𝘚𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘙 ⁽ʲ ᵐᵒˡⁱⁿᵃ⁾

𝘚𝘐𝘟

i keep having to remind myself that since this is my just for fun story it doesn't have to be my normal word count!! it's a few hundred words short but that's alright.

also, thank you guys so much for 100 votes. keep voting and commenting, i love reading what you guys have to say. enjoy ;)

"Elise!" The brunette was just about to shut her locker when Julie Molina shouted from the end of the hallway.

She hustled over quickly, Elise smiled a hello and turned to face the other girl in full.

"Hey, Molina. What's up?" She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me and Flynn today, if you don't already have plans. I asked her and she said she didn't mind getting to know you some more." Elise wanted to, like, a lot. But for the past two weeks she had been more distant from Payton than ever, who'd been her best and only friend for a number of years. She couldn't continue ignoring them much longer. Even if it had been entirely on accident, guilt still sat heavy in her soul.

"I wish I could, I'd ask Payton but I'm sure they don't want to eat with their little sister." Julie laughed and nodded her head, the slightest hint of disappointment present on her face. Elise felt the slightest pang in her chest.

"Yeah, I understand. I wouldn't want to eat with Carlos. He scares me." She grabbed mindlessly at the end of her ponytail. "Oh- and I almost forgot. Flynn got us a gig for tonight. I hope that's fine."

"Really? Awesome!" Elise grasped the straps of her backpack tightly, smiling at the news. "Where?"

"Well..." Elise cocked an eyebrow at her hesitance and Julie laughed. "It's at the school dance tonight."

Her face changed in the matter of a split second, it was held as if she were resisting the urge to tear apart the idea. She hadn't been to a dance since the first month of sixth grade, and she had absolutely no interest in attending another.

As the story goes, Elise was asked to the dance by a boy in her grade (who most likely was just using her to get closer to her twin,) way before she had even considered the possibility of liking a girl. It was every kind of awkward, way beyond the typical awkward middle school dance experience. They danced together, she tried to keep as much distance as possible. When he went in for a kiss at the end of the night, she ran to the bathroom sick to her stomach. She cringed just thinking about it.

"I know it's not anyone's first choice, but it's a start." Elise had to agree there, if they wanted to go big they had to start somewhere. Even if she really didn't like the idea.

"Yeah, you're right." She grudgingly agreed.

"Good. Practice at my place after school?"

"I'll meet you there." Julie walked backwards as she redirected to meet Flynn once more in the music room.

"Five, don't be late!" She called out just as she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

So Flynn didn't hate her; this was a new development. Two weeks ago, she was sitting in the passenger seat of Payton's car wallowing in self pity because people judged her off her family: Flynn being her most devout hater. So much had changed in such little time, it was almost too much to handle. She wasn't well equipped to handle change, but she was dealing the best she could.

Elise turned in the other direction, a smile on her lips and the slightest blush peppering her cheeks as she turned into the next hallway.

Luke was leaning on the cement wall the next hallway over, she let out a yelp when she saw him. He grinned when she came into his view, and Elise could not stop herself from rolling her eyes. She never could when he was around. The boys still creeped her out; they were everywhere.