The first thing I do when I see Rob is smack him over the back of the head.
"Violent!" He flinches.
"Lacey? Are you kidding me, Rob? You're taking Lacey to homecoming?" I watch the baseball he's gone back to playing with. "You know she's Matt's ex, right? She's probably using you to get on my nerves."
"Looks like it's working." He grins, tossing the ball in his locker. "And it's Lacey Scott, Lia. I'd let her harvest my organs if it meant she'd hook up with me before she knocked me out cold. Lacey Scott can use me to her heart's content. It's Lacey Scott."
"Stop saying her name like she's freaking royalty!"
"She could be. I mean, she is your competition for Homecoming Princess. Wait, is that why you're mad? You're worried she's gonna beat you out for the title?"
"Since when have I ever cared about titles like that, moron?"
"Since your boyfriend cares about titles like that," he chimes. "Oh, man. Imagine he won and you didn't. You sure you're ready for that blow?"
That hadn't occurred to me. I'm going the extra mile to do everything right for this dance, for Matt, and if I don't win that title and he does, what does that say about us? That I'm not good enough. That I can never match his perfection.
My eyes drift over Rob's open locker as my thoughts whirl around, but the whirling stops. On the inside of his door, in the far lower corner you wouldn't naturally focus on, a photo booth strip is displayed. And with the discreetness of its position, I think it's for his eyes only. Four square photos of him and Clara.
They're laughing, goofing around, kissing in the last one. They look like a real couple. The door slams shut, clanging in my face. He's clearly unnerved I glimpsed that.
"Why aren't you going to homecoming with Clara?"
"Because I don't want to go to homecoming with Clara."
"I don't believe you."
"You don't have to believe me." He slings his backpack on. "But it's not happening. Me and Lacey are happening, and I couldn't be happier. Be happy for me, Lia."
He roughly tousles my hair and I swat him away.
〰️〰️〰️
The day before the dance I'm bursting with school spirit at the pep rally and Matt's game. I might be overcompensating, but I committed to bringing the spirit. I'm not going to do it half-heartedly. That is, until I notice Rob supporting Lacey's cheerleading.
Watching it all unfold makes me irrationally angry on Clara's behalf. She didn't seem angry, just hurt, and I hate that my brother is the one hurting her. In a way, I pity her for catching feelings for him. But feelings are feelings, and for some reason, he got her hooked on him. And judging by those photos in his locker, he's not as unfeeling as he wants everyone to think.
I just don't understand why he won't admit it. If Clara has been acting like she doesn't care, maybe he's oblivious to how deep it is for her. Maybe he's distracting himself with Lacey so he can keep things shallow. Avoiding something real.
Despite all the school festivities and how beat I should be, I can't sleep. I'm letting my thoughts consume me. Letting my eyes get heavy in the dark. Thinking about the dress I bought with my savings, about what Kristy and Nellie said in algebra, about how tiring tomorrow is going to be, and how I'll be in the complete center of attention with Matt. Probably in a literal spotlight.
YOU ARE READING
In Waves | ✔️
Teen Fiction"𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞?" Starting her junior year, Lia DeMarco's predictable life takes a sharp turn when she vows to break out of her comfort zone and date the wealthy...
