Third Wheel | EDITING

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The next two weeks pass by quickly, everything happening like a whirlwind all at once.

Belle was still mad and I couldn't blame her because so was I. Neither of us attempted to reconcile and we decided to leave it alone until it fixed itself up, whenever that was.

I found myself spending more time with Renee, Shelly, and Nathan instead of Belle and Tony; a weirdly refreshing taste. We had hung out occasionally before but the familiarity with hanging out with Belle and Tony was something I had ended up coming back to. Yet, instead of third-wheeling and occasionally feeling like I was interrupting a moment, being able to talk about not only cheer but things that went on in my life seemed like a blessing in disguise.

Gray and I, on the other hand, choose to keep our "something" a secret. Mutually, we decided on not making it known yet; especially since I never officially told Belle about it too.

I felt bad, knowing that she shouldn't have to find out her best friend was dating someone through school gossip.

I found myself texting him more though after exchanging numbers.

He surprisingly let me be myself, not talking over me or cutting me off. The way he actually seemed interested in my day instead of being occupied doing somethings else was enough to keep me satisfied.

When we did go out, our dates were simple and somewhere not really populated by high schoolers our age.

It gave us the quiet we both needed from our social, hectic daily lives while being able to enjoy the presence of one another.

We were each other's breath of fresh air.

•••

I groaned as I looked at the clock displaying the ungodly hour of 5 A.M.

It was already Monday and I was more than 100% sure that school would be a pain in the ass.

I checked my notifications, knowing that I was the first awake again, I Facetimed Grayson.

We had made it our habit to FaceTime each other and work out together before we parted ways in the hell hole known as high school.

"Morning princess." A voice called out on the other line, yawing.

"Morning." I reply, "Get up sleepyhead."

Like normal people, Grayson liked to sleep in and began making it a habit to constantly complain about being too tired after practice to wake up this early before reminding me that I was his only exception.

Soon, we fell into our little schedule of me getting ready with makeup and him catching up on the homework he puts off.

I make my way to the bathroom and set the phone upright as I look into the mirror.

Jesus Christ, I looked dead.

"Ugh." I groaned, "The only reason you're calling me princess right now is that your contacts aren't in. I look like what Snow White would've looked like realistically after eating the apple."

I ponder a bit, wondering if I should listen to his second statement considering how red my cheeks were. Reluctantly, I face the camera to my bare face and tell him to 'fuck off' at his smirk.

"Are you wearing makeup today?" He asks, attempting a new math problem. I've learned to know that Gray didn't care for me with makeup on, preferring a bare-faced me instead of my 'cheer glammed up' face.

It was nice to hear but of course, however, I would've never done my appearance based on what a guy thought of me.

"I have practice today, you know how I'm supposed to look," I tell him as I sigh, "Cheering while looking a bit dead isn't exactly the peppy spirit everyone wants from the captain."