Not Your Typical Prom

Chapter Nineteen

“Sorry I’m late,” I frown apologetically and he shrugs.

“That’s okay. We haven’t done much anyway.”

“Oh okay that’s good I guess.”

Cole didn’t reply and we sat in silence. I picked at my nail polish in the desperation to have something to do.

“Do you want to get started,” I said after a few moments of silence.

Cole nodded and with Ms Garcia’s permission, we left the classroom to find a quiet place to work. We headed back to the run down playground and I sat on the edge of the slide, looking over to Cole who sat down on the swing.

“Did Ms Garcia specify what we need to have on the project?” I asked and Cole shrugged.

“We basically just have to continue with that journal and keep writing facts and then in the end turn it into an essay on human nature/behaviour.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Huh,” I mused “that’s not very hard.”

“No,” Cole agreed “it isn’t.”

I looked down at my shoes, awkwardly and Cole began to swing back and forth on the swing. He looked strangely adorable sitting on a piece of playground equipment designed for kids under the age of 10.

He was slouched forward and his hair fell into his eyes artfully. He wore his usual hoodie, jeans and converse but I couldn’t help but admire how well he was able to pull it off.

“Like what you see?” a voice asked and I jumped, blushing as Cole smirked at me.

“I-I wasn’t-” I began and Cole laughed.

“Chill. I know, you have a boyfriend, it’s okay – I was just messing with you,” he shook his head, laughter in his eyes and I smiled stiffly, feeling like a bucket of cold water had been poured over me.

I did have a boyfriend. A very cute and loyal one too. Yet here I was, admiring another guy – someone I wasn’t even supposed to like who I’d somehow started to consider my friend.

This wasn’t good.

No one could know!

Shaking my head, I put on my bitchiest voice. “Don’t ever say stuff like that again!”

Cole looked momentarily stunned before he narrowed his eyes. “Woah there princess, learn to take a joke!”

“I can take a joke, thank you very much!”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

“Whatever. I don’t have to prove anything to you anyway.”

He frowned but didn’t say anything and I instantly felt bad for what I had said. He had said it as a joke.

“I-um…sorry,” I muttered and Cole snorted.

“Scarlett Anderson – apologising to me? What has the world come to?” he gave me a look of fake horror and I laughed slightly.

“I really am. I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”

“You mean, other than the obvious?” he joked, smiling at me sweetly. I could see his slightly uneven but white teeth framed by pink lips.

 He looked so beautiful in that very second. I blushed and looked away, ashamed of myself for thinking that.

You have a boyfriend, I reminded myself.

“Ha ha,” I said sarcastically and he laughed.

“But seriously…is everything okay?” Cole asked sombrely.

“Yeah, yeah,” I shook my head “I’m just…yeah…I’m okay.”

“No. Actually I can tell it’s not all okay. Tell me what’s wrong!” he demanded and I sighed.

“It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“I don’t know. My life I guess.”

Cole raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“My mother…and my father…and Brandon and the whole pressure of prom and…”

“One at a time. Tell me one at a time.”

“My mother…she isn’t too bad but then, I don’t know, she’s always so busy, you know? And I don’t know, she never really comes home or spends time with me and when she does talk to me, it’s always about superficial stuff like being prom queen and clothes. It’s never about how I’m feeling or my grades.”

I sneaked a look at Cole and he was watching me, completely focused. I continued.

“As for my father, he’s outta the picture anyway. And Brandon…I mean, he’s great but I don’t know…” I trailed off “there’s something that doesn’t feel right when I’m with him.”

Cole hummed and gestured for me to continue.

“And prom! Don’t even get me started on prom! I am so stressed about it honestly and even though I have my dress and shoes and a date and even though I know I’m probably gonna win the crown…I don’t know…there’s something off about that as well. It just feels…so rushed and it’s like I haven’t had a moment to enjoy the fact that I am in my senior year, soon to be graduating or that I have gotten everything I wanted. Something just feels…weird.”

I looked at Cole for a reaction and he was just staring at the ground, frowning.

“Well…” I prompted.

“Take a deep breath, Scar,” he said.

I ignored the warm feeling in my tummy when he called me ‘Scar’ and inhaled.

“And now let it out,” Cole spoke.

I exhaled.

“Feel better?”

I nodded slightly.

“Good. And Scar, I think, whatever happens, you’ll work through it,” he said sincerely. “And as for things feeling ‘off’ as you put it, I think you just need some time to settle. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay despite whatever happens.”

I sighed and came and sat down in the swing next to him.

“Thank you, Cole. Really,” I sighed and looked over at him. He didn’t say much but I saw his cheeks flush red. Biting my lip, I looked down so he wouldn’t see the smile forming on my face.

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled and I resisted the urge to coo.

We both sat in silence until it was time to leave.

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A / N : woah guys hi. so another update and omg its gonna be christmas! are you guys excited? i don’t know how many more updates i will be able to post in between now and christmas ((i hope at least one or two)) but know that i am aiming to finish this book by mid or end january, depending on how things go. i haven’t  really been able to plan how many more chapters i want but i’m thinking around 8-10 maybe? or less! i don’t know!! but not too long now i promise.

another thing; thank you all for 3k+ reads! you all continue to amaze me with your support and i honestly didn’t expect to get so far and anyone who is currenly reading this, please know that ily and i appreciate the fact that you are taking time out to read my book! thank you all so much <3