Not Quite the Opposites (camren)

What Makes You Happy?

John H. Roth High School had been busy preparing for homecoming. The big football game for the Roth Dolphins was on the next day with the school dance that night after the game. The committees and organizations were scrambling to finish projects at record speeds which stole my five-people pod from me. Thankfully, Ally had been dragging me to the school gymnasium to help with the décor for the dance.

Speaking of the marine mammal we call our teams with, dolphins depend on each other for many reasons as to greater the chance of survival. They communicate in intricate ways to manipulate their social environment. Their depending on each other also includes mating and that's what Brad and his three little cronies have been doing.

While walking along the swarmed halls of the Roth High, where students were engaged in shallow chit chat preparing to head home, Ally and I were halted by one familiar blonde boy. He flashed us his cheeky smile.

"Well, hello there, Lauren." He greeted with one of his hands suspiciously tucked behind his back. "And..." He trailed off as her cocked his head towards the older Latina I was with.

"Ally." She added with her typical warm and inviting smile despite her wandering, nervous eyes.

I raised my brows as I forced my lips to smile, only making it to an awkward toothless grin. "Hi." I blandly said.

He extended his arm out to shake Ally's hand. He leaned down and pressed his lips on the back of the older girl's hand. "James. Pleasure to meet you, love." His swooning skills were blatantly but it did not work on me.

With that, I had a sudden realization that I may be more attracted to girls than boys. It didn't help that my boyfriend goes ballistic when a guy, even a friend, is around me. It's worse if I seem to be enjoying the conversation.

Ally giggled awkwardly as she looked into my eyes with such confusion yet she could not hide the feeling of flattery. Her cheeks were in a shade of red as she covered her mouth with her other hand.

"Lauren." The Brit began as she let go of my friend's hand. He then retrieved his hidden hand out and with it was a long stemmed red rose as he yet again beamed at me. "This is for you, courtesy of my best mate, Brad."

I let out a breath in amusement through my nose but graciously took the flower from him. I don't necessarily like his shorter friend's attention. Ally's eyes widened as she grinned and I could not tell what her expression was for but the glint in her eyes showed she was happy for me.

"Tell him thank you but I have a boyfriend." I told James politely as I stretched my lips yet again for a toothless grin while raising my brows. For some reason, his smile was unwavering and I could tell he had a little plan. I did not like it one bit.

Soon enough, I could hear strings being stroked into a melody and James hurriedly disappeared in one of the rooms. The students were backing out of the scene and watched intently as they made an imperfect circle around me and my shorter friend.

Unfortunately for me, one boy about the same height as James emerged from the same room holding one more rose. It didn't take long for another one; a shorter one, about the same height as Bradley with yet another rose to show up.

Finally, Brad emerged from the same room with a bouquet of nine roses with James on his tail, playing a classic guitar. His disheveled sweep of a hair was the same as the last time I saw them. He was wearing blank pants and a simple black tee with his worn out sneakers.

The short British boy began to sing a Lifehouse song called "You and Me" with a particularly underdeveloped juvenile yet good voice. I would have been blushing and falling head over heels if I had not have this reserved disdain for the boy for whatever it is he did to me on the beach.