The Idea of You

fourth.

The school was a weird place to me. I was definitely popular, it's hard not to be when you're related to Romeo, but I didn't feel super popular. I didn't go to many parties, and at the parties I did go to I showed up late and left early. I didn't have many people who I texted on a consistent basis outside of Chelsea, Roe, and Bobby (Kim from AP calculus was an honorable mention, but mostly because we studied together). I did attend a lot of school events and I'm really friendly and sweet to everyone, unless they give me a reason not to be, and not to sound too big-headed, but I knew I was attractive. So those might all be the reasons why or the fact that my parents were the wealthiest people in town.

 Whatever the case may be, people loved to talk to me, but no one wanted to know me and it left me feeling out of place. For example, the fact that Austin Vandenhaute cannot shut up about a party he wants to throw next weekend, that he knows I won't be attending is bewildering to me. And since when did people get so comfortable telling everyone about their drug usage? I think I could've lived without hearing his story about tripping on acid a month ago.

"We're gonna get Howie's older brother to buy the alcohol, he's also the one that rented the Villa for us," he continued as we walked down the hall trying to avoid bumping into people.

"Does no one find it strange that Howie's twenty-three-year-old brother happily throws parties for high schoolers and just like, flirts with the senior girls?" I asked raising a brow to which Austin made a face at.

"Yeah...But he's essential to the plan so we deal with it, the girls all know he's weird by now. They chat him up and get on his good side and we benefit from it. Win-win." He said with a bright smile as he looped his hands around the straps of his book bag.

"I guess so. He's nice and all, just really weird," I explained as we approached my locker.

"You should come, Howie won't be able to die happy if you don't," he said as he leaned against the locker adjacent to mine. Ah, and the reason is revealed.

"How come Howie doesn't ask me to come if he wants me to go?"

"Ah, you know Howie. He's shy."

"He wasn't shy when he asked to bring me to Ruth's Chris a month ago."

"Well yeah, not until you turned him down in front of all of us."

"I had to wash my hair that Saturday."

"How long could it possibly take to wash your hair?"

"Washday takes me hours, my curls are very needy."

Austin rolled his eye dramatically before his eyes fell on something behind me. "Just try to make it, Howie would be really happy, I'll catch you later though," he said talking much faster than he was before turning around and walking towards the front doors of the school. I pulled my jacket from my locker and began swapping out the books I would need for tonight's homework when I felt someone standing way too close to my back.

"Can I help you?" I said before turning around and looking up at the boy standing over me. My face instantly turned up in disgust as he smiled down at me.

"Hey Princess, good thing I caught you. Where you going?" He asked as he put a hand on the locker behind me trapping me between him and them.

"If Romeo sees you talking to me he'll flip."

"Romeo left, so did his bitch Bobby. It's just us."

As people walked by they stared as if seeing something interesting, or confusing which I guess it kind of was. But no one stopped to intervene, why would they? Everyone acts like Cash is a serial killer.