masochist // h.s

21; BRAS AND DRUNKEN SLURS

:: 21

everything is beginning to unravel

and its only going to get worse

-

/ florence /

The next morning, on our way back to our lockers, Spencer turned to me and asked eagerly, "Are you and Harry dating yet?"

I rolled my eyes. "That will not happen."

"I don't understand why not," she teased.

I was standing at my locker getting my books for Journalism when I was approached by Jake Masters.

"Hey Florence," he said casually, like we spoke every day. "How are you doing?" He leaned against the locker next to mine, giving me his full undivided attention.

"Good, Jake," I answered, looking around, making sure he was really talking to me. "How are you?"

Ignoring my question, he continued. "Listen, I'm having a party on Saturday night. It's not going to be big, only about twenty or so people who I really want to be there. And I really want you to be there. What do you say?"

Before I could process what he was asking, he looked at Spencer and added, "Oh, you can bring her or whoever with you if you want."

"Okay," I said, without realising I was answering him.

"Great! Then I'll see you on Saturday," he winked and walked away, leaving me stunned. I stood there for a moment, glancing around, waiting for Spencer or someone to tell me it was a joke. And, what was up with the winking? Seriously, it was weird.

Spencer smiled knowingly at me. But her smile got bigger when we found Harry approaching us. He released a smile when he saw Spencer walking with me.

"Hi Spencer," he said, still smiling.

"Hi Harry," she greeted, smiling back.

"Ready for Journalism?" he asked. "Oh, Flor, do you think you'll be able to finish with the paper during class so that maybe we can plan something for the weekend?"

"That's perfect," Spencer interjected, before I could answer. She was thrilled to have an accomplice in Operation: Free-Florence. She was almost jumping up and down.

Harry took in her over-joyous response with a pause, having no idea what Spencer and I had been discussing earlier.

"Spencer's trying to come up with some sort of strategy to expose me to the world outside of school and my house, and you're just feeding into it," I explained.

"That's always been the plan," Harry admitted. Spencer beamed.

"I hope I know what I'm getting myself into," I said with a sigh and a roll of my eyes.

"The chance to live a little," Spencer offered, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.

"So you say," I grumbled. She laughed.

As we walked to Journalism, I told Harry, "I know what we're doing Saturday night."

Harry sighed and asked, "Great, what has Spencer planned now?"

"Actually," I corrected. "I told Jake Masters we'd go to his party." I expected him to hear him laugh at the irony of me deciding to go to a party, but he was silent. I examined his pensive expression. "What?"

He looked at me for a second before his eyes flickered back down to the floor. "Jake asked you to go to his party?"

I glanced down at the bracelet he had absentmindedly begun to fiddle with. I watched him for a few seconds, before I opened my mouth to speak. "Yeah, I was completely surprised and still haven't figured out why - but he did. So I kinda agreed."