Home Base

Chapter 18: Homecoming Part I

Trenton's POV
Friday, November 2nd, 2018

Homecoming Day

    The entire school was just buzzing with excitement as I entered the big double doors. The decorations were already laying off to the side, making the anticipation of putting them up harder to bear. Every student, well almost every student, was so focused on Homecoming that every teacher decided it was the day for a pop quiz. I don't know what was funnier; the fact that my classmates' mouths dropped when they saw a quiz on their desks, or the fact that the teachers now have to grade all of these papers after Homecoming.

    Paige finished the quizzes shortly after I did, making me laugh even more. Most of the teachers saw the way we interact and oftentimes I find them daydreaming, probably about when they were in high school, chasing after love. I even go so far as to think that they, the student body, ship us under the name, 'Paint' or 'Taige', they sound really dumb, but then I remember that people have nothing better to do than ship two random people. Anyway, we are the school's 'Golden couple', 'it couple' and even people's OTP, one true pairing.

    Paige seemed to just absorb the attention like nothing while I struggle to cope with it. I find myself insecure with the popularity. Back in Cicero, I was just the insanely talented kid on the baseball team, and now, I'm that and the popular kid. Everyone watches me and I feel so much peer pressure under all of their gazes. Paige seemed to notice my lack of talking since we walked in, "Are you feeling alright?" she asked, gripping my hand.

I looked over to see the girl I love gazing into my eyes that seemed to have spoken my worries. I smiled at her, "Yeah, just thinking about how sexy you're going to be in your dress." She got a green dress, and that is all she would tell me. I've tried to pry details but she was tight-lipped about it...

Were you expecting a sexual remark? Fucking perverts I swear.

    Anyhow, she told me this was a formal event, but not so formal that it required the whole nine yards. That would be Prom. This would actually be my first Homecoming. Shocking, right? It takes a lot for me to go out and be social, but I feel as if I am coming out of my shell, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend. She has made me feel slightly more confident, but only slight. There are many hurdles that I must crawl, or actually jump, over in order to be what I want to be. All I want to be is with Paige.

"Come on, Trenton, I know something is bothering you, and it isn't about Homecoming, and it is not even about the home situation. Please, as your girlfriend, I want to know how to help you, but you cannot close yourself off. You can talk to me about it," Paige added, her nimble fingers tracing a pattern on the top of my hand, sending tingles up my arm.

"How do you deal with being so popular?" I asked, my voice faltering just a little; but showing how insecure I am about popularity.

Paige groaned, "I forgot you don't like the spotlight as much as the rest of us, and that is no fault of your own. Everyone in California loves the spotlight. Don't worry about it, you learn to block it out eventually." Paige looked at me with those soft emerald eyes that I adore before leaning in and kissing me. It was a small simple kiss, but it meant a lot to me. It eased my worries or now.

Little did I know, people were watching the interaction, and only a fool could not see the love we have for one another. It became silent in the hallway as we had this chat, even though we were leaning on the lockers. The only sounds that were heard were footsteps. I moved a lock of Paige's hair behind her ear and she blushed, which made me smirk. Where the hell would I be without this girl?

"Ready for Homecoming?" I asked, wanting to shift the topic away from me to about us. "So you're seriously not going to tell me what you have planned?"