Accidentally on Purpose

Chapter Sixteen

On Wednesday, Jonah completely acted as if I didn't exist.

Well, I mean I shouldn't have been surprised—we hadn't dramatically become friends overnight or whatever, and we had no obligation to interact with each other, save for the stupid parenting/getting married/getting engaged project. And before the soda incident, he had always acted as if I didn't exist, too—heck, he acted as if no one existed in the world but himself. But I don't know, I guess I just expected that something had somehow shifted between us, because this past week we had been having something... something something. I was hoping there would be a thing.

Truthfully, though, the biggest reason why it bothered me so much that Jonah was sort of kind of ignoring me was because I really did thought he was going to do the proposal. But now there was nothing, not even a word, no sign that he was about to propose.

Well, except for the "proposal" yesterday at the diner—the whole thing with the drawing of a diamond ring on the latte—bit I thought was a fluke. He didn't even react when I said no. There wasn't any disappointment or even annoyance in his face. He didn't really care that I'd rejected it.

But what if it was his real proposal?

What if he wasn't going to propose again?

Once I got out of Mr. Herberg's class, it only became worse to see nearly half of everyone from the class wearing fake engagement rings on their left hands. My face quickly scrunched up into a frown, hating how they all seemed excited because their partners had proposed in the most, and I quote, "whimsical, magically romantic way". Gag me.

But I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest when I saw the rings. I admit, some of the rings looked beautiful. I was so astonished by my classmates' effort to get the best yet cheapest ring they could find, just for a girl they weren't even really dating. All for this stupid project. Tracey's ring, for example, had a white, rose-shaped ornament on it as the substitute for the diamond. Spencer was so thoughtful it almost made me cry as if I was watching some sappy romantic movie.

I was munching on my pizza with a frown, my eyes falling onto my lap so I wouldn't have to see all those rings around me, when the gushing in front of me suddenly stopped. I looked up in confusion, only to see that my best friends were eating each other's faces in front of me and my pizza, and I groaned. All of the excitement from everyone else from the Life Skills class already soured my mood and here went my friends, being all lovey-dovey on top of my misery.

"You guys are disgusting," I moaned, burying my face into my hands and dropping them onto the table. "Right in front of my pizza?"

I kept banging my forehead onto the table until I heard both girls laughing, which only made me groan even louder.

"She's just jealous because her partner hasn't proposed yet," Gina said to Bey in-between her laughter. I lifted my head to give her my most withering glare. "Don't mind her."

"Mock me all you want but please don't make out in front of me. All this romantic nonsense is driving me nuts. I'm already miserable enough."

They thankfully didn't make out again, even though Bey did peck Gina on the cheek with a laugh. They both were still grinning at me as if I was the funniest thing on earth.

"I hate him so much," I glowered before taking another bite of my pizza. "How dare he put me in such torture! Does he have the slightest idea how it completely wrecks me to hear you and everyone else talk about their proposals?"

They both seemed amused by my rant, so I shut up and stuff the rest of the pizza into my mouth.

"Who knows, Hannah," Bey spoke consolingly, "maybe he's just planning something completely grand, and that's why it takes long for him to propose."

"Or maybe he just loves to get you all riled up," Gina added lightly, and Bey slightly shoves her in the arm but she just laughs. "Come on, Bey! It's funny to see her like this."

I threw a grape and it hit Gina exactly on her forehead, and it was her turn to glower at me.

"Anyway, any updates on OBA?" she asked while rubbing her forehead.

I shrugged. "It's kinda weird now. We didn't become friends but we're not exactly enemies either."

"Frenemies?" she suggested. "Acquaintances?"

"Doesn't frenemies mean that you're both friends and enemies with the person?" I asked in confusion. "In this case, we're not friends, and not enemies. But I wouldn't call us acquaintances either. I don't know."

"Huh," she commented. "That's really weird. But it's still a progress, isn't it?"

"I guess so," I said with a shrug, before eyeing the Japanese girl next to Gina who just looked all lost. I grinned at her. "Come on, let's not talk about this. I don't want Bey to feel left out."

Bey kind of chuckled and shook her head at me. "I don't mind that much. I did make you watch us make out, so I guess we're even."

I cringed. "Yeah... about that... let's not make making out in front of innocent minded Hannah Taylors become a habit, alright?"

[]

"He hasn't proposed yet?" Spencer asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise as I leaned against the table he was wiping. We were in the now nearly empty diner, the peak hour just passed by, and I was venting out my frustration to Spencer who listened so patiently I almost felt sorry for him for putting him in such misery which was listening to my life story.

"No," I grumbled. "I'm starting to think that he isn't gonna propose at all."

He chuckled. "He will propose, trust me. He's not gonna risk your grade and his own."

"How would you know that?"

He looked up and said, "He might not like you, but he doesn't seem to not like you enough to sabotage your report card."

"You're just saying that to make me feel reassured," I groaned, and he just laughed at me.

"I am trying to reassure you," he said. "Put your faith in him, won't you?"

I puffed out a breath. "I'll try."

"Now come on," he cooed, putting his hand on my shoulder. "He did attempt to propose with a cup of coffee. That guy must have something good planned, right?"

"Or maybe he's not gonna propose at all and I'm gonna have to come up with a last minute proposal." I lightly slap a palm over my forehead. Why did I assume that he was definitely gonna do it? Why didn't I come up with a back-up plan just in case?

"Well, you can never go wrong with a classic drop-down-to-one-knee-and-pull-out-a-ring scene," Spencer offered with a shrug. "But honestly, I bet he's going to surprise you. I have a feeling about it."

"I hope so, Spence. I hope so," I sighed.