Right after her last class, the whole student body was told to meet in the gymnasium to hear an important communicate regarding the football game that was happening in that same night, so Lorraine met Lisa and the rest of her friends there five minutes before the time.
Okay, she said friends but she prefered to refer to them as people that she only tolerate. Lisa was very popular so being friends with her meant having to spend time with all of her friends. In the group there was Lisa's brother Mason and his best friend Peter who, in Lorraine's opinion was the most annoying person that she met in her entire life and his new girlfriend Sam.
Lorraine had nothing against Sam, mostly because they never actually had the chance to talk without Peter getting in between, but she seemed to be really sweet and polite. Peter and his football friends on the other hand weren't so nice.
"Hey, Lisa. Sam." Sam smiled at her, shyly. She was wearing her cheerleader uniform just like Lisa, and a red ribbon on her blonde hair. In Lorraine's opinion, she was really beautiful and she couldn't understand why would someone like her settle down for someone like Peter.
Peter was wearing a red jacket with Sunnyvale's logo of a devil and was holding Sam with one arm, while Lisa was again putting on some lip gloss. Mason was talking to some other guy that was also part of the football team.
"Do you guys know why are we supposed to be here?" Lisa asked.
"Don't know, all I know is that it has to do with the football game against Shittyside." Lorraine rolled her eyes with the nickname.
"Maybe they're going to cancel it. You know, due to what happened last night..." Lisa suggested.
Peter groaned, thinking of that possibility. "I hope not. We've been training so hard for weeks."
"Yeah, people died. What an inconvenient!" Lorraine replied, sarcastically. Peter looked at her, annoyed, but before he could say something, the principal and the team's coach got on the stage.
The principal started to talk about the massacre and trying to make a speech that most of the school didn't bother to pay attention. Most of them looked annoyed to be there, like they had better plans for the afternoon.
Lorraine was also annoyed but it was mostly due to the fact that the speech sounded so fake. She looked at Sam, who was sitting next to Peter, with an uncomfortable look in her face.
"So out of respect for last night's tragic events, Sunnyvale will host a candlelight vigil for the victims before tonight's game." The coach announced. "If you kids want so be there to show support it would be great, but all player, cheer and band attendance is mandatory."
Every member of this three clubs started to shout, indignated with this change of plans. Peter was the loudest, wanting to make sure that everyone knew how unhappy he was with the situation.
"Are you kidding me? Now we have to mourn something that we all knew was bound to happen sooner or later?" Mason complained.
"What does that even mean?" Lorraine asked.
"Come on, Lori." She frowned. She always hated that nickname, but none of them cared. They still kept calling her that. "That kind of stuff has been happening so often that it's not even new now."
Peter pointed his finger at him, backing his friend. "Yeah, besides, whatever happens in Shadyside has nothing to do with us. Why do we have to pretend that we care?"
Lorraine looked at both boys, in disbelief. Are all boys stupid or only the ones that I' know?
Lisa slapped Peter in the arm that wasn't hugging Sam. "Quit being selfish for once. What if it was you, Peter? What if you died and a bunch of teenagers where whining because they felt like your death was too predictable? How would you feel?"
"I wouldn't feel anything because I would be dead." He replied, like it was obvious. "Besides, that's not gonna happen. Sunnyvalers live the longest and the better while the shittysiders don't. That's how the things are supposed to be."
Lorraine wanted to punch him in the nose and maybe break it, but she knew that she didn't have the guts. She admired Lisa for standing up for herself and what's right, not being scared of speaking her mind. She wished to be a little more like her.
The group left the gymnasium together, while listening to Peter, Mason and some random football guy that joined the boys to whine about how unfair it was for them to waste their time with the vigil.
Lorraine, who was sick of them, asked Lisa and Sam if they wanted to stop by her house to get ready for the vigil. Both girls agreed without thinking twice and as soon as they got the chance, they ran towards the school's parking lot.
They went to Lorraine's house in Lisa's car, due to her being the only one who had one. Lorraine was sitting in the back seat, while Sam was sitting next to Lisa in the front seats.
"So, Sam, do you drive yet?" Lisa asked, trying to get to know her.
"Yeah, but my mom refuses to let me drive her car, so I never have the chance to drive." Sam told them, embarassed.
Lorraine noticed that Sam was feeling uncomfortable, and she didn't blame her. Sam was new in Sunnyvale and didn't seem have made any real friends yet. The closest where the other girls in the cheerleading squad and Peter's friends, but she seemed to be too shy to be around other people.
Lorraine knew how she felt. When she met Lisa, it took her two months for her to truly open up to her and be herself around her. Still, there were things that Lorraine didn't felt comfortable to share with her.
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I failed my driving test." Lorraine told her.
"Really?" Sam looked at her, surprised.
"Yes, last year. I haven't tried it again yet."
Sam wanted to ask her why, but she didn't want to be rude. However, Lisa didn't seem to worry about that.
"Yep, and I think that you should forget about that fear of driving and just try it again."
Lorraine didn't answer, knowing that her friend was right.
Lisa, regretting bringing that up, dropped the subject. The three girls just kept talking about random stuff until they finally stopped at the Goode's house.
"Are you sure that your dad won't mind us being here?" Sam asked, shyly.
"He's not home, don't worry. And he won't be for a long time."
Lorraine gave Sam a tour of the house, and they finally went to Lorraine's room.
After ten minutes, they were all laying on Lorraine's bed, while listening to music and gossiping, which lead to Sam starting to loosen up a little.
"Seriously, I think that Mr. Ripley is gay." Lisa stated, refering to the football team's coach.
"Lisa, he has a wife!" Lorraine reminded her.
"Exactly, maybe he's married to her to hide his sexuality. A lot of people do that."
Lorraine felt a knot forming in her stomach. She felt like Lisa was calling her out. But that wasn't possible. No one knew about her little secret, not even her.
It was something that she couldn't forget, no matter how much she wanted. Lorraine kept trying to convince herself that it was just something in her head, but it was hard. Especially when she couldn't stop thinking about her.
The truth is that Lorraine never felt like being with a boy before. But for her it wasn't a big deal. She thought that one day she sould meet the right guy and finally experience true love. And that happened. She met someone. She met someone who made her heart almost jump out of her chest and gave her those famous butterflies, even if it was only for a night and she only saw that person once.
But that person wasn't from Sunnyvale and much less a boy.
Lorraine, stop thinking about her. You were both drunk, it was nothing. That's what Lorraine would force her brain to think, hoping that the feeling would eventually go away.
Lorraine looked at Sam, who was sitting there but didn't look like she was listening. She was biting her fingernails, while staring at wall.
"When do you guys have to go?" Lorraine changed the subject.
"What do you mean we? You're going with us." Lisa replied.
"Lisa, I'm not in the team and I'm not in the cheer squad. Why would I go?"
"To keep us company, of course. Besides, Peter invited us all to go to his house to celebrate after the game."
Lorraine rolled her eyes. "They haven't won yet and they're already planning the party?"
Lisa sat in front of her friend, cupping her cheeks. "My dear friend, Sunnyvale always wins. You know that Shadyside is cursed."
Lorraine touched Lisa's hands, removing them from her face. "I just don't think it makes sense for me to go."
Lisa gritted her teeth, now looking at Sam. "Don't drag me into this."
"Lisa, there is no way that you're convincing me to change my mind. I already decided that I'm not going."
One hour later, Lorraine was standing in the front row, right next to the cheerleaders, of Sunnyvale High's football camp, with a frown on her face.
"I cannot believe you actually convinced me to come." She grunted. "It's so cold."
"Bitch, stop whining, I wasn't going to let my best friend all by herself at home."
It was a cold and chilly night and Lorraine was starting to regret not bringing warmer clothes. She was still wearing the same skirt that she wore in school and a thin shirt, which made it easier for the chilly breeze to send shivers down her spine. However, it was too late to go back and get a jacket. With a sigh, she looked at the kids from Shadyside, who where all wearing blue uniforms of their clubs, contrast to the reds of Sunnyvale.
The temperature seemed to have dropped even further, and she could feel goosebumps forming on her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm, but it did little to provide any relief.
She noticed her dad and uncle in front of the crowd. Her uncle, as the mayor started to make a speech, but it sounded so fake that Lorraine couldn't bother to pay attention, instead focusing it all on trying to find one shadysider that has been stuck in her head for the past two months.
"Hey, Lory!" She looked behind her, and noticed Lisa's brother calling her.
"Mason." She waved, trying to be polite, but he took it as an invitation to a conversation.
"It's cold, isn't it?" He asked.
"Kind of." She replied, with a week smile. Why was he talking to her? He never did unless he had to.
Mason, however, didn't seem uncomfortable with that at all. He placed his arm around her neck, and she had to control herself to not show how grossed out his touch made her feel.
"Mason..." before she could say anything, Lorraine noticed a familiar face in the middle of the crowd.
Her dark curls were wild and messy just like she remembered, and her brown eyes were on Lorraine.
Deena.
Hey guys, I hope you liked the chapter, it's a bit longer than the others, but I think it's good, I wanted to show a little more about Lorraine's dynamic with her 'friends' from school.
Bye, have a good night! Or day for some of you