iii. Homecoming Hassle
pairing: Gene x popular!Reader
content: pdh, drill team!reader, opposites attract, sunshine/grumpy, angst, suggestive but not explicit, mentions of blackmail, images used are NOT an indication of the reader's appearance
summary: A sleepover with Sasha and Katelyn reveals that you really don't think Gene is all that bad, but your encounter with him at the homecoming dance was not what you meant.
word count: 8.4k
masterlist
The Problem With Popularity masterlist
previous part
There were many things you learned about Gene while sitting next to him in Physics for a month and a half that surprised you. One of those things was that he actually showed up to class (at least Mr. Vega’s class) every day. Another was that he always insisted on walking you to lunch and lingered at the hallway opening to watch you meet Katelyn in line.
The most surprising thing, though, was the fact that he hadn’t once mentioned you joining the Shadow Knights. Or brought up anything he might be able to use against you to do what he wanted. In fact, he was a lot nicer than you’d anticipated.
Sasha was right. Once you got to know him and talked to him a bit, he really didn’t seem all that bad. If you weren’t friends with Laurance, you might have argued he was just like anyone else in the school.
And, despite every single sign and person pointing you in the opposite direction, you were starting to like him. Not exactly like that, but he was beginning to grow on you.
But maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t have found a photo of him (courtesy of Dante’s Instagram profile) to print and cut out for the hear me out cake Katelyn had brought to your house. Sure, there were some . . . out of pocket characters and objects already pressed into the store-bought cake, but you were almost positive that your choice in particular would top the pi symbol.
“A stop sign,” Sasha said, taking one of her picks and pushing it towards the front.
Katelyn furrowed her brows. “That’s an object.”
“You put the number eight.”
“Okay.” Katelyn threw her hands out in defense, though she didn’t say anything else.
“Why a stop sign?” you asked, leaning against the counter. Sasha flipped her straight hair behind her shoulder, pressing the tips of her fingers together in front of her like she was an evil villain. The pose was something you had seen her do before, but it seemed odd in addition to her clean face and baggy pajamas. She was facing Katelyn’s phone camera like she had rehearsed this.
“It has a commanding presence. Like . . . Stop.” She held her hand out, biting back a laugh. “You know. It’s like. Commanding.”
Katelyn snorted, which then turned into a fit of giggles. She had gotten more comfortable with Sasha since the school year started and now considered her a friend. You were glad for that, because you would say that Sasha was one of your best friends now.
“Okay,” you said, nodding in agreement. “Okay, hell yeah. I hear you.”
“Right! It just . . . You just don’t get it, Katelyn.”
Katelyn raised her brows. “You’re right, I don’t.”
“Which I don’t understand how you don’t because you put the grim reaper from the Sims.”
“You agreed with me!”
“Of course I agreed! Have you seen me?”
You burst out laughing, nearly doubling over to hold your stomach. It was not that funny, but it was late and the fatigue and exhaustion from the day was starting to get to you. The official homecoming game had been that day, and it ended later than usual. Not to mention you spent literally the whole day decked out in your heavy drill team gear to show team spirit. You’d invited both Katelyn and Sasha to spend the night at your house along with the following day. The plan was for the three of you to get ready for the actual homecoming dance together, and then you would drive everyone there and back to your house.
They would decide then if they wanted to stay Saturday night, but you didn’t care if they did.
“Okay, Y/n. What’s your last hear me out,” Katelyn asked, leaning against the counter. Sasha shuffled back, away from the center focus of Katelyn’s camera. You replaced her.
“Okay,” you began, picking up the next toothpick and holding it against your chest so they didn’t see. “This one’s out of pocket.”
“It can’t be more out of pocket than Papa Louie,” Sasha said.
“Or the camera from Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse,” Katelyn added.
You gave a strained smile, tilting your head. “Well. This is definitely one that’s . . . Surprising. Uhm. I don’t think you guys will agree. And before I put it in I just need you guys to understand-“
“Just put the pick in,” Katelyn said. Sasha came closer to you, leaning against the counter on your other side and squinting into Katelyn’s phone to clearly see what you put down.
Her jaw dropped, and she turned toward the cake to see the picture better. “Is that Gene?”
“What?” Katelyn yelled, her head snapping to look at the cake. You covered your face with your hands, already feeling the hot wave of embarrassment coming over your face.
Katelyn covered her own mouth, her gaze flicking between you and the blurry picture of Gene you’d found on Dante’s profile. “Oh my god.”
“Listen!”
“What the hell.”
“No, you don’t understand it’s- It’s not about him, it’s about like . . .” You trailed off, making vague motions with your hands. You didn’t even know what you were trying to say.
“You think he’s hot?” Katelyn exclaimed.
“I thought you were joking when you said you hated him because he’s cute,” Sasha said, running her hands through her hair like she was experiencing a midlife crisis.
“Okay. I said it’s unfair that someone as rude as he is is that attractive,” you corrected, throwing your hands out. “But it’s.”
You cut yourself off and hummed, covering your mouth and thinking through your next words carefully. Sasha and Katelyn both looked at you expectantly, their arms crossed like disappointed parents.
“Taking out the personality part,” you started, talking slowly and acting like that would somehow validate what you were going to say. “Like, if we’re pretending he’s not a bad person, I would totally . . .”
You trailed off again, making a certain hand motion and immediately regretting it when it made Sasha gag.
“Oh my god,” she said.
“Jar.” Katelyn pointed to the front door, where your school bag and the bedazzled d-bag jar was.
“What?”
“Yes!”
“I think that warrants the jar,” Sasha agreed, nodding.
“Twenty dollars?” Katelyn suggested.
“I was thinking more like twenty-five . . .”
“Sasha you aren’t even part of the d-bag jar lore!” you yelled. If your parents were home, you definitely would not have been as loud as you were. But, both your parents were out of town for some work thing and Julie always stayed up until ungodly hours of the night anyways. You could hear her music playing from her room.
“I feel like you finding one of my best friends hot and saying you would totally”—she imitated your vulgar hand motion—“is reason enough for me to say jar.”
“Oh my god.” You groaned, covering your face again. You were never going to live this down. “I didn’t mean that, I- It- Sometimes- Ugh!”
You gave up trying to defend yourself. You whined as you retreated to your room for your wallet, counting out twenty-five dollars before dragging yourself back to the kitchen.
Katelyn shook her head disapprovingly as you trudged across her line of sight. She clicked her tongue. “I can’t believe you think Gene, of all people, is cute. I think I’d be less surprised or judgemental if you said Dante.”
“Or literally anyone else.”
“Just . . . Gene? Are you okay, Y/n?”
“Oh, my god, I get it!” you yelled. The lid of your bedazzled jar clicked against the glass container as you shoved your portion of the money into it. The jar was nearly full after almost a month and a half of use. You were thinking about putting the money into an envelope and starting anew until it filled again. “You guys are not hearing me out on Gene.”
“Did you honestly expect us to?” Katelyn asked, tilting her head.
“Well, no, but I also wasn’t expecting the reaction to be that.” You sighed, finding your place back beside them in your small kitchen. “Also, just saying, I think you guys are being dramatic. I’m not gonna date him. That wasn’t me being like, oh my goodness I’m in love with him.”
Katelyn hummed in disbelief. “Isn’t that what you said about Laurance last year?”
You scoffed. “Okay, that was different.”
“You said you wouldn’t date Laurance last year?” Sasha asked, furrowing her brows.
“Well-“
“Yes. And then guess what she turned around and did.”
“So basically she’s setting herself up to date Gene.”
“I am not! The thing with Laurance was different. For one, he’s never blackmailed people for fun,” you stated, counting off the differences in the situations on your fingers. “Two, when I said that I was literally lying straight to Katelyn’s face because I already had feelings for him. Three, we had way more classes together and way more opportunity to like each other. I only have one class with Gene this year.”
“You do hang out with me a lot,” Sasha pointed out, raising her brows. “Basically by extension you spend a lot of time with him.”
“You guys are unbelievable. I think you want me to like Gene at this point.”
Katelyn shrugged, moving her hands up and down in an exaggerated motion. “I dunno. All I know is that you told me the other day, Y’know, Gene really isn’t all that bad.”
“He’s not! Sasha agrees with me!”
“I’ve also known him since I was six.”
You sputtered, trying to come up with another defensible claim for yourself. You really didn’t like Gene like that, you were just reaching a point of being friendly with him. You smiled and waved whenever you saw him in the halls and briefly greeted him whenever he was close enough for you to talk to. That was normal for two people that were lab partners in physics.
“Whatever,” you finally settled on. “Katelyn, how’s it going with Jeffory?”
Katelyn squinted at you. It was her own little way of telling you this conversation was not over and that she wouldn’t be swayed into a different topic so easily.
But she smiled widely anyway. “It’s going good. He got me just because flowers the other day.”
Sasha hummed. She had seen them on Katelyn’s desk in homeroom. “Those were really pretty flowers.”
“I know,” Katelyn mused. “I don’t even know how he found out lilies are my favorite.”
You shrugged, but you knew. Jeffory had awkwardly approached you the day before Katelyn got flowers to ask what her favorites were. You’d told him without much complaint, and the sigh of relief he breathed out made it seem like he had been expecting a fight.
You didn’t tell Katelyn you were the reason, though. She would be able to put two and two together if she really tried.
“That’s really sweet,” you said.
“Yeah.” Katelyn softly sighed, something between a tired and a dreamlike one. “I feel bad, though. I mean, he’s always doing this really nice, amazing stuff for me and I just . . .”
“Don’t?” you offered, though you didn’t mean to say that she didn’t care. She just wasn’t good at this stuff.
Katelyn nodded. “And I’ve told him before, and he says he doesn’t mind, but to me it just feels like a give and take relationship.”
Sasha hummed, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand. “And you feel like you aren’t returning the favors enough.”
Katelyn nodded. “And I know that relationships aren’t supposed to be an exchange of actions, he just . . . Jeffory does so much for me.”
You shrugged. “Well, his love language is gift giving, Katelyn. You’re more of a quality time girl. I would say that Jeffory knows this and that’s why he tries to spend every waking moment with you.”
Katelyn huffed out a breath of amusement, though it seemed forced. “I guess . . .”
The atmosphere was thick, but not because it was awkward. It had a more somber feel to it, and to lighten the mood Sasha cleared his throat.
“How’d we go from berating Y/n for thinking Gene is cute to deep relationship talk?” she asked.
“Okay,” you said, shaking your head. “Can we just pretend the whole Gene-being-my-hear-me-out thing never happened? And like never bring it up again?”
“But Y/n, it’s so weird. Gene?”
“Oh, my goodness I get it! We don’t like Gene like that, just like-“ you waved your hands. “Forget about it. And Katelyn, do not ever show that part of the clip to anyone.”
“But that’s the best part!”
“No.”
Katelyn rolled her eyes, reaching for the picks on the cake. “Fine. I guess I won’t show it to anyone.” She sighed sadly as she began removing the pictures from the cake so the three of you (plus Julie, if she decided to come down) could finally eat it. Katelyn picked out the picture of Gene, looking it over. “Where did you even get this? Why is he dressed so nice?”
“Dante’s profile,” you said. Sasha looked over Katelyn’s shoulder at the photo.
“Oh, that was their aunt’s wedding,” she said, rolling her eyes as she recounted the memory. “Gene called me that day and asked me to do his hair, and then continued to ask me to be his fake girlfriend so he didn’t have to suffer his family asking when he would finally get laid.”
You giggled. “He said that?”
Sasha shrugged. “Basically. I went and then regretted it because his grandma kept saying and asking things about him that I never wanted to know.”
“And Dante didn’t expose you?” Katelyn asked, tossing the handful of toothpicks and cut out paper in her hands in the trash.
Sasha shook her head. “He was surprisingly very compliant about it. He announced it right before we left, though, which Gene was not happy about.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It’s 100% Dante, though,” you said, walking back down the hall to call Julie. She looked up from her bed and paused her music when you knocked loudly on the door.
“You want cake?” you asked. Julie was up at the speed of light. She was so fast you weren’t even sure you saw her pass you to reach the kitchen.
“Why is there holes all over it?” she asked, pointing to the dozens of holes in the frosting.
“Did you not just hear us yelling about hear me outs?”
Julie made an O shape with her mouth, slowly nodding as she realized why.
Julie didn’t stay long. She received her quarter of the cake and made an off handed comment based on the glimpse she got of the trashed photos before retreating back to her room. You could tell she had been waiting to be offered a piece of the cake, since after she got it she closed her door.
Afterwards you and Katelyn and Sasha huddled in your room and spent an embarrassing amount of time talking about practically nothing. There was not a single thought put behind any conversation and the three of you said the first things that popped into your heads for hours.
—
The acrylic stars clicked against each other as you slipped the accessory over your tight fit black dress. The stars were dark blue and connected to each other at their points by jump rings and they shone with an iridescent coating when they caught the light. It was heavy, but the way it made your outfit look made the weight worth it.
You gave yourself a once over in the mirror. Katelyn was finishing up curling her hair and Sasha was knelt in front of your full body mirror to complete her makeup. Your hair was pinned out of your face with a midnight blue bow and the swipes of silver across your eyelids added the minor bits of magic you needed. The body shimmer you’d added really completed the look though, you thought.
“Guys, I might regret wearing this with my entire soul later,” you said as you adjusted the stars to fit better on your body.
“I told you not to get it,” Katelyn said, tilting her head slightly to glance over at you. Her dress was a shimmery white color and made of gossamer fabric. It cut off mid thigh and had poofy Snow White sleeves. She paired dainty silver jewelry (that she was borrowing from Sasha) and white flats with little bows on them with her outfit.
You sighed in response to what Katelyn said, letting your arms drop to your side as you gave yourself another once over in your mirror. “It’s iconic, though.”
“Yeah. It also weighs a million pounds.”
You rolled your eyes, turning and hitting different poses to test the flexibility of the outfit in the mirror. “I don’t know. Sasha, any thoughts?”
Sasha hummed, her gaze flicking up from her face to glance over your body in the mirror. While she did that, you assessed her own crouched down figure. Her straight hair was slicked back and pulled into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. Her deep red silk dress reminded you of the same type of dress old Hollywood stars would wear to red carpets and the black kitten heels with straps wrapping around her ankles only served to perfect the image.
She shrugged. “It’s cute.”
“Wow, Sasha, that is so helpful.”
She laughed, looking back down at her mascara as she capped it and dropped the tube back into her makeup bag. “I don’t know what else to say. Keep it, I guess? You do look really pretty.”
You smiled at her, twirling slightly to show off the dress more. “Thank you for the input, Sasha.”
The three of you continued to get ready in the bright light of your bedroom. You didn’t normally have the big light on, but considering the three of you were doing makeup and hair and the whole process of getting ready, you’d decided to turn it on for once.
Julie was already waiting in the living room by the time the three of you emerged. Her curled hair framed her face in a way that made her seem like a fairy, and the butterfly clips she had in her hair did nothing to remove the image. She wore a frilly sage dress that went just below her knees with white lace stockings and her favorite pair of red Mary Jane’s.
She looked up when she heard your footsteps and sprung up from the couch. It was her first school dance, and she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“You look like a garden fairy,” you commented, though it was more of a compliment than anything.
“Uh, thank you?” Julie furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. “Anyways, mom said-“
“Wait! I want pictures!” your mom called. She came rushing out of her bedroom, fumbling with her phone as she worked to open the camera.
Julie deadpanned. “I was about to say that. We aren’t going anywhere.”
Your mom scoffed. “Oh, like you haven’t run from a photo before. Now come here.”
Julie rolled her eyes, begrudgingly walking over to where your mom was clearing off the counter for a decent backdrop.
A photoshoot ensued. It didn’t take all that long, but it felt like it took hours. First your mom wanted solo portraits of everyone from more angles than you could count, and then she wanted ones of you and Julie, and then you and Katelyn, and then Katelyn and Julie, and then you and then she played mix and match with all four of you. You were surprised the sun still hadn’t set by the time she was finished.
“See you later, Valentina.” Katelyn waved to your mom, who was standing in the doorway, before closing your car door behind her. Your mom waved at the four of you from the driveway, only going back into her house once you had started down the street.
Julie was sitting in the passenger seat, and as a result connected her phone to your car’s stereo and started playing a 2000s pop playlist. It was the influence of your mom, you knew. As much as she wanted to pretend she didn’t like the same things as Valentina, you knew better.
The venue for homecoming was the large Yggdrasil tree by the sea. It was one of the historical landmarks Phoenix Drop was most known for and attracted many tourists. Over the centuries it had grown to unimaginable heights. There were stairs leading up into the trunk of the tree, but they were barred off for homecoming. If you went to the top, you would see a museum rich with the history of Phoenix Drop. It would be the same venue used for prom later in the year.
The four of you found yourselves waiting in the line, tickets in hand ready to hand to whatever chaperone was standing at the entrance. Katelyn was looking down at her phone, aggressively typing at her keys.
“Katelyn, straighten your back. You look like the letter C,” you said, gently grabbing her shoulder and pushing her back forward to straighten it.
She scoffed, looking up and swatting your hand away. “Shut up. You’re so rude. I’m texting Jeffory to see if he’s here.”
You scrunched your nose in disgust. “Ew, your boyfriend.”
“I don’t wanna hear it because Laurance just texted me saying he’s been texting you trying to find where you are,” Katelyn said, shooting you a glare.
“Does he still like you or something?” Julie asked. “I feel like he’s always hanging around you.”
You shrugged, pulling your phone out of your purse and scrolling through the messages Laurance had sent you. “I doubt it. He’s had his eyes on Aphmau lately.”
You quickly sent Laurance a text back telling him you were still in line. He replied with a slightly blurry picture of him and Garroth leaning in for a kiss in front of a food truck. They were already inside, based on the X’s written on their hands.
You rolled your eyes and pocketed your phone just as the four of you reached the entrance, finding that the chaperone there was your art teacher. You pulled your ticket out and handed it to Mr. Smith, and he let you and your friends in after marking your hands without problem.
Almost instantly Katelyn was being whisked away. Jeffory had grabbed her hand and offered you a brief greeting before walking off with her. Katelyn seemed to pay no mind to the fact that she had practically been kidnapped, since she was already laughing with her boyfriend.
“Wow, I can’t believe she just ditched us,” you said, your tone flat. You turned to look at Sasha and Julie, only to see that Julie had already started walking away. “What? You, too?”
Julie shrugged, vaguely motioning in the direction she was going. She opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately decided not to say anything as she continued to meet her small group of friends.
“Unbelievable,” you scoffed. You turned to Sasha, raising your brows. “Are you gonna go find Zenix and Gene and leave me, too?”
Sasha laughed at the disheartened look in your eyes and shook her head. “No. I doubt they’re even here. School dances aren’t really their thing.”
“Or yours,” you noted. “I assume they aren’t, at least. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at homecoming or winter formal.”
“Yeah, this is my first time. Gene usually invites me and Zenix over to his house to watch a movie or show until Dante gets back. That’s probably what they’re doing right now, to be honest.” Sasha thought for a moment before she shrugged. “None of us are really party people, to be honest.”
“So what made you decide to come this time?”
She gave you a smile. “I have friends to enjoy it with now.”
You returned her warm smile, reaching for her hand and interlocking your fingers with hers. You gave her hand a firm squeeze before leading her further into the venue.
If this was her first time at a school dance, then you were going to make sure it was enjoyable.
—
“Garroth, no.”
“Garroth, yes.”
“Garroth, do not.”
“You already agreed.”
“You’re going to knock my head off.”
“Just stay still. You’ll be fine.”
“Oh my god.”
You sighed, trying to stay deathly still as Garroth balanced a can of Sprite on your head. He used the way your hair parted as leverage, trying to make the can rest perfectly against it. You sharply inhaled when a drop of condensation fell on your scalp.
“Garroth, it’s cold.”
“Get over it.”
“What even is the goal?” Sasha asked, her brows furrowed as she watched you and Garroth. Laurance stood beside her and was recording the whole thing with both his phone and yours. There was no doubt in your mind that he would post it later.
“Garroth wants to see if he can knock the can off of Y/n’s head with a stick,” Laurance said, to which Sasha’s eyes widened.
“Oh, my god. He’s gonna give her a concussion.”
“That’s what I said!” you exclaimed. More cold drops had fallen into your hairline and it was taking every single sense of patience you had to not physically react. Garroth grabbed the side of your head to keep you still because you had moved just a little.
“Then why are you just standing there?”
“I was offered thirty dollars to do this.”
“Okay!” Garroth stepped away from you, holding his hands out in a hold on motion. His eyes were trained on the Sprite can resting on your head, making sure it didn’t fall to the ground. You stared at him with your eyebrows furrowed and shoulders tensed. You did not want to move and have this can fall and explode all over you.
“Okay!” he repeated, though the tone was higher and more proud. He moved his hands in a more I did it pose before standing back and picking up a large stick from the ground.
“Oh, my god,” you said, probably for the millionth time in less than five minutes when you saw the absolute mammoth of a stick Garroth had grabbed. It was almost as big as his baseball bat.
“Relax.”
“I’m going to die.”
“You’ll be fine!”
Laurance giggled from where he was. You glared at him and he stopped, but he kept an amused smirk on his face. Sasha was covering her mouth with her hands, ready to watch whatever disaster might ensue.
“Garroth-”
“Y/n. I’m the baseball team’s captain.”
“You’re a pitcher.”
“That is also really good at batting.” He smiled at you matter-of-factly. “Calm down.”
You sighed again, though your shoulders (and entire body, really) remained tense. Garroth got into position beside you, feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. He tapped the end of the stick on the ground in front of you three times before lifting you and trying a practice swing.
You squeezed your eyes shut. You were not about to watch your inevitable doom as it approached you. As much as you had been complaining, though, you trusted Garroth to not absolutely blow your head off. You had seen him play. He nearly always hit the ball, and the ball was flying at him at like seventy miles per hour from like sixty feet away. He could hit a nonmoving object two feet away, right?
Right?
You heard the stick make contact with the can and let out a shriek, instinctively crouching down and lifting your hands above your head protectively. Garroth cheered when the bent and now empty can landed on the concrete a couple feet away. After a moment you lifted your head and looked back at where the can was now sadly resting.
“I’m suing for emotional distress,” you said, turning back to Garroth. You were still in your defensive squatting position, so you had to look up a million feet to actually meet the tall boy’s gaze. Laurance and Sasha were stepping closer to you, and hovered over the two of you when Garroth bent down beside you.
Garroth scoffed as he pulled out his wallet. “Whatever. You had fun,” he said, handing you three tens.
“No, actually, I didn’t. That was probably the least fun thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” you snapped, snatching the money from his hand and shoving it down the top of your dress. Sasha was currently holding the purse you’d brought, but you knew you’d forget about the money if you put it in there. So, your dress was the next best option.
Garroth looked appalled at what you’d just done. You rolled your eyes and playfully tried to push him, though the attempt was fruitless because he was practically a rock. “Please. I didn’t flash you, so calm down.”
“Uhm, you basically did,” Garroth said, pushing you back. He’d done it gently, but you were unsteady in your heels and unfortunately fell over. Garroth softly gasped, not realizing that would happen.
You let out a soft gasp, accepting your fate as you tumbled over. He really hadn’t pushed you that hard, but you wanted to make it more dramatic by laying down on the floor.
“Oh, my god, he pushed me,” you said, and then you heard the shutter of a camera and glared at Laurance, who was laughing his ass off like he’d just seen the funniest thing in the world. “And to make it even worse that guy is basically kicking me while I’m down.”
Sasha laughed, squatting beside you. She gave you a once over before poking your shoulder. “You’re fine.”
“Just say you hate me,” you said, not moving an inch from where you lay on the floor. Sasha gave your shoulder another poke before Garroth started talking.
“Y/n, I am so sorry. I did not mean to push you that hard. I thought you were steady.”
You playfully glared at him. “Obviously not.” You then sighed dramatically, pressing the back of your hand against your forehead like you were sick. “Oh my. I suppose the only way to help it is bribery, or something.”
Garroth furrowed his brows. “Are you trying to milk me for what I’m worth?”
“Yes. Call me a gold digger, if you will,” you said, though it was all jokes. Everyone in the friend group did this. They were always teasing each other and blowing small little mishaps way out of proportion. Most of the time it was settled by the purchase of a small snack or drink.
“Fine.” Garroth rolled his eyes before standing up. He reached for your hand and pulled you to your feet with little effort, though he grunted dramatically.
You smacked his chest when you were back on your two feet. “Shut up, Mr. I-can-bench-three-hundred-pounds. You’re so dramatic.”
“Only because I have to buy you a drink now.” You stepped in front of him and Garroth followed, dragging his feet against the ground as you led him to the concessions stand.
“Aren’t you like a millionaire?” you teased, furrowing your brows and sparing a glance back at him.
“My mom and dad are. I, unfortunately, am not.”
“I don’t think a three dollar Dr. Pepper is gonna damage your bank account, Garroth.”
“This will actually do irreparable damage to my bank account, so I hope this Dr. Pepper makes you happy. You better marry it, actually.”
You laughed as you got into line. Luckily, there was only one other person in front of you and you only had to wait thirty seconds max until you were requesting a Dr. Pepper from the kind looking woman running the booth. She happily handed you a cold can of Dr. Pepper, and you watched as Garroth coughed up the money. He then continued to buy himself two bags of two dollar chips and a box of M&M’s.
Just as you were walking away from the stand, Laurance came barreling into Garroth. Neither of them were knocked to the floor, but you stepped out of the way so as to not accidentally bump into them. Laurance shook Garroth by the shoulders.
“They’re playing our song,” Laurance said, his eyes bright. Garroth’s eyes lit up as well, and he replied with something you didn’t listen to because you were straining to hear the song playing. Your brows furrowed when you recognized the tune.
“Your guys’ song is Love Story by Taylor Swift?” you asked. Laurance snapped his head to face you, seeming offended.
“Of course our song is Love Story by Taylor Swift. Are you a Taylor Swift hater?”
You rapidly shook your head. There was a certain venom in Laurance’s tone, and you thought he might attack you if you said anything wrong. Or if he perceived anything you said as wrong in his mind. “No, not at all.”
Laurance hummed, but pinned you with a nasty glare. It didn’t last long though, because he and Garroth began skipping hand in hand toward the dance floor.
“Wait! Where’s Sasha?” you called after them, not knowing if they’d hear you.
“Bathroom, or something!” Laurance called back. You tried asking another question, but he and Garroth had already disappeared in the sea of bodies. They were probably slow dancing together, based on what they did at the last school dance.
You chuckled to yourself, shaking your head at the memory. You found an empty spot at one of the wooden tables and sat down, popping open the tab on your Dr. Pepper and drinking it as you scrolled on your phone. You were waiting for Sasha—or any of your other friends, really—to find you.
Someone slid into the seat across from you, and when you glanced up you were met with a familiar sapphire blue gaze. You furrowed your brows and set your can of Dr. Pepper down.
“Gene?”
He motioned to himself, leaning forward against the table. “The one and only.”
“I didn’t think school dances were your thing.”
“Not usually, but hey, it’s my senior year. Might as well try everything once, right?”
You side eyed him, clicking your phone off and setting it face down next to your drink. “Your mom forced you to, didn’t she?”
Gene rolled his eyes, quietly scoffing. “Yes, she did. What about it?”
You tried biting back a short laugh, but failed miserably. You covered your mouth in an attempt to hide your amused smile, but really only ended up stifling your laugh. Gene’s glare didn’t help in quieting it either.
“What’re you laughing at, bunny? It’s not that funny.”
“Nothing. Stop looking at me like that.”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like I’m an idiot or something. Stop it,” you laughed. He raised his eyebrows at you, like you were an idiot.
“Well . . .”
You scoffed, your jaw dropping in disbelief as you reached across the table to swat at his arm. “You are so rude!”
“I didn’t even say anything.” Gene leaned back and lifted his hands in surrender. You scoffed again and properly sat down again. Gene’s eyes flicked to somewhere behind you and he raised his brows. “Looks like your boyfriend’s dancing with someone else.”
Your brows furrowed, and you craned your neck to glance behind you. You had no clue what you were looking for, though. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“You aren’t dating Prince Charming?”
You turned back to Gene. “Garroth? Oh, my god. No.”
Gene raised his brows again. “Really? I saw you two getting pretty close in line . . .”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “We aren’t dating. He was just buying me a drink.”
“That sounds like boyfriend behavior to me.”
“What? No, he-” You cut yourself off and shook your head. Explaining it would sound like a fever dream. “It’s none of your business. Why do you wanna know?”
Gene blew out a breath. He stared at you for a moment, the corner of his mouth quirked up like he had some sort of secret to share. He stood from his seat in favor of the empty space beside you, and leaned in.
“Word on the street is Prince Charming and the casanova still have the hots for you,” he whispered. His breath brushed against the shell of your ear, and you almost shivered. His words stopped you from doing so, though, and you turned to him with a confused look on your face.
“What? No, there’s no way. There was so much drama with it last year we decided-”
“Just because you decided not to like one of them anymore doesn’t mean they fully agreed. Haven’t you noticed Ivy and Michi are still being bitchy toward you?”
You rolled your eyes, lifting the aluminum can to your lips and taking a drink. “They’ve always been bitchy to me. Aren’t they like that to everyone?”
“Not if they don’t think you’re a threat to their relationship.” You met Gene’s gaze again. He seemed completely serious, but you could feel a pull in your gut telling you this was part of an elaborate ruse he had created in his head. What was he trying to get from you?
He’d been friendly with you, so you wanted to give him the benefit of doubt, but you couldn’t forget everything he’d done to your friends. Or other people, for that matter.
“Why would I be a threat to their relationship with Garroth and Laurance? Laurance and I literally broke up last year because of girls like Ivy and Michi,” you said. You were speaking with your hands, which you never realized you did until interacting with Gene. He was practically a stone wall.
“All Ivy and Michi see are the looks Garroth and Laurance give you,” Gene said. You rolled your eyes again.
“They don’t give me looks.”
Gene raised his eyebrows at you. He might not have talked with his hands like you did, but his eyebrows were always a look into his thoughts. “Don’t they?”
“Love Story” had ended and a more upbeat pop song you’d never heard before started playing from the DJ booth. You scoffed. If he were one of your closer friends you might have considered what he was saying a joke and playfully pushed him away. But he wasn’t one of your close friends, so you settled for waving your hand to dismiss his statements.
“I don’t know what kind of rose-colored lenses you’re looking at life through, but neither Garroth nor Laurance still like me.” They had even told you as much. They’d told you they liked Aphmau, and in response you’d playfully said, Wow, you guys really have the same taste.
You weren’t about to tell Gene how you knew they didn’t feel that way, though. That would only spark a flame that would end up turning into a giant wildfire, and you were determined to finish high school as drama free as you could.
“If I were looking through rose-colored lenses, wouldn’t I be saying something more in tune with you liking me?” Gene asked. You scoffed, but he was right.
“Okay, so what is the point in telling me this?” you asked, leaning forward against the table.
“I just thought I’d let you know.” Gene shrugged, lifting one of his legs over the bench so he was straddling the wooden seat. He leaned forward slightly so he could lower his voice. “I would be careful. I know how protective Laurance has been over you.”
“Only because you do weird stuff like finding me at homecoming—an event you’ve never attended—to tell me some of my closest friends still have a crush on me,” you snapped. “I’d be protective if I were him, too.”
But how did he know Laurance had been protective? You hadn’t told anyone, not even Katelyn. And you doubted Laurance told Garroth. His pride wouldn’t let himself admit to anyone in any way that he cared so deeply for someone. So how did Gene know?
Gene’s lips curled into an amused smirk. He huffed out a breath of amusement and looked toward the dance floor as the music changed to a softer, slower melody. His gaze met yours again, and this time he held out his hand.
“Well, may I offer a dance as payment for my oh-so-troubling actions?”
You raised a brow, staring at him in disbelief for a moment before chuckling. “You want to dance with me to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley?”
His lips curved into a more genuine smile, one you hadn’t seen before. It showcased his perfect white teeth, and you felt yourself falling just a bit. “That’s the song playing, isn’t it?”
You laughed, thinking he was joking. But he didn’t lower his hand and kept looking at you expectantly. You hadn’t rejected him yet, so it was clear he was waiting for your acceptance.
You sighed. “Oh, what the heck. Sure.”
You placed your hand in his and willingly stood when he helped you out of your seat. “Have you ever danced before?” you asked, continuing to hold onto his hand as he led you through the sea of bodies both getting on and off the dance floor.
“Yeah, at a couple weddings,” he replied.
Maybe his aunt’s, you thought. You thought back to the blurry photo of him that you’d printed out and realized he looked just as charming now as he did however long ago that picture was taken.
Once Gene had found a fairly open space, he placed you in front of him and wrapped a hand around your waist. He took your other hand and pulled you closer to him, moving the hand on your waist to rest against the small of your back.
“You’re very close,” you commented, gently pressing your hand against the bend of his shoulder. You looked down at your feet, making sure your steps were in time with him.
“Well sorry. Do you want me to clear the dance floor so I can hold you at arm’s length, bunny?” he teased. You fought the urge to roll your eyes. With how much you did it around him you were surprised your eyeballs hadn’t gotten stuck. Gene let go of your hand to place a finger beneath your chin and lift your head up. “Look up, bunny. I know how to lead a dance.”
“I’m gonna step on your feet,” you protested, but Gene shook his head.
“I frankly don’t care. I know the second you feel my foot beneath yours you’re going to trip all over yourself trying to adjust.”
Your jaw dropped dramatically. “Are you calling me clumsy?”
“No, I’m saying you’re nice. You wouldn’t hurt a fly, and as much as you might say to your friends, you’d apologize if you thought you so much as inconvenienced me.”
You opened your mouth to say something, but bit your tongue. As much as you wanted to say he was wrong and that wouldn’t happen, you knew the chances of that happening were significantly higher than that not happening. You had apologized to the plant in the hallway of your house when you ran into it more times than you cared to recall.
Gene noticed your surrender and chuckled. “Besides, you stepping on my foot will be tremendously better than some little six year old jumping around.”
You laughed. “What?”
Gene rolled his eyes at the memory. “My aunt’s wedding. The kid was from a family friend of the groom and she had a crush on me.”
You were failing miserably at the attempt you made to hide your smile. It still shone on your face clear as day and when Gene met your gaze again you couldn’t help but laugh.
“What? Is it so hard to believe someone might like me, bunny?”
“First of all, any six year old girl would have a crush on any older boy she thinks is cute.”
“You think I’m cute?”
“Second,” you began, ignoring his question despite the burn of your cheeks, “if she knew what a terrible person you are she definitely would not have liked you.”
Gene pouted. “Oh, it hurts that you think so low of me, doll.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you blackmail people for fun, Gene.”
Gene’s pout was gone and in its place was a sly smile. It really showed you how quick he could be with changing his emotions. “I haven’t blackmailed you for fun.”
“That doesn’t mean you haven’t blackmailed people I’m close with.”
“Yet you still chose to hang around me.”
“We sit together in physics. I can’t not sit next to you.”
“You could have rejected my offer to dance.” You were stunned silent. You’d hoped he wouldn’t bring that up. “But you didn’t. You could push me away any time I walk you to lunch, but you don’t. I wonder why that is.”
You scoffed. “If you think it’s because I have the hots for you then you’re dead wrong.”
Gene still had that stupid smirk on his face. He glanced over your shoulder, and his gaze darkened. “The boyfriend’s jealous.”
Your brows furrowed. You turned to look behind you and saw that Laurance was staring at you. Garroth was talking to him, but it was clear Laurance wasn’t listening.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” you said, turning back to Gene.
He raised his eyebrows and let you go, his hands dropping to his sides. “Sure seems like he is. I’ll go now, since he’s not too fond of me. See you Monday, Y/n.”
Gene raised his hand in a halfhearted wave before he turned and walked away. You were left just watching him, wanting to say something else to him but not knowing what. It wasn’t until you felt a hand on your shoulder that you were snapped out of your stupor.
“Why were you dancing with Gene?” Laurance asked. His brows were pulled together in annoyance. Garroth wasn’t behind him, but you could see his blond head maneuvering through people to reach you.
“It’s nothing, he . . .” you trailed off, still trying to gather yourself after Gene abruptly left. It was like he put a spell on you. “He offered.”
“And you said yes? God, Y/n, why would you say yes?”
“Because he’s been nice to me,” you snapped. You normally wouldn’t have been so irritable, but now that Gene said Laurance and Garroth might still like you . . . You didn’t want to take any chances with that. Not after the notes that got left in your locker last year. “And I know that you don’t like him, Laurance, but he has done nothing wrong to me.”
“Gene is not the person for you to have your little I can fix him complex about, Y/n. He’s bad news.”
“I do not have an I can fix him complex!” you exclaimed. You threw your hands out and accidentally hit someone in the arm, to which you immediately apologized before turning back to Laurance. “I’m just not a jerk to someone because they’re rude to other people. Until Gene is an asshole to me, I’m going to treat him like my friend.”
“You don’t-” Garroth placed a hand on Laurance’s shoulder. The gaze exchanged between them said a million different things you couldn’t decipher, but whatever got conveyed made Laurance take a breath and calm down. Laurance turned back to you, his celestite eyes clear, but still concerned. “Stop hanging around him, Y/n. He’s bad news.”
You huffed, crossing your arms. The points of the acrylic stars on your dress dug into the flesh of your arms, but you didn’t care. “This is childish, Laurance. You can’t control who I am or aren’t friends with.”
“Gene-”
“I’m going,” you said, cutting him off. “You have to realize that you can’t control who I let into my life, Laurance.”
You turned and walked away, turning to fit between people, and made your way back to the concessions bar. Your phone was gone and the half empty can of Dr. Pepper had been trashed. You groaned and walked back to the venue entrance. Maybe someone had been kind enough to take your phone to the officer standing up there.
You thanked the stars when the officer handed your phone to you after you accurately described the background and were able to use your fingerprint to unlock it. If you had lost your phone you might have lost it. After recovering your phone, you went off to find Julie and ended up hanging out with her and her friends for a bit.
A little more time after that and you were in your car with Julie, Sasha, Katelyn, and (reluctantly) Jeffory. Katelyn had asked if you could drop Jeffory off at his house after the dance, and you accepted because . . . Well, you weren’t exactly sure why. He was already there, so it would have been awkward for you to say no.
After you dropped Jeffory off you went back to your house. Katelyn and Sasha were staying the night again and would probably leave the next afternoon. It was late, though, so the three of you didn’t get up to anymore shenanigans like another hear me out cake. You all practically knocked out the moment you set up the palette on the floor of your room and landed on top of it.
You stayed up a little longer than Katelyn and Sasha, though. What Gene had said about Garroth and Laurance was still plaguing your thoughts. Did they really still like you? Was what they told you about Aphmau a lie?
But why would they lie about that? Yes, they lied about the stupidest things sometimes, but you couldn’t think of a reason they’d lie about that. Besides, the three of you had agreed that there would be no romantic advances made after you broke up with Laurance. That was for the best. So even if they did like you and you were to ask about it, they probably would just keep lying.
So why would Gene tell you? You still couldn’t help but think that it was part of an elaborate ruse to get you to join the Shadow Knights, but if it was then wouldn’t he have used something more . . . Harmful to you and your reputation? What would silly rumors about boys liking you do?
You didn’t want to think about it anymore. You’d had enough thinking about it to last you a lifetime, probably. Besides, if Garroth and Laurance did still like you, that knowledge would make itself known eventually.
You huffed out a breath and closed your eyes. You’d ask Katelyn about her thoughts on it another time.
this is a behemoth of a chapter sorry guys 💀
anyways this was kind of a filler? sort of? idk but we’re getting to some plot stuff now so i hope you enjoyed!
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