Reputation

4

Some of the people in my class treated homecoming like it was the end all be all. Well, I guess for most of them it was. They planned to live the stereotypical high school experience, go to some college, be engaged by senior year, and get married the next spring.

It was my biggest goal to make sure that I didn't peak in high school. 

I felt like Sloane felt as if she reached her peak at high school and now she didn't know what to do with herself. My sister would never admit that though.

"Earth to Sloane!" Hannah waved her hand in front of my face. I snapped out of my thought about how much I dreaded school dances. "Who are you taking to homecoming?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I don't even wanna go."

Ivy gave me a look. "Babe, you're student-body president, co-captain of the cheer team, and you're Rowan fucking Carroway, you have to go."

"I don't even know who I would bring! II don't talk to guys like that." I shot back.

Hannah gasped. "I have the perfect friend for you. His name is Jonah. He doesn't go to Trinity, he goes to Wake High. I think you two would be so cute."

"Is he black or something?" Ivy questioned.

It was true. White girls always thought that you would be cute with other black boys simply because they were also black.

"No, he's mixed," Hannah responded.

I just gave Ivy that look.

"Anyway, he's coming to my pre-birthday party on Friday. You'll like him, Rowan." Hannah went on.

I closed my apple juice bottle. "Whatever, I'll give it a chance."

"You'll be thanking me." Hannah winked.

"As long as he can look nice in pictures." I stood up from the table, "I have to go handle some business for the homecoming shirt orders, but I'll see you two at cheer practice."

School was school.

I went to my two-hour-long practice after school which luckily ended a little bit early because of the thunderstorm. 

As I was driving out of school, I saw this figure walking iin the rain as it poured. I slowed down and I looked the guy in the face.

Oh brother.

Every fiber in my being told me to speed by and act like II never saw him, but it was pouring and lightning and I just couldn't do it.

I rolled down my window, "Hayden!"

He turned.

"Do you want a ride? I'm being so serious. We can act like it never happened." I shouted over the rain.

He looked like he debated it for a moment but then he started walking toward my car. I unlocked the doors, reached in the backseat to grab a pink beach towel, and held out the towel as he got in my car.

"Walking in a thunderstorm is crazy even for you." I looked at him.

He was soaked.

Yet he had these piercing blue-green-gray eyes that always stood out. It was the one redeeming characteristic of his. 

"Long story." he dried off with my pink towel. "I'll give you directions just drive straight for now."

I turned down the a/c since I figured that he would be cold. It was quiet in the car other than the music that played.

This was awkward.

Maybe I should have just offered to call an Uber.

"You listen to Amy Winehouse?" he asked me as 'Half Time' started playing.

Riley would listen to Amy all the time. I always thought my oldest sister was the coolest so I started listening to Amy.

I nodded my head, "Yeah. You listen to Amy?"

"I do. My mom used to play her music all the time," he answered my question. "My favorite is Wake up Alone."

I did a small smile inside.

"That's my sister's favorite." I commented. 

Then my mind went back to Saturday.

"Speaking of sisters, I'm sorry about Sloane on Saturday. She's...Sloane." I apologized on her behalf. 

He stayed quiet. "You know why she didn't win student body president our freshman year?"

"Because she has the most inflated ego known to man." I responded. 

Hayden turned and looked at me. "You're more aware than I thought."

"I told you that you don't know me." I reminded him.

As I drove I Hayden's house, it became clear what Sloane was trying to say. He wasn't growing up going to etiquette classes or fancy dinners for rich people. She was essentially saying that he was from the wrong side of the tracks.

I don't know how she knew that, but she did.

Hayden's house was a single-wide trailer. 

He pointed to a blue tarp that I assumed was covering a car. 

"That's my car that I'm fixing up," Hayden explained.

"What kind?" I asked him.

"You wanna see?" he offered and agreed.

It was lightly drizzling, but that was nothing compared to the downpour that was happening thirty minutes ago.

I got out of the car and he took off the tarp. It was a sleek black Mustang that was missing a front headlight but other than that it was in tact.

"The previous owner got in a small fender-bender it. I bought it for half the price and I've been fixing it up. Tell your dad thank you for the work because it got me the last headlight I needed." Hayden pointed out everything.

"Probably not the best, safest car to buy but what the hell." he shrugged.

I laughed a little bit. "It suits you. I don't know if I could see you driving anything else."

Ew. Why are we getting along right now?

"I guess I owe you one if you ever need anything. Not that you would take a favor from me." Hayden looked at me.

"Sure wouldn't." I shook my head.

He looked up at the sky. "You should get home before it starts raining again. Thank you though, Carroway."

I grinned. "I know that was hard for you to say. You're welcome though."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, whatever. Bye, Carroway."

I don't think that he's ever called me by my first name.

"Bye," I said as I got into my car.

I lived about twenty-five minutes away from him. Luckily, I made it before the next wave of storms came through.

As I walked into the house, I heard my mom on the phone.

"I wish she were more like Sloane. I was on the phone with her and when she was Rowan's age she had everything together. Hell, she even had an internship as a rising senior in high school. Do you know what Rowan was doing? Waving around pom-poms!" my mom's voice spoke on the phone.

I rolled my eyes.

My brother didn't have an internship, he was running on a track, did she think any less of him? No.

My dad only got her that internship as a pity gift because she couldn't win student body president (something I could do) on her own accord. 

That didn't matter because no matter what I did, I would never measure up to Sloane. No matter what I did or accomplished.