Me and Pandora have successfully made amends after spending hours talking about our . . . likings.
Turns out we both swung the other way after breaking up. And wow, was I right about her being with a Prefect . . . sort of. She has a big massive embarrassing crush on, well, Hana Mayer. Aka the head-girl who was tasked with looking after Pandora since she's a troublemaker.
Yet something's telling me Pandoras causing chaos on purpose to spend more time with her.
Hana was assigned to look after her one day to make sure she doesn't go wild and Pandora ended up falling for her.
I set myself to confess to Ollie after prom this February. If prom gets canceled due to The Hazard? I'll take it as a sign from God.
It can only end two ways. We end up together or we end. No in between.
That's four months from now. Four months of a stable friendship before I risk it all. So for now, I'll pretend I'm not madly in love with my best friend.
***
I was sitting on Molly Blossom's floor with Ollie beside me. Innes didn't come because of . . . stuff. I really hope she's okay.
Molly grabs my shoulders and shakes me back and forth. "We have no school for the next three months!"
"Mhm . . . " I take a sip of water. Four months until prom.
"What should we do?" Ollie asks, looking at me. Four months until I ruin our friendship.
"Wanna watch a movie?" Four months until Molly looks at me disgusted.
"Oh! Oh!" Ollie scrunches his nose in excitement. "Want to plan our prom outfi—"
"There's four months until prom!" I blurted out with such panic, the Blossoms had to double-take me.
Molly raises a brow. "Yeah . . . and?"
I turn red from embarrassment and avoid their gaze. "Well, uh, I'm . . . excited?" Lies.
"Okay . . . let's change the topic then." Ollie was clearly weirded out by me. But a sly smirk quickly takes over. He leans in. "Let's talk about our crushes."
I choke on my water and almost spit it out. Liquid splashes all over my face as I cough at the thought. "Gak— Sorry— Cough cough—"
Molly gives me the side eye. "Yeah, okay you need to be put down. Is your crush really that bad? Because I have an idea who it i—"
"Wow! That's great!" I yell a little too enthusiastically. "Ollie! You go first! Who is your crush?"
His answer would answer my faith. I gulp down my fear, trying to hold a smile, and listen in terror.
He ponders, pursing his lips. "Hm . . . I do have a crush on a classmate."
"Who?!?" Molly giggles.
A bead of sweat rolls down my brow as I uncontrollably tap my fingers on my thigh.
He simply shrugs. "Guess."
"Ooh. Lucille?"
He recoils. "Ew, no!"
"Fifi!"
"Isn't she taken?"
"Sam!"
"No!!!"
"Steph!!!"
Ollie freezes, mid-action. He stops everything and then looks at me, nervous. "Uhh . . . "
"Well?!?" She yells, trying to hold in a tease.
"M-me?!?" I glance at Ollie, who's laughing it off.
" . . . Who's your crush, Molly?"
She narrows her eyes, aware he's changing the subject, but answers anyway. "I don't have one." She held her chin up.
"No way."
"It's true! Everyone's such a loser anyway."
He sighs, tilting his head. "Just admit it."
"I have nothing to admit."
"Then who do you find cute?"
She looks at me all witty. "Your friend is kinda cute. The guy in The Cassius Post."
" . . . Tyler?" I ask, pulling on the collar of my shirt.
"Yeah, him."
Molly and Tyler? Chills creep up my spine as—
"Hey, someones calling you." Ollie points at my pants, my burner phone ringing. I take it out and he blinks. "You gave other people your burner number?"
"Y-yeah . . . "
He nods, looking quite jealous. "Who is that?"
I answer the call and jam the volume up. "Hello—"
'Steph!' Oh my God. It's Tyler. 'Are you alone???'
I look around. The Blossoms aggressively gesture me to lie.
"Yeah? I'm alone . . . " This feels wrong.
He giggles. 'Okay! So! You remember that one chick you're always hanging out with? I think I'm head over heels for her, dude!'
Oh God, please no. "W-what's her name?"
'I don't know! But she has this big brown perm, brown beautiful dreamy eyes, very soft lips, very pretty, very hot, super my type, and wore golden hoops. I think her name was Holly?'
My mouth flew open as I looked at Ollie. He was in disbelief. "Y-yeah, you're talking about Molly Blossom . . . right?"
'Yes!' He exclaims. 'That's her! Can you hook me up with Molly? She really got me in a chokehold, man.'
I awkwardly chuckle, well aware Molly is listening and Ollie is out for blood. "I-I . . . You like her?"
'Yes.'
"Well, I'll try. Uhm, I need to go. Bye!"
And I dropped the phone.
"What?!? That's crazy!" Molly laughs out loud and starts hitting Ollie nonstop.
Ollie scoffs like he wanted to kill Tyler. "Fuck. I'm gonna kill that guy."
"If you actually kill him, that would be something." I click my tongue, teasing him.
"A mystery of love and murder." He says, his eyes locking into mine.