Augustine

Chapter 26

"Why didn't you say yes?" Aliyah all but screams at me, after I tell her about my conversation with Connor.

I thought she would be relieved to know that Connor still didn't have a date, but when it comes to Aliyah I should know her reactions are a flip of a coin.

"I thought you would be happy." I half whisper, trying to get her own voice at a conversational level. "You've been talking about him non-stop since I got back."

I push the door open and bask in the sunlight finally peaking past the clouds.

"Boys are the last thing on my mind," she brushes me off, stopping at the top of the stairs that lead towards the parking spots. "Besides, he obviously has a thing for you. Why would I want to be second best? I deserve first place. I deserve to be his first thought in the morning and the last one before he goes to sleep." For the first time since last week she grins from ear to ear. "Anyways, I have a date already."

"Who?" I dig through my brain as it shifts through all the eligible bachelors that have come up to her this week, but I find nothing. "When did this happen?"

"During third. Belinda passed me a note," she reaches into her notebook and pulls out a small piece of parchment paper. It was a drawing of Belinda holding up a sign with the words 'homecoming?' written in capital letters. "I said 'yes'." She covers her face to hide the blush spreading through her cheeks.

"That's awesome!" I grin, trying to match her excitement. "Why didn't you text me?"

"I don't know." She bites the side of her lip. "It feels a little weird. I don't know if I should tell my parents. You know how they are."

Before I left Aliyah was struggling on the best way to tell her parents, without them completely disowning her. They carry the mindset of boy and girl relationships, so she knows the pill of her being attracted to both boys and girls is going to be the hardest for them to swallow.

"The only thing that matters is how you feel. Everything else will fall into place."

Her eyes gloss over, the picture of sadness and excitement pulled together with a smile. "You've always been such a good friend to me." She pauses, picking at her nails. "I haven't always been that to you."

It's extremely hard to stay happy, when people keep bringing up the past. The wound keeps getting pulled apart. "We don't need to talk about that right now."

I take a couple steps down the stairs, hoping she understands the end of a conversation when she sees one. But for her to understand, I might have to staple a sign on my forehead.

She grabs my forearm, a solemn look in her eyes. "August, there's something I need to tell you. He's-."

The screeching of the school speakers block Aliyah's voice before she's able to finish her sentence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention!"

Connor stands on one of the pillars, a microphone pressed against his lips. The second our eyes meet he winks, sending a trail of glares in my direction from some of the girls around us..

The small crowd he hypnotized with his unapologetic yet charming smile gathers around him, mostly consisting of Freshman girls fawning from being so close to him.

"I would like to formally and officially ask Miss. August Brooks to give me the honor and pleasure of escorting her to Homecoming." He jumps the small section that separates the pillar he's standing on and the stone banister directly across from me. "So, I stand here, praying you don't turn me down and hoping you will grace me with your presence Friday night."

My eyes fall out of my face and land in a sloppy puddle at the sight in front of me. Never in a thousand years would I have thought he would take me seriously when I told him I needed a gesture. No one ever does.

My face flares up bright red and my mouth has opened and closed about fifty times in the past thirty seconds.

I don't want to go.

I don't want to go.

I scan the crowd for an escape or at the very least a portal to drag me out of here but all I'm met with are the excited grins and frowns of the girls who wished were in my place.

And every single one staring at me.

"Okay." I can't believe my mouth decided to speak before my brain was given enough time to process the situation. "I would love to go with you." Love? Did I just say love?

Someone needs to hit me with the defibrillator, because I think I just flatlined.

He jumps off the bannister and lands right at my feet. "I'lll pick you up at 6." He smiles, showing off his incredibly straight, but obnoxiously white teeth. He grabs my hand and brings it up to his lips. The girls swoon while I itch to wipe it off. "I'll see you then."

I should be excited.

I should be jumping up and down with an uncontrollable grin on my face.

Then why do I feel like I just made a huge mistake.

I'm already going to hell. Why stop making bad decisions now?