An ex-couples rivalry for the spot as student body president becomes even more convoluted when two new, unexpected candidates enter the race. Chloe and Preston team up, each vowing to get one member kicked from the competition-- but when they both e...
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My mood was pushed even lower thanks to Chloe's revelation, and the smug look on her face left me simmering in anger the rest of the day. Somehow I hadn't seen this coming, even though it was so obvious— I guess I just hadn't figured Chloe would willingly give up the title of student body president.
I tried to lighten up when I made it to the library, not wanting to greet Emily with a bad mood. But the reality was that I'd have to break the news to her, and I didn't know how she'd take it. Finn was almost a surefire win now, even if I could get my social circle to vote for her.
I shook the thought from my mind, attempting to stay positive. I'd said it myself; things were different this year. If Emily made good promises and proved herself to be an intelligent and hardworking candidate, then maybe this could still work. Not to mention, some of the people who were going to vote for Finn were bound to back away when they found out he was working with Chloe, the girl he'd publicly shamed just days ago.
I walked through the double doors, my sneakers hitting the worn navy carpeting of the library as my eyes scanned the large room. A few students were seated at the computers to my right, and a small group was sitting cross-legged on the floor near the shelves with numerous books and binders opened around them. Behind the long check-out desk was one of the librarians, too engrossed in a large Stephen King novel to mind the hushed chatter.
I spotted Emily sitting at one of the oak tables near the last row of bookcases. She was slightly hunched over the dark table, guiding a pencil along the small canvas in front of her. As I strolled over the sketch became clearer, my eyebrows raising at the well-drawn cityscape.
Emily looked up after a few seconds of me standing beside her, tugging a headphone from her ear. "Oh, hi." Her brown eyes flicked back to the canvas before swiping it from the table and placing it down next to her backpack. "Sorry, I didn't see you— I was just getting some work done."
"It looks great," I said as I pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, wishing I had given a more articulate compliment. "What's it for?"
"Uh, the school's having an art show soon, so I'm just preparing a few new pieces. Nothing too special."
"Man, they don't give you much time, do they? The first quarter just ended, what, last week?"
"They usually do it later in the year, but they moved it up because the ceramics teacher is moving away before the end of the semester— it's kind of a farewell thing," she explained. "But yeah, I've been hurrying to get some stuff ready."
"Well, that's exciting. Being new here and all, it'll be the first time you get to show off your art to everyone."
She shrugged. "It's just an after school thing— I doubt anyone who doesn't have a display is even going to come apart from the parents and teachers. But, yeah, it's still nice, even though it makes me a little nervous." She looked away, shaking her head. "Anyway, the campaign."
