(16) Homecoming

Fall has always been my favorite season for about as long as I can remember.

Everything's perfect. The leaves slowly drifting down from the trees, the auburn colors floating all around and the smells surrounding everyone in their wonderful amiss.

Perfect.

Of course, despite the fact that it's currently fall, and the doors to homecoming open in just a few minutes, my life is far from perfect.

Parker hasn't spoken a word to me, not since he found out I broke his promise to him and said yes to Jared.

I wish he'd just let me explain.

And on the other hand, Elle is beyond ecstatic about my 'thing with Jared.'

I sigh.

Why can't things just go back to normal? If things were normal, Jared would be laughing it up with Elle right now, not waiting in line alone to get our tickets. Elle would be partying with our group, not awkwardly introducing a guy we've never met and expecting us all to hit it off. Mason would probably be sulking, not banging on the door to the bathroom I'm currently in and yelling at me to "hurry my ass up." As for me? I would be with Parker. I'd be wrapped in his arms and he'd kiss my hair ever so softly, treating the long strands as if they're the most fragile item on the planet.

Unfortunately, that's not the way things are.

Man up, I tell myself as I stare into my reflection. I look good, my dress fits me snugly, and my makeup has not a smudge in sight. I sigh, brushing back a loose curl, to its original place tucked casually behind my ear.

"Lexa, open the damn door." Mason complains, now sounding rather bored.

"This is the girls bathroom, Boxer Boy. You can't come in."

"I can do whoever the hell I want."

"Don't you mean whatever?" I raise an eyebrow. Then immediately lower it after realizing that he can't see me. God, I'm stupid.

"Yes, I'll do that too." He responds, a hint of smugness in his tone.

I walk over to the door and unlock it, before pulling him in and closing it again.

"Damn." He chuckles, "If you wanted to go this far on the first date you should've just told me."

"See Mase, in order to have a first date with someone you have to actually like them."

Mason locks the door and winks.

I gulp silently, a slight shiver appearing on my arms.

I fidget with my bracelet.

"You look beautiful. By the way." He says awkwardly.

"You look nice as well, and even nicer now that I see you finally figured out how to compliment a girl without the using the vile choices of words that make up the majority of your general vocabulary."

"You sound hot when you use big words around me." He smirks and crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against one of the stalls casually.

"Don't feel flattered, when there's little things in the room, sometimes I have to use my big words to make up for that." A slight smile rises to my face.

You don't need to tell me I'm a fracking savage.

I already know.

"That's what you think now." He chuckles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe you'll find out." He glances at my dress, "Or maybe you won't."

"I'm really not in the mood to do homecoming tonight."

"Actually, same."

"Wow," I laugh, "I never could've guessed that about you, the Mason Derivan."

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

I sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

For the first time in my life, I'm seeing him looking somewhat generally concerned. I glance into his eyes. Blue and beautiful, like clear water on a summer day.

"It was you, wasn't it?" The words spontaneously pop out of my mouth.

"What was?"

"That night." I blush, "I was at a club with Elle-"

"Why the hell were you at a club?"

"That's besides the point." I mutter, "Anyways-"

"It does matter." He walks closer to me, and runs his fingertips ever so softly along my jawline, "Someone could've taken advantage of you."

"I kissed first."

"That's besides the point." He mimics me.

"Parker said it was him. He doesn't have blue eyes." I respond in an almost inaudible tone, mostly to myself if I'm being honest here.

"There's a lot you don't know about Parker."

"I know him more than I know you."

"Well then, get to know me. Ask me anything you'd like."

"Why are you so nice to Louise and Elodie but a dick to everyone else?" I question.

"I-" He looks away.

"I'm sorry. You're not a dick, Mase."

He looks down, "That's not it." He breathes in, "I guess I'm just this way because I feel I owe it to them. Louise is such a kind lady, and Elodie is an angel. They don't deserve someone reckless and impulsive in their lives."

"I don't think you're reckless or impulsive." With a shaking hand I raise an arm up and brush his hair back with my fingers.

He wraps his arms around my back in a loose embrace, "You're with Jared. I'm not that kind of guy."

"I'm not with Jared. He's my friend, nothing more."

"Then answer this," He bites his cheek briefly, "Why did he ask you, and why'd you say yes?"

"He likes Elle. Has for a while. He was going to ask her but neither of us knew of her, well, boyfriend she now has."

"Ellie has a boyfriend?" He laughs.

"What's so funny?"

"I know she's hot and all but I just can't picture her having a serious boyfriend. She's such a player, leads on all the guys, hangs out with us."

I chuckle, "Says you."

"If I'm a player than you're the game."

I laugh and shake my head, "Anyways, the guys name is Adrien, uh, Clement, I think his last name is. Know him?"

He shakes his head, "If he hurts her.."

"Relax." I chuckle, "Let the girl do what she wants."

"She's my friend, I just don't want her hurting."

"Me too, Mase, me too."

"What do you say we ditch?"

"What?"

"I'm saying, we go in there, dance three dances or something like that and then get out of here?"

"I'm thinking," I bite my lip. This is the last homecoming. Ever. But do I really want to go into there and pretend to be happy dancing with Jared? Or accidentally run into another awkward encounter with Park? It's true you only live once, "I'm in." I grin.

"That a girl." He grins back and high fives me.

I pull him in for a hug instead, tightly wrapping my arms around his waist, and smiling when I feel his arms looping around me.

-

"Lexa! Where have you been?" Elle pulls a cute looking guy with her as she drags me over to the corner of the giant room, "I wanted you to meet someone."

The guy smiles at me, "Hi, I'm Adrien." He loops an arm casually around Elle's waist.

"Hello Adrien, I'm Lexa, and I'm looking for someone, I apologize." I shoot my best sympathetic smile his way and continue my search for Jared.

"She'll introduce herself later." I hear Elle talking as I leave. He says something in her ear quietly and she giggles. I chuckle to myself, they seem pretty good for each other.

"Guess who?" Hands cover my eyes. I turn around and grin, "Hey J."

"How are you? You know, you could've just let Elle reject me and gone with Parker." He says softly.

"C'mon, I don't mind. You're one of my best friends and friends do these kinds of things for each other."

"Thank you. I for sure owe you."

I shake my head, "You can pay me back by answering a question from me."

He chuckles, "I'm not a virgin if that's what you're planning on askin-OW!" He rubs his shoulder and takes a step back.

I shrug, and blow on my palm. Pretty sure that hurt my hand more than his shoulder, but it's not like I can say that. I keep my nonchalant expression, "How bored are you on a scale of dead Instagram feed to being forced to go to a funeral for someone you have met about two times, most likely when you were a kid?"

"Hm." He shrugs, "I guess I'm probably a stag guy at senior homecoming with nothing else better to do."

I grin, "It's decided then. Do you want to come with me and Mason?"

He scrunches up his nose, "And third wheel while you two make out?"

"I wouldn't do that. Plus, we're just friends."

"Yeah, sure." He scoffs, "But just friends, my ass."

I shake my head at him, "Let's go then. Mase ran out to get the car."

He chuckles, whilst making a huge show of taking my hand and intertwining our fingers as we walk past Elle.

Her eyes practically bulge out of her head as she flashes a thumbs up at me when Jared isn't looking. I smile at her and roll my eyes as we leave the gym.

"Okay, my feet, fricking kill." I complain as we exit through the doors of the gym.

Oh yeah. May have forgot to mention. Homecoming is held in the gym. It smells vaguely of feet, but at least it's decorated nice, right?

"You two are the slowest people I know." Mason greets us.

"Hello to you too." I nod at him.

"Her feet hurt." Jared points at me, "I think Lex should take the blame on this one.

I hike up my dress and lift my foot as high as I can get it while balancing on the other heel, "Do you see these fracking shoes?! I'm dying over here."

I put my foot back to the ground and let my dress fall.

Jared grins and whispers something to Mason.

"What the hell?" I frown, "Let's just totally make Lexa third wheel, shall we?"

"Third wheeling would only happen if the two people conversing happen to be dating, and I, for one, am not gay." Mason announces.

Jared chuckles, "Sorry to break that to you Lex. I'm sure you were shipping us harder than-" I slap my hand over his mouth. I'm sure whatever he was going to say definitely wasn't good.

"Hey Lexa." Jared days after I've withdrawn my hand.

"Hm?" I turn.

"What?! Ah!" I shriek. He has one arm around my waist and next thing I know I'm in the air. My elite jujitsu skills are clearly not on fleek right now. Then again, they'd probably be better if I took more than half a lesson of jujitsu.

He plops me onto Mason's back and he wraps his arms around my legs. I blush.

"Bet your feet don't hurt anymore." Jared shrugs.

I rest my elbows on Mason's shoulders, "Nope! Now let's get going, shall we?"

-

I love how so many people crave a picture perfect ending. It's seemingly unreal to me. Picture perfect, only exists, in, well, pictures.

In another life we'd all be different people.

I'd be the sarcastic, skinny, teenage girl claiming to be ugly, but ending up with the hottest guy in school by some fate. Yeah, that hasn't happened yet.

Elle would be the slutty head cheerleader. Wouldn't she? Think about it. If life were a book, these are the roles. Of course, readers wouldn't know that she's friends with them because her best friend left her.

Mason would be the cliché bad boy that does drugs, drinks, and drives a motorcycle. Readers wouldn't know he's never raised any type of drug to his lips.

Jared probably wouldn't make the book. Sucks too, he's a pretty cool guy and one of my best friends. Sorry J.

Parker would be the happy go lucky boy next door. I'd probably flirt with him for a while before moving on.

Sometimes it's easier to hope for picture perfect. But in the end, that's all perfect is, right?

A mere picture.

A picture of what we want to look like instead of what we do, a picture of who we want to be, instead of who we are.

Perfect doesn't describe us at all, perfect is simply a picture.

-

A/N I rlly hope you guys took something from those last few paragraphs. I know my book might be cliché, but I can't stand when characters are assumed into solid emotionless stereotypes. I try to stay away from that and I hope it's fairly refreshing.

Question: what's your favorite book on wattpad? (*uses the chapter question to get book recommendations so I don't have to find my own reading material*)

And thanks for 68k reads and getting my lil story to #47 in teen fiction