The Romance In Our Rivalry

6 | Prom Plans

Nick

"Hey, Nick! I heard a little birdie whispering about you and Nova," a girl with brown hair, who I vaguely recognized from middle school, said with a plotting grin on her face. Her name was Brynn or Bryanne, I think.

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised at this encounter. "Oh, really?" I asked sarcastically, "And how exactly do you know that? We barely know each other."

Brynn shrugged, her eyes gleaming with nosiness. "Well, you know how gossip spreads like wildfire in this place. By the way, I'm Brynn."

Ah, yes, Brynn, I knew it was something like that. Now I had a name to go with the face. I gave Brynn a very dull smile, not wanting to entertain her much.

During my free period, I had decided to dive into the history of John F. Kennedy, the 35th US president. No, I wasn't some big history buff, just a kid that studied last minute instead of days ahead. As Brynn continued talking, I tried to shift my attention back to her, out of respect.

"You know what would be amazing?" Brynn suggested, her voice filled with fake glee. "You and Nova running for prom king and queen. It would be the perfect opportunity for her as the new girl."

I considered her idea for a moment, realizing that it could actually be a great way for Nova to get more involved and make her mark at our school. But also, Nova being "new" wouldn't matter by the end of the year. "Wait," I thought aloud, "why do you care about Nova's status? What does that have to do with you?" Brynn opened and closed her mouth for a second, as if she didn't have the words. She then huffed, "okay, fine."

"Aubrey is running" Brynn admitted, "and the last thing this school needs is to be terrorized by that bitch year long, then give her the grim satisfaction of winning prom queen." I nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact with Brynn. "So you want Nova to run? Of all people that could."

"Nova is the perfect prom queen candidate" Brynn argued immediately, as if she rehearsed this shit. "She's pretty, kind, minds her business, polite." Well, Brynn did have a point. And who was I kidding? I planned on running anyway, Brynn might have just gave me an excuse to bring up running to Nova.

"You know what? That's not a bad idea, Brynn. I'll definitely talk to Nova about it" I tried to sound enthused, hoping Brynn would beat it. It was a nice talk and all, but I have a test soon.

"Brynn grinned, seemingly satisfied with her suggestion. "Awesome! I can already picture you two ruling the prom court." She then disappeared, no further commentary from either of us.

***

"So, what's the plan for lunch today?" Nova asked, as she effortlessly opened my locker. I couldn't help but notice her knack for numbers and puzzles, as she always insisted on opening my locker for me.

"We could go to my car and find a nice little restaurant to grab some food. Then we can eat in the car for some privacy, if you'd like," I suggested, leaving the decision up to her.

Nova nodded, considering the idea. "I don't mind that at all," she replied with her typical smile.

As we exchanged our books for the afternoon classes and made our way to my car, I contemplated how to bring up the topic of running for prom with Nova. She seemed reserved and quiet, not someone who would typically be interested in becoming prom queen.

"Have you ever thought about prom?" I asked Nova, noticing her slightly brisk pace. She slowed down and turned to face me.

"I actually think about it quite often," Nova admitted, her voice filled with a hint of curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Brynn came by the library today and suggested that we run for prom king and queen," I explained, feeling a twinge of regret for not expressing my own desire to run for prom. I didn't want Nova to think I was easily influenced by others.

"So, you want us to run for prom king and queen just because someone else suggested it?" Nova inquired, almost as if she could read my thoughts.

"No," I quickly clarified. "I genuinely want us to run, but Brynn did suggest it."

"Why do you think she suggested it?" Nova questioned, as we finally settled into the car.

I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "She mentioned something about Aubrey wanting to be prom queen and said that Aubrey doesn't deserve it."

Understanding flickered across Nova's face, as if she had more insight into the situation than I did.

"Brynn and her friends don't particularly like Aubrey, but they tolerate her because she's the center of attention," Nova explained. "They told me that Aubrey genuinely dislikes me, but they couldn't figure out why. I told them they should continue being friends with Aubrey because if they suddenly stopped, Aubrey would become suspicious and potentially target me."

"So, if that's the case," I began, "don't you think running for prom queen might not be a good idea?"

Nova shrugged, contemplating my words. "It's a gamble, to be honest. But if Aubrey keeps up her behavior, people will eventually see her true colors, and they'll start siding with me anyway."

"Fair enough," I replied, and Nova nodded in agreement. "If you're in," I continued speaking, "then we should start campaigning. Maddie and her boyfriend can help us with that."

A smile graced Nova's lips. "Count me in," she spoke softly, as I started the car engine. I quickly sent a text to my cousin, requesting her help, before driving off to Sundance, my favorite burger joint.

Aubrey

I sat with Brynn and her friends at lunch when we all seemed to get a notification at the same time. Mine was from the outdated school app that rarely kept us informed. Apparently, Nick and Nova were running for prom king and queen. My anger instantly flared up, causing my breathing to quicken and my stomach to churn.

"How was Nova supposed to know you wanted to run?" Brynn defended her, seeming to have gotten the same notification. I couldn't help but sigh loudly at this bitch's words, rolling my eyes after.

"Does Nova really look like prom queen material to you, Brynn?" I retorted, my frustration evident.

Leigh chimed in, attempting to diffuse the tension. "It's not the end of the world, you know. And people have something called free-will."

I bit my lip, struggling to hold back my scathing remarks towards these so-called "popular" whores who were now defending sorry ass Nova over me. I couldn't believe they were acting like this.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to publicly announce that I'm running against her," I declared, forcing a fake smile onto my face. I promptly got up from the table and left the cafeteria, refusing to engage in any further conversation with these girls.