The Newcomer (SEMI-ON HOLD)

Chapter Ten • pt 1

Preparation for Foundation Day Fundraiser is the most hectic event year after year; more hectic than prom and homecoming combined. Mostly because the success not only affects us, but the charities the money go to.

The after school set ups and meetings every society presidents do on a daily basis gets draining and consuming, add that it's only 2 weeks after homecoming. It's an ongoing circle of preparations and set ups in the beginning of every year, especially for the senior students.

Ever since last week, I can't remember a time when I was able to breathe. With the preparations, the set ups and staying until nearly 7pm every single day to supervise the freshmen and sophomores, my life has completely gone out the window. Apart from fundraising preparations, I haven't done anything related to college applications.

In a sense, it's been a great week keeping Charlotte off my back. Ever since her party, we haven't spoken, and because she's council President, she goes back and forth from one organisation to another to make sure everything is set. Even when she's in our org room, she's too busy making sure our booth is organised from size to estimated profit to look at me. Thank god!

It is the best favour Charlotte has done for me, ironically. It helps me focus more on Jacky, rather than always peering behind my shoulder to see if Charlotte is watching or not.

That's another stupid thing. The whole preparation kept me from actually seeing Jacky. Homecoming was easy because we always see each other while setting up, but this time we're in two completely different worlds. Dominic is very particular about his show, claiming there will be important people in his crowd, so he wants it to go 'perfectly'. He is rehearsing with them at lunch time, study hall and even dismissal ever single day.

The only time I see her in school is in class, and the last we actually had a proper conversation was the Saturday before all the fiasco happened. She went to the Alley that evening while I was on my shift, and I earned a few teases from Claudia like last time.

"Go. Go. Go!" I shoved Claudia away from the counter when I see Jacky and Kennedy enter the premises. The last time she saw Jacky with me, she made very inappropriate comments. She's humiliating! She cackles before going over to the shoe rentals to scold Angelina. "Can I help?" I ask innocently.

"Yes." Kennedy starts. "How do I get Dom off my back? He's been texting me since Wednesday even when I agreed to do the fashion show!" She threw her phone frustratedly on the counter, but I caught it just before it skid off the edge.

"Jesus—" I slide back to her. She fumbles trying to catch her phone. "Does he have a thing for you or something?"

Kennedy grimaced, leaning back. "Dominic is a gay 21 year old man, Kim!"

"Why is he in a high school if he's 21?" Jacky asks her.

"He's the coordinator for the org— Anyway, no!" Kennedy responds frantically, making Jacky smirk. Oh man, that smirk is a beautiful type of torture. "We just got back from the fitting, and he's spamming my inbox for next week's schedule." She rolls her eyes. "I need to let off some steam."

"One lane, coming right up!" I chuckled. I punched in some numbers on the computer and the receipt printed out.

Kennedy turns to Jacky with a cocky grin. "Loser buys the winner buffalo wings?"

Jacky's eyes light up. "Deal!"

"Don't be fooled by that little smile. She will destroy you!" I point out.

Jacky laughs while Kennedy shoots me a confused look. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Kim." She says in a mischievous tone.

For a Saturday, it turned out to be a very slow night. Customers come and go quietly that I spent most of my shift watching Jacky continuously destroy Kennedy round after round. She looks so delightedly as Kennedy raves in disbelief but apart from that, they look like they're having a great time!