress spreading across his face. And Hailey was someone to maintain an image around. As one-half of the class couple and the star of at least twenty percent of the gossip that spread throughout Van Buren High, her opinions absolutely carried some weight. It didn't matter that she was one of Ky's friends. Pissing her off meant losing a reputation. And reputations were everything building up to Senior Year.
"Ben and I wanted you to come sit with us," Hailey said, clearly directing the invitation towards Ky only. She'd yet to acknowledge me directly. That was more than fine by me; I knew how to be polite around her, but we had never been friends.
"I don't know. If I leave, Aspen's all by herself," Ky replied hesitantly. I felt my cheeks flush. Knowing I was the loser twin and having it pointed out were two very different feelings.
