i turn my hair straighter off and apply my lipgloss for the fifth time. this year is my year to thrive as a junior at high school!
i quickly changed into my mini skirt and tube top, also packing a sweater while praying that i won't get dress coded!
i slide on my shoes and tie my laces as i hear my brother from downstairs.
"mars i swear, i'm gonna leave without you!"
elmo was my big brother and just got his first car, meaning my parents are forcing him to take me to school everyday.
he's 'embarrassed' to be around me because he's the most popular guy in his grade and now that he's a senior, he practically rules the school.
i wasn't that popular last year but i think that was because my group was weird, and now that I think of it; super toxic.
my brother hated when they came over, like absolutely hated them and i had no idea why until i saw their true colours, which led to me finally growing the balls to cut them out of my life.
i rushed downstairs and grab the salad i prepared for lunch last night.
what i also did over the summer was become vegetarian, my whole family did! they believe that i'm doing it for environmental reasons, and I am, but honestly I mainly want it for a banging body.
I run outside and hop into Elmo's car.
"finally! hannah is waiting for us!" elmo exclaims as i roll my eyes
"waiting for me, not you!"
"you know she loves me though right?"
"she doesn't because no one loves you!"
"shut up, no one loves you!"
"you love me and besides why do you care if she loves you or not?"
"well, she's hot" he says as we drive off to school.
the only person i didn't cut off from that group was hannah. my ride or die and best friend since middle school. elmo literally had the nerve to tell me:
'i suspected she was going to have a big glow up once she hit sophomore year and i tried to be nice because i knew she would become hot and now that she's hot, i can finally get in with her'
i kind of think elmo actually has feelings for her deep down but obviously doesn't show it to keep up his 'playboy act' which is disgusting.
soon, we arrive in the school car park as elmo revs his engine.
every guy on his football team cheers and run over to the car. everyone in the football team are so close with each other which is kinda cute but makes me believe they're all secretly in love with each-other.
elmo had an epiphany this break about how he wanted to be closer to the 'boys' to gain more chemistry on the field.
once elmo got out of the car and walked away, everyone followed him, leaving space for me to get out of the car and get away from the crowd.
i find hannah at the front of the school and run over to her as she gasps.
"mars! your hair is gorgeous! your face is more defined! you're taller and skinnier! you're tanner!"
"i really look that different?"
"yes, i missed so much these three months holy shit!" she says as we tightly hug.
hannah went on a trip to Europe with her family for the whole of summer, meaning I was alone the whole
time since she's basically my only friend. it seemed to do a lot apparently.
"enough about me, look at you! you look amazing too hannah!"
"thank you! i have that summer glow from spending the whole tour with this boy I met, who actually goes here and-" She looked behind me and gasped.
"don't look now but there he is!"
"who?"
"anthony reeves! he's coming over right now!"
i recognised that name and then recognised his face as he stood next to hannah.
they greeted each other with a hug.
"ay! you're elmo's sister?"
i really don't like being called 'elmo's sister' because that's basically what i'm known for.
"yeah i know you, i always see you at elmo's games"
"i always see you too, big supporter of us i see?"
"definitely"
he looks me up and down with a sly smile, then turning towards the sound of a crowd coming over.
elmo walks over to us and stands in between myself and hannah. i absolutely HATE how he can somehow attract crowds of football boys.
"how do you both know each other?" he asks.
"we met over the summer" anthony replies.
"i see. show me your timetable"
i rolled my eyes. who does elmo think he is, a king?
"sick! we have math, chem and english together. we always get homework on the first day every year so surely come over to chill and do it with me"
"yeah, bet"
"bet"
anthony seemed to be elmo's first new football bestie, which meant he was gonna be around the house a lot
yay.
elmo and his group wonder off as the bell rings.
i was annoyed because homeroom is based on our last name and hannah is one one above me.
i walk into my homeroom and sit in the back corner of the room.
"hey, i know you! you're the captain's sister!"
great.
before i could mentally complain about how she basically called me elmo's sister, she continued.
"mars, right?"
she actually knows my name!
i look up in excitement and recognise her.
"yeah, i've seen you at elmo's games before"
"yeah, i go to support my boyfriend! i'm gabby!"
"so nice to meet you! which one of the guys are you dating?"
"andre!"
"andre! he's the dancer on the field, that's for sure"
"he really is. he's probably doing tiktok dances"
"tiktok?"
"do you not know what that is?" she gasps.
"I mean i've heard of it. maybe?"
"have you been living under a rock this whole summer!"
"I mean yeah, my only friend was in Europe for the whole time"
"that's not on, you both are sitting with jada and i today! jada comes with me to all of the football games because she has a total crush on yousif!"
we instantly clicked and exchanged phone numbers and all social media's, including tiktok, which she made me download and create an account for.
the bell rings and we all pile out of the classroom and into the hall way. i noticed hannah standing with a girl i've never seen before.
"hey this is addy! she's new so i offered her to sit with us if that's okay"
"of course it is, i'm mars!" i say, introducing myself.
"oh, gabby, this is hannah. and this is addy too"
we all talk and let each other know that the five of us were gonna sit with each other at lunch today, then rush off to first period.
•
timeskip: lunchtime
•
"i'm mars!"
"i'm hannah!"
we all introduced ourselves to jada and all of us became close straight away. i had a feeling that this group could last a long time, maybe even into senior year too.
it turns out that addy and jada already followed each other on tiktok since they were both practically famous!
gabby, jada and addy explain to us how they went viral on tiktok. they showed us how to make videos, choose sounds and even taught us popular dances too!
we go to the back of the cafeteria and record funny stuff and post it.
"no way! look over, right now!"
we all turn and see elmo's new table.
there was him, yousif, anthony, andre, noen, chase and jaden. looks like Elmo's found his new friend group.
i see him and his friends all recording tiktoks.
"i can't believe they all go here! noen literally duetted my video yesterday!" addy says.
"um, which one is that?" hannah asks.
"the one with the middle part"
"which one?"
"frick, four of them have middle parts. the one sitting next to the guy dressed in all black!" addy justifies.
"that's noen and chase is classified as an e-boy" jada says.
"an e-what?" i reply.
"oh, you guys have so much to learn"
•
timeskip: home
•
"thank you andre!" hannah, jada, addy and i say at the same time.
"you girls are lucky i like yous"
"yeah, thank you baby!" gabby says, placing a kiss on his cheek.
elmo's whole friend group came over and so did mine.
as soon as I walked into the house I removed my sweater from being dress coded, since it was hot.
"holy shit, mars! your crop top is up too!" addy exclaims as I quickly pull it down.
elmo glares at me as the all the guys laugh.
my cheeks turned red as i felt really really embarrassed.
"i'll show you guys my room" i say to the girls.
"show me too because i'm gonna need to know i think" anthony says as elmo slaps the back of his head, making everyone laugh.
i rush towards the stairs as the girls follow.
"that was the most embarrassing moment of my life!"
"those guys are asses" gabby says.
"you got lucky with andre though"
"she didn't though. he was just like anthony but gabby
did the impossible and changed him!" jada says as we laugh.
"anthony is cute but such a dick, so horny 24/7!"
"you should see his tiktok!" addy exclaimed.
it turns out that anthony's was also viral on tiktok, most of the boys were!
hannah and i check our tiktok accounts from lunch and already had a few thousand followers from getting on the for you page and from being tagged by jada, gabby and addy.
"yo mars, can i use your avocado?" elmo shouts from downstairs.
"no!"
"why?"
"because they're expensive! go buy your own avo!"
"oops"
i'm very over protective over the things I PAY FOR.
"what do you mean oops?" i shout back.
"nothing!"
"i'll be right back."
I run downstairs and into the kitchen. elmo made nachos for all of his friends, using all of my avocados for guacamole!
"elmo, you owe me for those! i needed them for my lunch salads!"
"damn, sorry! i'll buy you some more!"
"will you actually?"
"fuck no" he says as i hear a few laughs from the guys.
"oh no you definitely will. how else will i put protein in my salad?"
"just use nothing like me"
"i can't because i don't make protein shakes every morning like you!"
"you should start because it makes you jacked!" elmo says flexing his muscles.
i turn around as the guys laugh again, making me roll my eyes.
"i actually put grilled tofu in my salad for school every day. sometimes i even switch it up and put some chickpeas in there instead"
everyone stops laughing as i turn and lock eyes with jaden.
jaden hossler. the school's now-senior pretty boy.
"that sounds nice"
"it is. it makes being vegan easier when the food you make is good"
"you're vegan?"
"yeah. the rest of my family eat meat but i still have the same problem with the avocado. when they eat all of it, you gotta find alternatives and it looks like you don't have any"
"i don't"
"i've got a good recipe i could give you. i use it for my lunch everyday, it's pretty good if you ask me"
"i would like that. do you want my-"
"he'll send me the recipe and send it to you!" elmo cuts off.
before anyone could say anything, we hear the sounds of a video game starting.
all the guys get excited and turn to the screen.
i rush past the tv and then go back upstairs and into my room.
i had no idea that one of elmo's friends could be even the slightest bit normal. shocking.
•
timeskip: after dinner
•
"so, why were you and jaden eye-fucking each other?" elmo asks as he does the dishes.
"excuse me?" i say, drying and packing away the plate he hands to me.
"i saw you both"
"we looked at each other, that's it! why aren't you asking about anthony, that inappropriate comment he said to me was gross!"
"he was kidding and it was funny"
"still gross and why are you even hanging out with those guys anyway?"
"because they're chill people to be around"
they were all so different from one another but bonded together through football, video games and guacamole.