The principal’s words tapered off as he paused for dramatic effect. I sat on the edge of my chair, waiting for him to continue. Just then, Ryan crouched down, bringing his lips close to my ear.
“You know you’re not gonna win, right?”
His tone was rich with smugness, and a chuckle followed the end of his words. I glanced at him, my lips curling upward as I blinked with deliberate calm.
“I know.”
Principal Hawkins’ voice boomed through the microphone once again, as Ryan gawked at me wordlessly.
“Meredith Sawyer!”
She jumped up from her seat, blowing kisses left and right as she approached the principal. Applause filled the air. My hands came together in a slow and measured clap. Ryan narrowed his eyes at me before leaving our table, unsure of what to say. The principal laid the tiara on Meredith’s hair as she waved at the crowd.
“So there ya have it! Summerville High’s Royal couple. Give it up one more time for Meredith and Mason.”
Just as the room erupted into more applause, a familiar face sulked through the door and approached the table.Elliot. Andrew glared silently at him as if asking,‘Where the hell were you?’but Elliot ignored his glances and focused all his attention on me instead.
“Hey,” Elliot’s voice soothed as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come here. I have something to show you.”
“Uh, okay.”
He grabbed my hand, leading me away from the chaos and into a small corridor. I stared at him questioningly. What was he up to?
“Sorry, I missed the Prom Queen announcement, but I had to grab something from my car.”
Pushing his hand inside his jacket, he fumbled around for a few seconds before pulling something out.Was that what I thought it was?Clutched in his fingers was a plastic tiara with rose colored gems that sparkled as he waved his hand. My lips parted.
“What the—how? What?”
“Andrew told me what you did. Making sure Meredith won Prom Queen.”
“But, I—I didn’t—” I stuttered, stumbling over my words. “When we looked at the ballots, she won, anyway. I didn’t actually do anything.”
“But if youdidhave more votes, would you have switched them to make her win?”
“Yeah, but—”
“No, buts. You did something amazing for someone who, in my opinion, didn’t deserve it, but that’s what makes you a good person. It’s one of the reasons I fell for you.”
“Elliot…” I breathed out shakily. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
“Hm?”
“I…I think I’m in love with you.”
His eyes shimmered, full of light, as a smile made its way onto his lips. “Well, IknowI’m in love with you. No thinking necessary.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. You’re incredible and I know you didn’t win Prom Queen like you wanted, but you still deserve this fucking crown,” he muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Gently, he rested the tiara on my head. “You may not be a Queen, but you will always be my Princess.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, I grabbed his face, pulling his lips toward mine.
So yeah, maybe I had it all wrong when I said the person who invented Prom Queen was the world’s shittiest human. Maybe there was more to the story about why it was invented than I’d ever know. Maybe it was to give a voice to the voiceless, or maybe it was to shine a spotlight on those who were desperate to feel worthy, or maybe it was to highlight the importance of making people feel appreciated for their efforts.
Hell—maybe it was to play dress up and act like British royalty. In time, it’s possible we twisted the meaning to contort it to our own sick image, but whatever the answer was, not knowing didn’t bother me anymore because whether I had that stupid plastic tiara or not, I knew I was worthy.
High school only needed to be a popularity contest if we allowed it. It was all a matter of perspective. And looking back on it, my perspective is who gives a fuck.
