m a d e l y n
"No, 'cause I was talking to Cassie earlier, and she said the exact same thing."
I sat down at my usual seat in the Student Council room. It was five minutes before the meeting was going to start, and I couldn't help but overhear the conversation to my left.
"Right? I'm pretty sure it's that Marc Jacobs perfume, I forget what it's called," Viv commented. "I was talking to Trav the other day, and he was close by, and I could smell it."
Who were they talking about?
"Hey, Maddie," Jillian called me.
"Yeah?" I turned to the two, pretending like I only tuned in when my name came up.
"Are we going crazy or is Nathan dating someone?" Viv asked as the two leaned forward. "We know you and him are like best friends, so you're probably our safest bet."
Oh, God. I knew warning bells should've rung when I heard them talking about Marc Jacobs perfumes and my perfume was from Marc Jacobs.
Mental note, find a new perfume. It was a good thing I decided to try something new today or they might've caught on.
"As far as I know, he isn't seeing anyone," I shrugged, trying my hardest not to make it obvious that I was lying. "What made you ask?"
"Well, for one, a few people have noticed that he smells like that one Marc Jacobs perfume," Jillian pointed out. "Haven't you noticed?"
"Hmm," I feigned confusion. "I didn't notice. But you know what? It was his mom's birthday last month, and my mom gave her some perfume, and she said she's been loving it. Maybe the scent gets on his clothes because she's always using it."
That was a big fat lie. Everyone who knew Quinn knew she liked her Chloé perfume and her Chloé perfume only. But these two didn't know that. My mom got her a spa day for her birthday.
"Okay, but what about the fact that he stopped flirting with literally everyone?" Viv continued. "It's a little weird, no?"
I nodded. I had to agree to things like that or else it would be a little too obvious I was covering for him. "That is a little weird."
"Exactly!" Viv exclaimed. "Honestly, I feel so bad for Andrea. He just dropped her last month and moved on like that."
"I bet whoever he's dating is just a rebound," Jillian concluded. "Did you see how into Andrea he was? Like, it's practically impossible that he moved on that fast."
Ouch. I was 99% sure I wasn't just a rebound to him, he loved me, after all. But fuck, that 1% was killing me.
"Or maybe he isn't dating anyone," I reasoned. "Just because he isn't flirting with anyone doesn't mean he's with someone, maybe it's just a part of the moving on process. Also, he and Andrea dated for like two weeks, and it's been over a month since they broke up, I doubt there's a need for a rebound."
Right? ...Was I just trying to convince myself at this point?
"Maybe," Viv nodded. "Anyway, are you gonna watch the basketball tryouts after the meeting? I'm sure your brother and Nathan are gonna be there, and if he's dating someone, she'll probably be watching."
"You two wanna go there and try to figure out who he might be dating?" I clarified. I wasn't sure if I was picking up what she was putting down.
Jillian nodded. "We were talking about it earlier. Wanna watch with us?"
"I guess," I shrugged. "I was gonna watch anyway. Are you staying the whole time?"
The two nodded.
"Okay, the agenda for today is just making sure all the plans are set for Homecoming on Saturday. We shouldn't take longer than an hour. Everyone sit," our Student Council President, Aaliyah, announced. "Yanko will be recording the minutes as usual."
Viv and Jillian redirected their attention to Aaliyah, and that ended the conversation.
When I say Aaliyah Richards was born to lead, I mean it. The amount of work she put into her job as President of the Student Council had me feeling exhausted for her. She was the definition of servant-leader, and she was efficient at it too. I wouldn't be surprised if she became the actual president one day.
She said one hour, and we were done in forty-five minutes because she had everything planned to the T, and that meant all we had to do was to go through things step-by-step and check things off without having to worry, not to mention the contingency plans.
"I know Maddie and Kai are both not coming to the Homecoming dance, but thanks for helping so much with the planning," Aaliyah flashed us a smile. "And everyone else, I can't wait to see our hard work pay-off with you guys on Saturday."
People hummed in agreement before slowly starting to disperse. Viv and Jillian walked with me out the room and towards the gym. The three of us were talking about their dresses for the dance.
"Oh my God, I was gonna do pink, but it's a good thing I chose the green dress or else we would've been wearing practically the same thing," Jillian noted. "Plus, pink is literally amazing on you."
"There's this cute blue dress I was gonna wear, but I'm not coming, so I guess you two will just have to see it some other time," I told them.
"I hate that you're not going," Viv sulked. "You're gonna miss out on all the fun."
It was true. I was so excited to go too, but I couldn't miss that event on Saturday. "If only I could ditch, but I can't. At least I'll be there with Archer and Nathan. Plus, this means I have literally no excuse to skip Prom."
"You better not! Jillian and I would never forgive you," Viv declared. "Anyway, enough of that. Let's go find out who Nathan's mystery girl is."
Tryouts were already underway when the three of us got to the gym, but if my watch was right and my brother wasn't wrong this morning, he usually wasn't when it came to basketball, it was only about twenty minutes since it started.
Nate grinned when he saw me and waved, nudging at Archer before pointing at me. My brother waved too. I waved back at both of them, throwing a good 'ol thumbs up to show my support for them.
"Okay, genuinely, I thought they were waving at me and then I realized you were beside me," Jillian laughed. "Girl, I wouldn't know what to do if they were actually waving at me."
"I'm so glad you said that because I literally thought they were waving at me too, and I was gonna say the same thing," Viv confessed.
The three of us burst out into a fit of laughter.
"They're just like any other guys," I reminded the two. "If they hear what you just said, I just know it would've fed their egos even more."
"Well, then we'll make sure they never hear!" Jillian attested. Viv nodded in agreement.
A laugh escaped my lips as I turned my attention back to the court.
Archer and Nate both didn't have to try out for the team again because players keep their positions unless they get kicked, put on probation or quit. Either way, they liked to try out with the new guys to see potential. I think my brother was extra hands on this year because he was captain.
I saw a few familiar faces on the court aside from my brother and my boyfriend. A few of their friends on the team were there too, and my eyes couldn't help but land on Mark Whitlock, the guy Nate was convinced was trying to kill me with peanut M&Ms.
If I wasn't so damn in love with Nate and Alexia was right about Mark having a crush on me, he'd have a decent chance. Too bad neither of those were true and I was perfectly happy with my relationship.
No matter how much I tried to convince Viv and Jillian throughout the tryouts that there was no mystery girl, they wouldn't budge. They were so set on the idea. They were also set on the idea that AJ Lowe was the man of their dreams.
I was just lucky they knew I was close to Nate or they would've seen that wave when he spotted me and tunnel visioned on that.
"I have to go," I excused myself when the tryouts ended. "My brother hates waiting."
"See you tomorrow!" they waved goodbye as I walked away.
Nate and Archer caught up to me on my way out of the gym. They were talking about something before they started walking with me. By then, they just walked silently.
"You guys did good today," I commented. They always did good, but a few words of affirmation never hurt anybody.
"We thought you wouldn't make it," Archer admitted. "You weren't there when it started, and we figured you decided not to come anymore."
"Admit it, you were nervous when you didn't see me there," I teased them.
"Obviously," Nate threw a sweaty arm over my shoulder, and I swatted it away immediately. He chuckled. "We needed our lucky charm to be there to cheer us on."
I sighed dramatically, "I'm nothing but a superstition to you two."
Arched shoved me playfully. "Shut up, you little shit. We all know how bad Nate and I played in the sixth grade when you got sick and didn't come to watch us."
"What can I say?" I shrugged. "I drive the two of you to success."
"We're inflating her ego again," Nate rolled his eyes.
"Should've just said no when she assumed that we were nervous," my brother agreed.
I scoffed. "Ungrateful little shits."
All three of us burst out laughing, finally making it to our cars and getting ready to leave. "I'll call you later for help with Physics homework, Dyl."
He nodded and got into his car as Archer and I got in mine. Archer usually drove us to and from school, but his car was getting a quick repair so we were using mine, and I offered to drive for once.
My brother zoomed to his room once we got home, probably longing for a nice shower after sweating from the tryouts. I seriously had no idea why he tried so hard with tryouts every year, maybe to impress the girls or maybe to intimidate the new guys.
Either way, he was stinky and in desperate need of a shower.
I had started to do my Physics homework during the weekend, but I gave up about half-way. I did that cursed Pre-Calc homework instead. If I played my cards right, Nate would do my Physics stuff for me.
I busied myself with other stuff, finishing the work I had to do to prepare for my Statistics quiz that was announced last meeting. Mr. Senato told us it'd be easy, but you never know the things that come out in a math quiz.
When I thought it was enough time and I'd finished studying for Statistics, I turned my laptop on and called Nate, waiting for his face to pop up on screen.
"Sorry, moved to my computer," he answered the call. "What did you need help with?"
"So I answered like half of my homework the other day, but I was hoping..." I trailed off.
"What do I get out of answering your homework for you?" he raised an eyebrow.
I thought for a while. "A kiss!"
A shocked look appeared on his face as he registered what I said. "A kiss?"
"Two kisses?" I tried.
He shook his head, waiting for me to up the number.
"Ten kisses?" I bargained.
He shook his head again.
"My first born child," I deadpanned.
Nate choked on the apple he was chewing on. Coughing, he conceded. "Well, I sure hope that first born child and all your other children will be mine too, but I think I'm good with ten kisses for now."
"I thought so," I grinned. "I'll send you the homework and what I did already. Will you check it for me too?"
"Okay," he nodded as I sent everything to him. "What are you gonna do while I answer this for you?"
A piece of paper sticking out of my school bag caught my eye. "I'll do my Art homework. I just finished studying for Stats before I called."
"Yeah?" I could see him pull up the homework I sent him, his eyes darting around his computer screen. "What do you need to do for Art?"
"I'm gonna draw you!" I decided.
He looked up from the paper on his desk. "Me?"
"Mhm," I hummed in response. "We're supposed to sketch something alive and as realistic as we can, a person, a pet, if you're really gonna argue about it, a plant. That's the only instruction, really. It can be up close, far away, with a live reference or a photo, doesn't matter. We're going to submit it after a week."
"So... you're gonna draw me?" he repeated, as if he couldn't believe what I had just said.
"That's right," I affirmed. "Now do my homework so I can start drawing."
Nate and I worked silently, the only sound coming from the music he played. I think Nate was almost done with my homework and he was going to move on to his after. I continued to sketch, observing how he liked to gently bite his lip when he was concentrating.
As I lightly sketched the contours of his face, a sudden thought popped into my mind, an intrusive one, if you will.
I looked up from my paper and stared at him on the screen for a few seconds. "Pickle?"
"Yes?" he spoke, continuing to write.
"Do you love me?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Of course, I do, Mimi."
"When you say you love me, do you really mean it or are you just saying that to make me feel better because I say it to you?" I wondered.
I heard him put his pencil down as he looked up at me. "What?"
"When you say you love me, do you really mean it?" I repeated.
I didn't like that I was asking the question, but Jillian and Viv's comments about the girl Nate was dating being a rebound echoed in my mind. I knew they didn't mean to cause any harm, but that didn't stop the thoughts.
Nate moved closer to the screen. "Why are you asking me that? Of course, I mean it."
"Good," I smiled to myself. "It's nothing. Go back to what you were doing."
"No," he protested. "Did I do something or say something to make you think I don't love you?"
I shook my head. "No, of course not."
"So why'd you ask, my love?" he frowned.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "Sometimes, I just get an intrusive thought, and I start to wonder if I'm just a rebound to you."
"Don't ever say that," Nate's voice faltered slightly. "I don't ever want you to think that because you're not, and I hate that you even entertain the thought."
"I'm sorry," I sighed.
He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Mimi. Promise me that if you ever feel that way again, you'll tell me, okay? So I can remind you of how wrong you are."
I nodded. "I promise."
"Good, now stop being down," he chastised me. "I don't like seeing you like this, and I hate it even more that I'm the reason."
"You're not the reason," I corrected him. "I just overthink."
"Well, let's not overthink, yeah?" he suggested. "Why don't you show me what you've drawn so far so I can see how talented my girl is."
I grinned and nodded, making the cutest smile appear on Nate's face. "There's that cute smile."
♢♢♢
Author's Note
happy weekend! hope you guys have been doing well <3 this chapter's a little longer than usual to make up for the short chapter 10 lol
usually, this would be the part where i say i'll see you next week and we all go on about our merry ways, but i just wanted to announce that I WILL NOT BE UPDATING THIS BOOOK NEXT WEEK. i have some stuff i have to do all weekend next week, so i'll be very busy preparing for that and actually doing them, hope you understand. rest assured, i'll be back the week after to give you a regularly scheduled update.
♡,
dani :p
Don't pursue a heart that you're not ready to stay committed to. — Unknown