bubblegum - quackityhq

o n e

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SCARLET'S POV
the school cafeteria scene

"Birdie! How the hell do you expect to be accepted as a 'cool kid' if you won't even bother with going to this party?!" My best friend, Amelia, yelled at me with the dumb nickname she's given me since 6th grade.

I rolled my eyes and lowered my head into the hand I was resting on as I took a sip out of my chocolate milk, "It's just not my thing, Mel. Parties only consist of sweaty dancing and lots of alcohol—that isn't really something I'd pick over binge watching Gilmore Girls on a Friday evening." I lifted my head from my hand to open the bag of M&M's that were in front of me as my friend babbled on from her seat on our cafeteria table.

"But it's not everyday THE Florence McKenna would ever invite us to one of her parties. It's destiny," she dreamily said as she put her hand on her heart in awe.

I snorted, "she only invited us cause she stepped on my shoe and felt bad about it. It was a pity-invite."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "it's still an invite nonetheless! We are going! I'm gonna drive home with you today after school so we can get ready and go together," she beamed at me.

I smiled, "fine, whatever." The bell rang. "I gotta go to class, Mel. Au revoir mon amour [goodbye, my love]," I waved at her as I sipped the last of my milk.

She got up too and smiled, "Arrivederci, mia stella [goodbye, my star]."

We parted paths as I made my way to math class. I didn't have any friends in this class so I just lay low the entire time hoping the teacher wouldn't call on me.

As i was turning the corner with my M&M's in hand, I bumped into someone. It wasn't a hard shove, but I guess it was aggressive enough for them to completely go off on me. I was taken aback by the sudden movement so my mind hadn't processed who the person was yet. The only thing I had noticed in the moment was a loud noise of multiple clinks on the ground—this person made me drop my M&M's.

"Can you watch where you're fucking going?!" The guy screeched at me in a condescending tone.

That fucking voice.

I closed my eyes in annoyance as I then opened them up again to be stared dead in the eye by none other than Alex.

"Sorry Alexis, you're just so short and small that I couldn't even see you!" I passively commented as I bent down to pick up the M&M's from the ground, "you made me drop my candy you fucktard."

I heard him scoff as he let out a quiet "what the hell" under his breath.

"Maybe if you weren't so obsessed with shoving your nose in food all the time you'd finally be able to see the shit ahead of you," he rudely snarked.

Ouch.

The bell rang again, indicating that I had a minute left to get to class. I threw away handful of M&M's i was holding.

"I would hate to have to end this lovely convo but I have to get going," I rolled my eyes as I swiftly went around him and jogged up the stairs, "you owe me!" I yelled back from behind my shoulder as I continued up the stairs.

Fuck Alex. Fuck him and his fucking ugly ass hair. Fuck his eyes for staring down at me like that. Fuck his lips for yelling at me and for how much I want to just lean in and kis—

What the hell Scar, snap out of it you bitch.

What didn't help was how throughout class, I was imagining my hands being ran through his soft brown hair under the infamous blue beanie of his and how soft his lips looked when he would yell some shitty comeback at me. Maybe I had a slight attraction towards Alex, but I would never be caught dead confessing that to him.

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