Moira

(4) That's when you use your fast pass bitch.

"All you have to do is tell him what the bracelet says." She says.

"That should be easy," I say while Lilac pulls into the parking lot.

We step into school, and I can tell some are buzzing with excitement. I glance at the commons area and see there's a long line. At the front are Alex and Matt.

"So all of those people are trying to claim my bracelet?" I ask.

"You must have left a really good impression." She says, smirking.

"We danced, that's it," I say. "What about you?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"We exchanged numbers but decided to keep our identities a secret. It's just more fun like that." She says.

The bell rings, and everyone in line groans. "Don't worry. They'll be back at lunch." I hear someone say.

"What if someone guesses the word?" I mumble, feeling worried. "I mean, I just want the bracelet. They can have him..."

"You could just buy a new one, right?" Lilac asks.

I awkwardly laugh and say, "It was actually my mom's bracelet."

Lilac pauses, knowing I rarely talk about my parents. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She says.

"It's fine," I say, shrugging.

"Do you want to line up during lunch?" She asks.

"Really?" I ask.

"If we get there early, we can just get it and have lunch." She explains.

"Sounds good. I'll see you later." I say, stepping into my first class.

I see the teacher switched the seating chart, so I sit in my new spot. I glance at the person who sits beside me and see it's Alex.

"Rose," Alex says, playfully glaring at me.

"Alex," I say, faking disgust.

We both laugh, and I decide if I should ask for my bracelet. But the teacher started explaining our new speech topic, causing me to push back the thought.

Half an hour later, she asks us to find someone we've never partnered with. I glance at my school friend, Maria, and frown at her.

She pretends a tear is rolling down her cheek, and I look around the class. I see a few girls walking toward Alex, and I move out of my desk.

"Rose?" I hear Alex say behind me.

I turn back around and raise an eyebrow. "Will you be my partner?" He asks.

I notice the girls behind him look disappointed and feel bad. "Uh, are you sure? You have like a party behind you to partner with..." I say.

"Please." He says, his eyes pleading.

"Okay... But only because you look desperate, and I'll feel bad for abandoning you." I say, sitting back down. The girls move to find someone else to work with, leaving us alone.

"It's just that whenever people want to partner up with me, they want to take pictures or get an autograph. I'm flattered, but I want to get actual assignments done in time..." He says, looking a little tired.

I nod, understanding partner work isn't always fun. "Don't worry. I don't want any of that from you. I want an A on this speech." I respond.

"Do you have a specific topic you want to present?" He asks.

"Not really. It just has to be a mistake you learned from, right?" I ask, grabbing my computer.

"That's going to be difficult for me. I'm perfect." He boasts.

I roll my eyes and say, "We can always make something up. They won't know if we're lying."

Alex's phone vibrates on his desk, and he checks the notification. He frowns, and I ask, "Everything okay?"

"Oh ya, you didn't go to the dance! Well, I met this girl, and I thought we had a connection." He says.

"A connection?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't explain it, but there was something there. She was also one of the best dancers I've ever seen. I want to get to know her." He says.

"Why don't you just find her then?" I ask, biting a grin. I wonder why he doesn't know who. It's just so obvious it was you he danced with.

He rolls his eyes and says, "It was a masked dance... She also dropped a bracelet, and I want to return it."

"Actually... That bracelet-" The bell rings, cutting me off.

"See you tomorrow Rose." He says, flashing me a smile before leaving.

<~~~~~~~~~~>

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