Chapter 26

Even though there's still quite some time left until Christmas, it seems like the whole school can't await it. There's already a big tree in the main hallway, decorated in the school colors, and bright Christmas-y decorations and red and green garlands are all over the hallways. My locker has a small mistletoe attached to it and I hope it wasn't anyone of the club members. Kaia thinks it's cute and wants me to kiss Matthew in front of it. I snort in response.

Matthew doesn't show up for most of the day, and it's already after lunch that I finally catch him running past me in the hallway.

"Important meeting with my English teacher," he comes to a breathless halt and accepts my outstretched hand, "We messed up our last project. Apparently, Pat handed in his biology notes instead of our documentation. I can't make it to the club meeting, sorry."

I'm disappointed but try to play it cool. "Um, sure. I don't think you'll miss much."

Matthew smiles and steps right into my space, pulling me close by our intertwined hands. He leans in to gently brush his fingers over my cheek, and I feel incredibly small in my one-inch-boots.

"You know," Matthew says then and reaches down into his backpack, "I actually need to give you this."

It's a copy of Holes that looks like it's been read numerous times, at least.

"It's from Leonard. He said I can't date a girl who hasn't read Holes. I don't care if you hate it, just tell him it's amazing the next time you see him. Leonard's driving me crazy."

I carefully put the book in my bag. "Sure."

Matthew smiles and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He lingers for a second, and it's only when he turns around that he finally lets go of him hand. I watch him leave and feel stupid and bubbly, the kind where I smile really dumb, and I'm not even trying to stop it. I'm doomed.

Later, in the clubroom, Liling is on a rant about what to wear for prom. We're supposed to work on our preparations, but instead she tells me all about this red Santa Claus-ish dress she wore last year and how everyone wanted to take pictures with her.

"It was super annoying," she says, "I'm not going to do it again. I mean, yes I make a cute Santa Claus but I also want to enjoy myself, you know?"

I nod absentmindedly while watching YouTube tutorials on how to prepare catering tables. It doesn't look that difficult. I'm sure I'll mess it up anyway.

"I wore a golden dress, with glitter," Kaia says, "It was really pretty. There was this guy from my math class who asked me to prom – Marcus – and we looked really good together. But now whenever I look at that dress, all I'm reminded of are mashed potatoes."

There's a unison groan from the council members. I am once again utterly thankful I missed out on that horrifying experience.

"I wore a black dress with blue dots," Vivian looks up from her notebook, "It was really long, down to my ankles. It matched with my boyfriend's suit."

"Your boyfriend wore a blue dotted suit?" Carlos asks, "How did I miss that?"

Vivian rolls her eyes.

"He wore a black suit with a blue tie. The shades of the colors matched. It was very thoughtful of him," she pauses, "We still broke up two weeks after."

"Is this you telling me I should buy a matching suit or no?" Logan sounds slightly worried.

Vivian giggles and goes to poke his cheek, and Carlos throws in "Don't you dare use this to make out", but it's too late anyway.

"I wore a simple black dress," Agatha says, "I think I'm going to wear it again."

Carlos rolls around on his chair and gives us a look. "Just pray Johnny won't make you wear our club shirts."

"He wouldn't dare, would he?" Liling stares at him in shock, "I can't have my prom pictures look awful!"

Johnny furrows his brows at her. "Since when are the club shirts awful? You all voted for the design. I told you to vote for one you'd actually wear!"

Kaia and I got our own shirts last week, and while the simple design consisting of the club's name and some cute patterns definitely doesn't look bad, I can't see myself wearing it for prom night. My mum would be devastated, missing out on the opportunity to take pictures of me in a pretty dress.

"Why are you complaining, don't you save a ton of money if you don't have to buy a new dress?" Duncan says.

Liling turns to him. "You'll never find a partner for prom with this attitude."

There's a pause, and everyone seems to peek up in unison. Kaia sits a little straighter and Carlos' breath hitches. I stare very hard at my tutorial, willing myself not to look up.

"What?" Duncan says, "Like I care?"

I'm starting to think I won't see my twenty dollars again.

Johnny clears his throat. "Okay, whatever. You don't have to wear the shirts. Wear whatever you want, there's not much we need to do during the prom anyway."

"Just be honest, your mum wants suit pictures of you," Carlos says.

I scroll through more tutorials and furrow my brows.

"Are we supposed to set everything up on our own or will there be people to help us?"

"I mean, we're the organizers," Johnny says, "Mrs. Bergman said we could ask freshmen to help, but you know, they're working during the prom, too. Seems a bit too much."

"Please, what would the freshmen be doing", Duncan says, "You could say it's for charity."

Johnny stares at him. "We are not a charity?"

"Yeah, that's why I said you could say –"

"Hey, so about the banners," Logan pipes up from his desk, "I need the measurements to use the plotter, but no one told me anything so far. Where even is Matthew?"

Logan raises his eyebrows at me as if I'm supposed to keep my boyfriend at reach anytime. I glare back at him.

"I can show you the measurements, Logan," Agatha speaks up quietly.

"Yeah, but where's Matthew?" Logan says.

"Why do you care?" I say.

"Why not?" Logan retreats and rolls around on his chair, "It's just, everyone's here but him. I'm curious."

I snort and focus back on my tutorial videos. "He can't make it."

"Oh, is that so?"

"What is this with you and Matthew anyway?" Liling gives Logan a stern glance, "You use every reason to pick a fight with him lately. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, did something happen Logan?" Carlos says.

Logan looks extremely annoyed, Vivian looks extremely displeased, and Liling looks extremely confused.

"Wait, so something did happen?" she asks and her eyes widen, "Oh my god! Did you have a fight? A serious fight? As in, a fist-fight?"

"No one in this club does fist-fights," Johnny says.

"Seems like you're fatally misinformed," Carlos says.

Agatha looks at me with worry in her eyes. "Did they really fight? Is Matthew alright?"

"Don't listen to them," I tell her absentmindedly and scroll through my recommended videos, trying to find the one tutorial video I didn't watch yet, "Logan's talking bull."

I turn my phone screen around and show it to Kaia and Agatha.

"What do you think – simple long white tablecloths? Maybe with pastel decorations?"

"I found adorable pastel napkins!" Kaia says and claps her hand, "Also, matching napkin rings – how cute is that?"

I smile and reach into my bag for my notebook, and my fingers run over an unfamiliar paper back. I furrow my brows and pull it out, recognizing it as the book Matthew gave me.

"Come on, Logan", Liling says, "We're a club, you can tell us everything! If you feel uncomfortable around Matthew – inferiority complex maybe – we can talk about it."

Duncan hides behind his computer in a sudden fit of laughter. Liling glares at him furiously.

"You are no help!"

I flip through the book, noticing highlighted parts and scribbled notes. I realize Leonard wrote them down to explain words, phrases and plot points he apparently thinks I wouldn't get otherwise. Which is – something.

"Why would I get an inferiority complex around Matthew? If anything, it should be the other way around," Logan protests, "I mean, I'm the skateboarding prodigy."

"Logan, I'm sure we've talked about this before," Carlos says, "Skateboarding is not cool."

"What – not cool? I watch Rob Dyrdek on TV almost every day, that has to mean something."

"Yeah, it probably means you've got too much time on your hands," Duncan says.

"Speaking of," Johnny says, "You've been here for what, an hour, and what have you prepared for the prom so far?"

"I mean, I'm still waiting for the banner measurements," Logan says, "Also, I prepared a playlist?"

"Oh, you mean this? The standard Spotify Christmas playlist you simply changed the title of?"

Vivian leans in to flick his forehead and Logan laughs and shrugs and – ugh.

I put Holes into my bag and focus back on my phone, spending the rest of the meeting re-watching tutorials and doodling table set-ups on my notebook, and maybe Matthew's name somewhere along that, too.