Popularity Contest

10

    I wake up the next day angry at my own brain. I've never liked dreaming, it's something I can't have any control over and I hate that. Especially when my own private movie is something that I don't even want to think about. Like having sex with Wyatt Langford.
    Of course I've had sexual dreams before, I'm a teenager with hormones but they usually always consist of celebrity crushes or people from school that I've never even spoken to. Having flashes of the images my imagination came up with while sitting in a car with the person starring in them is way different.
    I do my best to focus on anything else but I learn that Wyatt isn't really a morning person and he's not as talkative as usual. The only time he speaks is to ask if he should pick up the other girls.
    "No, that's ok," I tell him. I feel bad enough that he's taken up the job of being my chauffeur, he doesn't need to drive everyone else.
    I didn't think about what it means to show up at school getting out of Wyatt's car until we pull into the parking lot. There's a bunch of people standing around, it's like the before school hang out spot. I've never hung out here because the bus drops us off at the front of the school.
    Heads turn in our direction when we open our doors and get out. I hear whistles and some jovial shouts and try to convince myself that they're not aimed at us but when I look up I see Wyatt doing a bro shake with some guy and the girl next to him gives me the stink eye.
    By lunchtime I can only imagine the rumors that will make it back to me.
    Wyatt comes around the car and slings his arm over my shoulders, something he's never done. "Want me to walk you to class?" He asks with his lopsided grin.
    I duck out from under his arm and take a few steps away. "Well, we're going to the same classroom."
    "So that's a yes?" He cocks his head to the side and I swear his eye twinkles.
    "Sure," I say, confusion in my voice.
    He reaches for my hand and hooks my arm through his. As we start walking away, someone behind us yells "Langford, you dog," and someone whistles again.
    Wyatt just laughs, shakes his head and flips them off without turning around.
    "You know, that's why people think you're a douchebag," I say plainly.
    I feel his arm tense and he turns his head to look at me, eyebrows scrunched.
    "You played right into them. They assumed that because we came to school together, there's something between us and you didn't do anything to prove them wrong." I pull my arm out of his. "You actually solidified their thoughts and I'm sure rumors about me have already made it inside the building."
    Wyatt slows down as we approach the door and pulls on his ear. "You're right," he practically whispers. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just second nature. It's what they expect from me."
    "So what?" I ask, simply. "What do you expect from you?"
    There's not time for him to answer because as soon as we walk inside, Eva is standing in front of us. Her smile says everything I need to know. It's too big, like her teeth are physically holding back the words she wants to say.
    "I heard you guys came to school together," she says. Her voice is so high she sounds like a cartoon character.
    "I just picked her up," Wyatt interjects before I can respond. "It was a free ride, no kind of payment necessary."
    I feel myself blush and Eva's eyebrows hit her hairline. She looks at me and says, "That's not exactly what I heard."
    "Of course it's not," I say, already exhausted and the day just started. "A rumor is never the truth, that's the definition of rumor."
    I head in the direction of the band room, not checking if anyone is following me but Wyatt and Eva quickly catch up, flanking me on either side.
    "I'm sorry, I'll set it straight," Wyatt says.
    I shrug. "You can try, but people have already made up their minds about me. Just another Wyatt groupie."
    The words are out before I really think about them. I hope I didn't upset him again but it's true. Being associated with someone like Wyatt paints me in a different light no matter what the truth is.
    "People know who you are now," Eva says, trying to make me feel better but only achieving the opposite.
    "Good for me," I say, walking into the classroom and directly to our locker.
    I hear Wyatt mumble an apology behind me and feel his absence as soon as he walks away.
    "What is going on?" Eva asks, smile gone, worry in her voice. "I've heard you spent the night at his house from one person and you gave him head in the parking lot this morning from another."
    I cringe at her words and fumble the lock, messing up the combination and having to start over. "Nothing is going on, none of that is true. I hate this school."
    "It's every school," Eva mumbles and I shoot her a dirty look. "I know what you mean though. They've got nothing better to do than make things up."
    "Well, Wyatt didn't exactly help. He made a spectacle out of us on the walk in," I say, opening the locker and grabbing my case, not waiting for Eva before walking to my seat.
    I was feeling good about me and Wyatt's "thing" until now. It's put a haze over my brain that I can't shake. I walk through the rest of the day like a zombie, barely paying attention to anything until lunch.
    I get to the table and I can tell the girls are walking on eggshells. They must have heard more rumors and are trying to figure out if it's better to tell me or not. I ignore them and pull out my phone, hoping mindlessly scrolling through social media will take my mind off things.
    I have a text from Wyatt. I internally roll my eyes and smile at the same time but on the outside I'm emotionless.
    W: Figured it would be better if we didn't eat together. If you still need a ride home I can pick you up in the teachers lot.
    I can't help it, I chuckle. Instead of just dropping me altogether because I can't handle something as small as a rumor, he's willing to accommodate me and make me feel comfortable however he can. Is being friends with me really worth all this?
    I should say no, I'll ride the bus but my fingers type out "ok" and hit send before I really mean to.

    For the rest of the day, I avoid the whispers and stares that come from most of the girls I encounter. New gossip is what keeps these halls circulating and I know that it's just how high school works. It doesn't mean it's not annoying.
    After the final bell, I stand at my locker and pretend that I'm doing something but really I've restacked my books three times. Eva texted me and asked where I was but I didn't text back. I'm sure she can read between the lines without me having to tell her flat out.
    Once it seems like mostly everyone is gone, I make my way to the faculty parking lot. Wyatt's car is parked three rows back with his windows down and music playing. He turns it down when we make eye contact through the windshield.
    I get to his car and open the door, realizing this is the first time I've opened it myself, and climb in.
    "How was your day, honey?" Wyatt asks in a cheery tone.
    I look over at him and can tell he's seconds from laughing. "Not funny," I say, doing my best to hold in my own laugh.
    We both crack and let ourselves giggle.
    "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, the guys on the team told me I should lock you down because girls like you stay loyal." He casually puts his hand on my head rest and backs the car out.
    "Gee, thanks?"
    Wyatt smiles and switches into drive. "I'd say it's a compliment. But I also told them nothing was going on between us. Just friends."
    Relief and hurt mix together like a whirlpool in my chest. That's what I wanted him to do so why am I upset?
    "Thank you," I squeak out.
    He waves a hand in the air dismissively before making a right hand turn. "Most of the team is boo'd up anyway, I'm sure they just want me to join their monogamy club."
    "Speaking of the team, no practice today?"
    He nods. "Starts at 3:00."
    The clock on his radio says 2:43. "You didn't have to drive me home, I could've taken the bus."
    "I wanted to," he says. "I knew you had a bad day, it didn't need to get worse."
    He could've stayed at the school. He could be warming up with the team or at least hanging out with them. But he wanted to drive me home.
    A warmth spreads through me that I wish would go away. This is just his way of making up to me for this morning and the rumors he created. That's all.
    We get to my house and this time he pulls into the driveway. I open my door and thank him, grabbing my stuff and getting out.
    "So, should I or shouldn't I pick you up in the morning?" He asks, tentatively.
    I blow air out of my mouth making a piece of my hair float up and drop back down. "At this point I guess it doesn't matter. One time was enough for people to make their own stories, might as well give them something to talk about."
    "Wow, you hate the bus that bad?" He asks, smiling.
    "Exactly," I say, glad that's the reason he believes.
    I close the door and start walking up the front walk. Halfway to the door I stop and turn around, trotting back to his window. He rolls it down.
    "Do you think you could get Jack to dance with Eva tomorrow night?" I had almost completely forgotten about homecoming. I was dreading it before, now I'm thinking about ways to convince the girls I'm too sick to go.
    "Of course, that'll be easy," he says. "Do you have a date?"
    "You asked me that already," I say, feeling my mouth go dry.
    "What did you say?"
    He doesn't even remember asking me. Typical.
    "Yeah, I'm going with Eva, Kam and Frankie," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
    He nods his head like that's the answer he was expecting.
    "Do you have a date?"
    "No," he says, too quickly.
    "Shocking," I say, turning around and doing my best to seem uninterested but unable to keep a smile off my face. If Wyatt Langford asks me to homecoming right now I'm not sure that my legs will be able to hold me up.
    I'm almost to my front door when he finally speaks again. "See you in the morning, QB."
    I hate how disappointed I am.