GTLive Oneshots

Worth It [AU]

News spread like wildfire around the school that ever-so-popular Stephanie Cordato had not only flirted with geek Matthew Patrick, but was seen kissing him in the back of the science lab after classes.
She had a weird charm about her, some sort of aura drawing the popular kids around her despite her quiet personality.
At some point they started to rub off on her and she grew bolder, and the school supposed this must be the last step.
Even the teachers caught wind of it, shooting poor Matthew the odd glimpse during class and the entire room would giggle as he hid behind his notes with a heavy flush.
Matthew, of course, wasn't normally like this. He was a theater kid too and the stage was his home.
All the world's a stage, of course, but he wasn't so sure he liked this script, with other students whispering about him as he walked through the halls about what it was about him that got Stephanie Cordato to kiss him of all people.
Jocks grumbled as he walked by because they'd been trying to get her for years and they were bested by a geek.
But, if he was going to be totally honest, Matthew thought it was worth it.
•••
They slipped into the unoccupied music room and Stephanie smiled as she looked around at the untouched instruments, memories waiting to happen.
Her gaze finally fell on him.
His lips quirked upwards and he honestly couldn't help it.
"It seems you've garnered some attention." Stephanie said, stating it simply because it was a fact. He shrugged.
"A little, maybe."
"Any bullies I need to shoot down?"
"Well, there is this one idiot on the football team, but I have a feeling that's a personal vendetta."
She giggled sweetly because he was just the cutest thing and she didn't even plan on destroying him emotionally this time.
(Not that she had before.)
"And how have you been?"
She responded with a dismissive hand gesture and an eye roll.
"Teasing from the rest of the group." She said loosely. "What would you expect?"
"Ugh. Boys." He joked and she couldn't contain her laughter. He wasn't even that funny, she told herself, but she laughed anyway.
"Look who's talking." She snarked, crossing her arms.
"That was the joke, Stephanie!" He shoved her lightly on the shoulder and she dramatically fell back screaming bloody murder.
"ABUSE!! I'VE BEEN HURT!"
He shoved a hand over her mouth.
"Shh! Someone could find us!"
"Does it bother you?"
" A little." He admitted. "You should audition for the play tomorrow."
"Oh, Matthew, acting isn't really my forte."
"Really? Because that injury looked pretty real." He teased.
"Stop!"
"But you could get the female lead, and she gets a kiss from me near the end of the play."
She smiled sweetly and grabbed the back of his neck.
"Why wait?"
•••
The kids who paid to see the surveillance tapes from the music room the next day didn't regret losing over $100 in bets because now they could murmur to their friends every time they saw Stephanie and she would maybe even look at them with some disgust and that would be fantastic.
But they didn't have to gossip. The next day Matt and Steph walked into the cafeteria for lunch holding hands, and while the entire school might as well have combusted, they thought it was worth it.