a cigarette for cade | ongoing

11 | oh, shut up

"We accept the love we think we deserve."
- Stephen Chbosky -

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"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME that Tatiana was gonna be here!" I hissed through my teeth, grabbing Oliver's shirt collar and twisting it.

"How the hell was I supposed to know that she'd just show up?" he asked rhetorically. His sarcastic demeanor is typically fun, but sometimes, its a real pain in the ass.

"You arranged this get-together," I accused him under my breath. "Didn't you?"

"Willow," he murmured patronizingly. "I didn't invite her. She invited herself."

Out the corner of my eye, I could see Tatiana trying to move in on Eli. He was talking avidly with Hussain and a few other boys I didn't recognize. All while she was beside him, running her fingers through her hair and laughing softly at everything he had to say.

I jabbed my finger at Oliver's chest.

"I can't be here if she's here!" I exclaimed.

"So what?" he rolled his eyes. "Just ignore her."

Little people understood what it felt like to have someone as popular and influential as Tatiana to hate your guts. Ignoring her was the was the easy part.

The problem was that because she had the whole school following her around like mindless cronies, she basically set the entire student body against you.

"You don't get it," I sighed. "She hates me on a molecular level."

"Yeah, but she's hot."

I just stared at him, bemused. "Are you serious?"

"Willow," he grunted, pushing away my hand. "Relax. Nothing's going to happen if you just stay out of each other's way."

Oliver was right. I couldn't just walk up to her and ask her to leave. I would just have to suck it up and pretend she wasn't there.

"Right," I say, sulking away. The look on his face was apologetic.

Naomi didn't show up yet, which means that Gabriel didn't either since they were practically inseparable. Cade was outside smoking (what a surprise!) and Andrei wasn't anywhere to be seen. I decided to scope the area for a while, since our game only started at 8:30.

I've never been to Cosmic Lights, and I wouldn't have been surprised if I got lost either - judging on the fact that it was huge.

My eyes skimmed across the faces of the people in the photographs that hang on the walls; photos taken at birthday parties and simple get-togethers. They're all smiling with their arms wrapped around each other and their hair sweaty. Laughter forever frozen in their faces.

I wonder what those people are up to now.

As I turned around the corner, I caught sight of a flash of blonde hair.

Shit.

Immediately, I turned around and quickened my pace. I didn't need Tatiana to ruin my day. I thought about what Oliver told me.

Just stay out of her way, I repeated inwardly.

"Hey!" she called out from behind me. I bit my lip. "Hey! Why are you walking away?"

Letting out a sigh from between my teeth, I turned around slowly, my hands balled into fists in my sweater pockets.

"Willow!" Tatiana smiled sweetly. "What are you doing here?"