woman like me - j.f✔️

XXXIX

Love had woken up to an array of messages, and simply ignored them until she had time. She'd woken up early too, meaning she had plenty of time to prepare for school.

After her shower, Love had slowly pulled on her uniform, whilst watching a movie on her TV. She wasn't really paying attention to it, but it was something to distract her from her thoughts. Her hair was in a ponytail, she'd even worn some mascara, and now she was sat in her car; waiting to leave.

Rowan: Meet me by your locker, I have something important to tell you.

Sure thing.

Justin: Where were you yesterday? I didn't see you.

Sorry, I just wanted the day to pass faster. See you later.

Love finally began her drive to school, becoming more nervous by the second. What did Rowan want to say that was so important? She racked her brain for possible reasons, but nothing had come of it apart from shaky hands and a worrisome look. She'd arrived at the school, quickly parking her car and heading in. She found a note on her locker. Was that it?

She jerked the paper from the door, fumbling with it before pulling it open. Rowan's neat handwriting filled the page, advising she headed to her room. So she did, she walked along the hall and made a left turn, opening her door to see Rowan sat at the desk. The room was dim, only the natural light spilled in. Rowan wore a huge smile on her face, standing up and approaching her girlfriend.

"I know you don't like massive public declarations of love, so I thought it'd just be us two." Rowan started. "Homecoming is soon, and I know how stressed you'll be with senior year, so I thought if we attended the dance together it'll give you a good start to your year." Love smiled. As much as they argued, she'd always be head over heels for Rowan.

"Of course I'll go to the dance with you." Love confessed, swinging her arms around Rowan and squeezing her tightly. Rowan giggled, embracing her and swaying. "But home room is soon, I'll see you later."

Rowan left Love in her room, catching Justin walking past. Of course, Rowan couldn't leave things alone, so she intervened with his quiet morning. "You don't have a date to homecoming? That's sad. Good luck finding one, your bestie is off limits." She winked and approached her own locker.

Justin learned not to let Rowan get to him. After everything she'd put Love through, there was no way she'd get to him. She doesn't know him. At all. Hearing that Love said yes to Rowan stung, as he thought he had a shot. They had an amazing summer together, doing absolutely everything the town had to offer. And yet she still chose Rowan.

He managed to get through the day perfectly fine, still close with Love and was doing great on the team. They had the homecoming game soon, which would be great. The coach professed Justin's abilities, saying he was on his way to a good college with a scholarship. Nothing could ruin his day now.

"Hey, Justin." Love chirped, walking beside him and linking arms with him. Justin smiled down at his best friend, as they left school together. "Wanna go to Paolo's? I'm bored and have absolutely nothing to do."

"Sure," he spoke, pulling his phone from his pocket. They approached her car, and he instinctively opened the door for her. "Meet you there in... an hour?" Love nodded in agreement, leaving Justin in the parking lot and driving home.

When Love arrived home, she'd heard the sound of her sister in the kitchen. Her mom usually had work at this time, so she was wondering why Margot would be here. As she entered the kitchen, Margot was sat at the island with her friends and eating snacks. Aunt Olivia also with them.

"Oh, hey Love." Olivia called out as she spotted Love's brown head of hair. Love smiled, entering through the kitchen to grab a drink. "How was school?"

She took a sip, securing the lid before taking a step back. "Great, homecoming is soon which means I need to find a dress." As Olivia became distracted with the girls once again, Love took this as her cue to leave. She'd gone to her room, finding an outfit to wear to Paolo's.

Justin: Waiting for you, text me when you're close.

Love arrived at Paolo's, Justin in their usual spot. He waited with two mugs, one for the each of them. He remembered her order from the numerous times they'd be here before a movie. Or after.

"So," Justin began. "I hear you and Rowan are going to homecoming?" Love smiled and nodded, thinking back to how Rowan asked her. She knew Rowan and Justin didn't seem fond of each other, so she didn't go into details.

"What about you? Find anyone?" She questioned, sipping on her latte. Justin shook his head, bummed that he didn't have anyone. He didn't really take an interest in other girls. Since he joined, it's always been Love. Love had trumped anyone else in his life. He compared any girl he spoke to to Love, Love ultimately winning. But it sucked that he couldn't have her. The one girl he wanted was so very taken.

"I'm sure you'll find someone." She reassured. She was being nice, and they both knew it. He didn't really want to go to the dance, if it wasn't with Love. At this point, he was waiting on a miracle.

They spoke for hours, ordering multiple coffees. Despite the awkward tension at the start, that had faded and they'd eventually slipped into a nice conversation. There wasn't much they didn't talk about, they'd make jokes and keep adding onto that. They'd even earned a few odd stares from other coffee drinkers, glaring at the giggly teens in the corner of the cafe.

Justin, being the gentleman he is, walked her to her car. It wasn't a long walk, but it was the best he could do. He ended their meeting with a tight hug and one last laugh, before watching her drive home. Knowing she was safe and happy, he headed home himself.