Chapter 102 Do you want to go to the homecoming ball with me?
I follow Katherine’s gaze, and my stomach drops the second I see them.
Rossi Vale walks in like she owns the building. Right beside her is Liam. Her arm is wrapped around his, tight and possessive, like she is showing him off to the entire room. Like he is some prize she won.
He looks calm. Distant. His eyes move across the café without settling on anyone for long, like nobody here matters enough. I have never seen him act like this around me. With me, he never hid what he felt. Anger, sarcasm, desire, irritation. He always let it show. So is this how he really is at school? Cold and above it all?
Behind them trail six or seven students. I recognize James, the red haired guy from the party. They head straight for the only empty table and sit. The rest of the café watches them from a distance like they are celebrities.
“Wow,” Katherine mutters next to me. “Intense, right?”
“I have seen worse,” I reply.
That is not completely true. But I am not about to admit that I feel small right now.
Katherine snaps her fingers lightly in front of my face. “Stop looking at them. Listen to me. Your number one mission is to find a date for the homecoming ball. If you manage that, you still have a shot at fixing your situation.”
“My date for what?”
She stares at me like I just confessed I live under a rock. “The homecoming ball. Please tell me you bought a dress.”
“Oh.” I nod slowly. “Yes. I did.”
The dress Liam paid for. The same guy now sitting beside Rossi.
“Good. One problem down,” she says quickly. “Now you just need a guy to take you.”
I let out a frustrated sound. “Can I not just go alone?”
I am already the school’s public enemy. How much worse can it get?
“Oh my God, absolutely not,” Katherine replies, horrified. “That would be tragic. And embarrassing.”
I almost laugh, but it comes out wrong. My social survival is already hanging by a thread. A stupid dance should be the last thing on my mind.
“I will think about it,” I say. “I should probably go. See you later?”
I have barely touched my food, but I do not want another second in this room. I grab my tray and give Katherine a small wave.
Out of habit, I glance toward Liam.
Bad idea.
Our eyes meet across the café.
I do not know how long he has been looking at me. He rests his chin on one hand while the other holds Rossi’s fingers loosely. When he catches me watching, one brow lifts slightly. Then he smiles.
I was fine seeing him walk in with her. Or at least I told myself I was. But that smile annoys the hell out of me.
What is he so pleased about? Having the most popular girl in school hanging off him while still playing games with me? Congratulations, fuckboy.
I mutter a curse under my breath and walk out of the café.
The rest of the day passes without any big drama. The classes are manageable. Thank God for that. At least academically, I can survive here. As for my lovely classmates, as long as I keep my head down and avoid brushing shoulders with anyone in the hallway, I make it through.
During class, my thoughts keep drifting back to the homecoming ball. I do not care about it. Not even a little. But Mr. Thorne graduated from this school. He told me this morning that he is invited to give a speech. Which means he will be there. Which means he will notice if I am not.
The last thing I need is him asking questions.
So I will go.
But with who?
I quietly curse under my breath. I can already picture it. Me sitting alone on a bench while couples dance. Maybe some teacher asks me for a pity dance. That might be worse.
I lean back in my chair and sigh.
My life would be a lot easier if Liam was not part of it.
By the time the final bell rings, I am on my feet before the sound even fades. I just want to get out. Go home. Eat ice cream straight from the tub. Call Maya. I miss her more than I want to admit. It feels like forever since we talked face to face.
The hallway is packed with loud, excited teenagers reliving their first day. I push my way through carefully. I am almost at the front gate when I hear it.
“Hey, Sophie!”
Everything changes.
The noise dips. Conversations soften. People turn.
There is no escaping it. If I ignore it, it will look worse. So I slowly turn around.
Liam stands a few steps behind me. Unlike me, he does not need to shove through the crowd. Students shift aside for him without being asked.
He walks toward me, a small smile playing on his lips.
“How was your day?” he asks casually.
I look at him carefully. “Fine. What do you want?”
“Nothing. Just checking on you.” His expression remains light. “By the way, what is that on your neck? Looks like a bite.”
Before I can react, his finger brushes the side of my neck. He leans closer, lowering his voice so only I can hear.
“Or did someone kiss you and you enjoyed it?”
I smack his hand away. “Mosquito. A disgusting mosquito that does not understand personal space.”
He laughs softly. Instead of getting annoyed, he looks entertained. That only irritates me more.
I am about to walk away when Rossi appears next to him, sliding in like she was waiting for this moment.
Does she follow him everywhere?
“Hi,” she says to me with a plastic smile. She leans against Liam possessively. “What are we talking about?”
Liam’s expression shifts slightly. “Nothing much. Are you ready to leave?”
“Just a second.” She looks back at me. “Sophie, are you ready for homecoming? Have you found a date yet?”
There it is.
She wants me to say it. Out loud. That no one wants to go with me. That I am alone.
I roll my eyes. “I have everything sorted.”
“Oh really?” Her smile widens. “So who is the lucky guy? Tell us. We are curious.”
She is enjoying this. I can see it. I have dealt with mean girls before, but something about her makes my blood boil. I imagine grabbing her by that perfect hair and dragging her down.
While I consider how stupid it would be to start a fight right here, I spot someone a few steps away.
“Hey, Alex!”
The boy walking along the sidewalk turns. He looks surprised, then pleased.
“Sophie? Wow, hey. What are you doing here?”
He walks over, glancing between me, Liam, and Rossi. He clearly senses tension but does not understand it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Liam’s face change. He is not smiling anymore. His gaze on Alex is cold and intense. Whatever history they have, it is not friendly.
And that is when the idea comes to me.
It might be reckless. It might backfire. But it is the only move I have.
Before I can overthink it, I look at Alex and speak.
“Hey, Alex. Do you want to go to the homecoming ball with me?”