I exhaled while closing my eyes. “No surprise there.”
“Guess I didn’t make the cut.” Elliot shrugged.
My elbow collided with his ribcage, prompting him to choke out a puff of air. A tense smile made its way across my face as I clapped along with the other students, pretending to be as happy as they were. Meredith placed the crown on Mason’s head as he stood in the center of the stage. In a nauseating romantic gesture, he took her hand and raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her skin.
“Ew.” Elliot gagged while shoving two fingers in his mouth.
I bit my cheek, swallowing my laughter.
“Next up is our Homecoming Queen. She’s someone who people describe as having a big personality—thanks to me, of course—and she also has a wonderful smile. A close friend and a leading lady in every way, it’s no surprise that this year’s Homecoming Queen is Clarke Taylor.”
What the fuck was that speech?
Wait…I did it?It did it!
My mouth parted slightly.
Elliot screamed so loud I felt my ears pop. He nudged me forward, prompting me to take a few steps as I glanced around at the other students.
I flexed my jaw, trying to get the shrill ringing that was piercing my brain to stop. The giddiness I felt worked its way down my core and straight to my legs as I trotted up the stairs and onto the stage. I waved my hands emphatically, a smile eating my face. Meredith stood behind me, resting the tiara on my head. I pushed down the wave of nausea and insecurity that was bounding to the surface as I slowly closed my eyes and exhaled. When I took another breath, victory engulfed my lungs, almost suffocating me with its scent.
“Let’s hear it for Mason and Clarke!”
The audience erupted into applause once more. The only thing to keep me grounded was seeing Elliot in the crowd. He brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud wolf whistle. My legs quivered as though they had been replaced with overcooked spaghetti noodles. It took all my focus just to remain standing. A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I channeled all of my nerves and redirected my emotions as I shoved aside the lingering feeling of insecurity and allowed my mind to go blank. I stood on stage, nothing more than a puppet with a forced smile. Before the clapping faded completely, Meredith spoke up again, cutting it short.
“As you all may know, Clarke has been my best friend since freshman year, and seeing her up here, I couldn’t be more proud.”
I felt a rush of air as Meredith stepped forward, claiming the center of the stage and separating me from Mason. My jaw tightened as she placed her hand on her heart. I grimaced, my stomach churning at her false sincerity. The hairs on the back of my neck began to tingle. When I peered out at the crowd, I noticed Elliot staring at me intently, his eyebrows furrowed. I shrugged at him, sharing in his confusion.
“Watching her campaign has really inspired me, and I figured tonight was as good a time as any to officially say that I have decided to run for Prom Queen!”
What. The. Fuck.
Ten
Kendra stared at me, her jaw practically on the floor.
“So…Elliot?”
“Yep.”
“Elliot Keller?”
“That’s the one.”
“Girl! When the heck were you gonna tell me you had a crush on the emo bad boy?” Kendra nudged my arm, her eyes lighting up mid-sentence. “Wait, is he the guy who picked you up from Mason’s party?”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip while using my fork to mindlessly stir my spaghetti. “I just didn’t know how everyone would react. I mean he’s not exactly the star quarterback, ya know?”
“So! He’s fucking hot!” Kendra beamed with enthusiasm. “He’s got like a white-washed Zayn from One Direction thing going on.”
“I cannot believe you just said that,” I mumbled while shaking my head.
Kendra and I were sitting at our usual lunch table, surrounded by the rest of the cheer team, minus the traitor who-shall-not-be-named. Thankfully, I hadn’t seen them all day. As I looked from one table to the next, the lines between each clique had become a jumbled mess of fucked up alphabet soup especially since Abercrombie and I had announced our fake relationship. Clarke Taylor and Elliot Keller were dating?Oh, what an unknowable universe. It was the only thing anyone could talk about, especially after the Homecoming dance last Friday. I internally cackled at the stunned reaction when the two of us strolled down the hall, hand in hand. There were even whisperings about our new ship name, ranging all the way from Ellarke to Clariot. I even heard someone say Clot…whichGod no.
“Has Meredith talked to him?”
“Aside from Homecoming? Nope.”
