OCTAVIA
This week, so far, has been strangely quiet. I still haven’t seen Blair or Raleigh, and happy as I am about it, I’m suspicious as fuck. I swear I keep ducking around corners, waiting for someone to jump out at me and attack.
I don’t know if the guys finally managed to call Blair and the bitch squad off, or if Blair just isn’t around this week, but considering it’s homecoming week, I can’t imagine she’d miss it. Especially since I was nominated for Queen.
I’m half expecting her to tar and feather me, if I’m being honest. Even if I can’t think of anything worse than being crowned homecoming queen, being the center of attention like that… just nope. I’ve had enough attention to span a few lifetimes. I’m done with it. I’d happily fade into the background for the rest of time, please and thank you.
I head to my locker after my Stats class and find Indi waiting there for me. I smile as I open it, sliding my books in before grabbing my purse. “Cafeteria or Penny’s?”
She grins at me. “I would love to say Penny’s, but I need to hit the library. I have a test after lunch, so swing by the cafeteria then study?”
“Sounds good to me. God knows I’ve got plenty to catch up on.” I bite my lip, mentally going over what I need to hand in before Thanksgiving break in a couple weeks. Fuck my life. I’m basically going to do nothing but study between now and then.
It could be worse, I guess.
I just wish I didn’t have everything else crowding my mind. Focusing on school and keeping my grades up is proving hard enough as it is. We head to the cafeteria as Indi tells me about her morning. She opens the door and steps inside before pausing. I almost run into the back of her. About to ask her why she stopped, I look up and realize why.
The cafeteria is in full homecoming mode.
“As you all know, the court will be present at the football game on Friday night, remember to get your votes in for your King and Queen. This might just be the most important decision you make all year.”
I snort a laugh at the declaration and everyone turns to stare at us. Apparently laughing when it’s this quiet was a bad idea. Mikayla glares at me from the makeshift stage she has set up in here. Apparently the bitch squad is at school. I’ve just missed them.
Definitely not sad about that.
I nudge Indi forward, looping my arm through hers as I drag her to the line so we can grab food and escape as quickly as possible. Everyone stares at us until Mikayla starts droning on about the dance again.
“Remind me why we thought going to homecoming with these assholes would be fun.”
“You’re going to homecoming?” I jump at the sound of Maverick’s voice, groaning when I turn and see the grin on his face.
I turn back to get food as quickly as I can, and Indi follows suit.
“Don’t make me ask again, princess,” Mav growls slowly as he moves into my space, his front flush with my back. I can hardly breathe, and I don’t even have to look around to know that every set of eyes in the room is on us. I can fucking feel them.
“I don’t have to answer your questions. You sure as hell never answer any of mine.” I say it quietly enough that I know he heard it, but it's unlikely anyone else did. He growls in my ear and grips my arm, but I tear it free.
“Yes, we, as in Indi and I, are going to homecoming.” I sigh, deciding this isn’t worth the attention it’s garnering as I pay for my sandwich, chips, and soda before moving out of the line to wait for Indi.
Maverick steps back from me, the room still so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as he drops to his knees. “Octavia Royal, will you go with me to homecoming?”
That cheeky glint in his eye matched with his smile makes me want to laugh. Especially after everything we spoke about over the weekend. There’s no way he can be serious.
“Not a chance in hell. I told you, I already have a date.”
At my rejection, the whispers start in the room and Maverick almost looks sad. I didn’t know psychopaths could feel sadness. I link arms with Indi and head out of the cafeteria as she giggles beside me, looking back over our shoulders.
“Well, that was definitely something.”
I look behind us and see him still on his knees, grinning at me sadistically. “It was, though I might have just poked the bear.”
I smile internally, because maybe this is the way to get answers? Play them at their own game? I’m clutching at straws, so it’s probably a terrible idea, but I tuck it away as an unlikely maybe.
We stop by our lockers before heading to the library and I fill her in on my Sunday morning with Mav, lazing around the pool enjoying the last of the summer sun that the weekend brought, even though the grounds guy was around cleaning the pool and stuff. I definitely took advantage of him offering to do my lotion and parading around half naked. Even if it did look like he’d had only about an hour’s sleep.
Funnily, I feel closer to him than I do the others. Maybe it’s ‘cause we messed around, just hung out like I’d thought we would when I came back, but there was something just… different about him. He seemed lighter, and I felt safe around him.
Not something I thought I would say a few months ago. Especially not after the whole knife incident. With everything else going on, I’m leaning toward just letting some stuff go. Lord knows my plate is piling high enough without holding onto anger. Yes he did some bad shit and I still want answers, but it was fun to just hang out with him and not have a million things hanging over us. Forgiveness has never come easy to me, but it’s time to put my big girl panties on and just get on with shit.