Background Character

Chapter 24

I can't believe Prom is tomorrow Olivia thought to herself as she entered the school. More than that, she couldn't believe she was in the top five for Prom Court. The people with the most votes are obviously King and Queen, but the second and third place winners are the court. Hopefully that'll be me.

It took a while to get used to seeing her face everywhere she looked, especially with so few posters to take attention away from it. Even where there were posters everywhere, Cheryl had made sure hers was the biggest. Probably because she wanted Olivia to stand out, and because she knew Olivia would hate the huge posters.

She and Laura still weren't quite on speaking terms, though the latter had stopped avoiding them. Part of that Olivia attributed to Tomas asking Laura to come in with him to Prom, "as friends" even though she knew Laura didn't see it that way. Olivia knew Tomas was just heartbroken that Hannah was now bringing a friend with her, some guy on student council.

Prom drama was more than Olivia wanted, especially when it came to a little love drama herself.

"Hey Olivia!" Cheryl and Jack walked over to her, that latter of which was waving eagerly as he called out to her, "You have to come to the get together we're having at Cheryl's tonight. She decided that she lost 'too much weight' so we're having a barbeque."

"That doesn't sound like I have much room to turn it down," Olivia nodde, "See you guys there. Laura can pick me up."

Jake faltered, but quickly picked himself up, "Okay."

"Do you and Hannah want to take me?" Olivia didn't know how to say no to his sad face.

"Just me actually," Jake gestured to Cheryl, "Those two are going after school to set up and so they can check each other's dresses out. Cheryl's taking her, so I get Hannah's car. And to answer your question, I would love to take you tonight."

"Okay, I'll see you then." 0

Jake nodded enthusiastically and then rushed forward, leaving Olivia and Cheryl behind.

Cheryl grinned, "See you then."

Someone taps on my shoulder, taking me out of the love triangle I can only assume was occurring.

"Hey Ian." B smiles as I turn around to face her, "I just thought I'd apologize for the last time we met, at the mall. I've been meaning to, but you haven't been anywhere. Trust me, I've been looking." She groans and turns a bright shade of red, "That came out wrong."

"I think it came out right," Way to go man, certainly not laying it on way too thick. The only girl who can see me and of course I'm too forward.

"Well, like I said before, I'm glad I found you." She stops, "No, I didn't say that before. Scratch that. Sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, really. I'm happy to see you too. This whole narrator thing is a little lonely."

She nods, hers eyes saying that she understands exactly what I'm talking about. Of course she knows, she's a background character. B had already explained to me that she feels unnoticed and shunned by people, because of Laura.

"Doesn't everyone want to be noticed? Doesn't everyone want to matter?" She closes her eyes. I can see the struggle in her head, as she bites her lip and her brows pull together, "It doesn't matter that you are basically the main character in this story, the only person in every scene. Your voice isn't heard, you just observe and repeat it for the audience."

"Maybe I just want everything to go back to normal? Being the narrator was fun for all of five seconds, but I just want to be normal again." I shrug my shoulders, thinking about tomorrow. What will happen to me? Will I still be like this?

"Nobody is perfect, nobody is normal. You're striving for something that doesn't exist." B turns to me, her mood changing drastically, "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" She had heard me ramble on about my problems, so she deserves the same.

"Did you ever notice me? Do you think you would have noticed me if I hadn't called you out, or if we went back to normal and I was just me?" It seems her words have struck a chord in her, "I mean you never noticed me before all this."

"Did you...notice me?"

B smiles, although it doesn't reach her eyes. She just looks at me and takes a step forward, closing the distance between the two of us even more. Hesitantly, she nods and looks into my eyes and I see myself in hers.

"You know what? I don't care," This time she smiles and her eyes glimmer with it, "You noticed me and I guess neither of us can change the past. I don't care that you never noticed me because you do now."

My heart races at her words. She is so beautiful and I can't but wonder how I never noticed her before. I guess the problem is that I've always been so focused on the popular kids, and Olivia and Laura because I knew that Olivia was meant to be popular. Anyone could tell she was far too good for the background, that she was meant to stand out.

Yet B is so beautiful but, she's different. Olivia radiates and B glows, and sometimes you need to be in a dark room to see the full extent of a glowing light. Just like how sometimes you need to be the narrator, to take a step back to notice the girl you already should know.

Okay, so that only applies to me as far as I know, but it's nonetheless true.

"B, do you want to go to Prom with me?" My hands shake, remaining glued to my sides.

I haven't really known B long, but if I wake up as me, then we have Prom and the next year to see each other every day. We can grow closer and really get to know each other, more than just jokes about our existence and milkshakes.

She throws her arms around me, "Of course!"

"Wait." He put her down and looked at her curiously, "How are you planning on getting into Prom. You're a junior."

"I'm also the Photo Editor for the Rockwell Herald and I'm covering both the photos and story at Prom." Her mouth opens wide in shock as she looks at me and grinned,"Unless you know a certain fantastic writer who wouldn't mind contributing because I doubt you yourself have a ticket and I doubt you'll be able to sneak your way into Prom."

"I don't know the first thing about news writing." I try to protest, but it is a good idea.

"Come on, we get cool press passes."

"Fine," Well that takes care of one thing, "I can probably borrow a suit from my dad. I've been banking on still being the narrator and being able to just appear at Prom with them and floating in behind."

"And what if you don't go back to Sebastian?"

"Well you'll know by tomorrow morning. Meet me by..."

"By the newsroom," B filled in, "We will meet by the newsroom, before school starts."

"Okay."

Suddenly, everything clicks. I had spent a good amount of time with her, stolen milkshakes and discussed my very existence but, "What's your name? Your real name B?"

My question catches her off guard. A smile, knowing smile lifts on her face as she looks at me with half-lidded Hazel eyes, "It's Blake, Blake Cromwell.