I can’t believe how fast the rumours escalated from the pair of us sitting together in class yesterday to now dating. I suppose the two of us are so random, the only reasonable explanation is romantic or sexual attraction.
“We’re friends,” I say.
“You know you can tell us, right?” Isra says.
“Why do people think something’s going on between us?”
“I guess no one knew you were friends,” Jasmine says.
“It’s come out of nowhere,” Isra says. “You’re not having a secret relationship, are you? Because if you are, you can tell us.”
“That defeats the point of a secret relationship,” I respond, and Isra’s eyes bug out.
Did that sound like confirmation? Damn it. Wait — that’s good, right? Wewantpeople to think we’re dating.
“I’ve got to go to homeroom,” I say, despite being five minutes early.
Jasmine and Isra watch me rush away with eyes narrowed and little smiles playing on their lips.
In Legal Studies, I sit by myself as I don’t have Ruby. But Daisy joins me — Daisy, as in Howard-and-Daisy Daisy. “Hi Eve,” she says, “how’re ya going?”
“Good,” I say cautiously. Daisy has never spared me a glance before — maybe because her face is often glued to Howard’s. “You?”
She nods. “Yeah, alright. Actually, great — Howey got me flowers last night. They were a little wilted, but stillgorg.”
Howey?
“Do you like flowers?” she asks.
“Sure.”
“I feel like it’s super common for boyfriends to get their girlfriends flowers, but not the other way around. But guess what? Boys like receiving flowers. They won’t ask for them because they’re too girly, or whatever, but they like them.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah.” Daisy smiles like a primary school teacher.
“Cool.”
I turn back to my notes and while Daisy chats about all the kinds of presents girls can buy for their boyfriends, and how couplesmustgo to school socials together.
Throughout the day, more people smile at me than usual. Before class, girls make small talk with me when usually we’d keep to ourselves. It’s weird, feeling less invisible.
Noah and I continue to act friendly at school. Apart from Maths, we only have English together. Since Henry isn’t in that class, we use it to talk over everything — including Henry — while keeping up appearances for our classmates. Noah always waves at me when we passed on the school grounds. In the beginning, I didn’t want to acknowledge him too, in case I was ignored or unnoticed and made to look like a loser. But by now, I wave and say hello too, and Noah’s friends are used to it.
I haven’t seen much of Oliver all week. We talked after school one day, but it was a brief conversation about school. Neither of us mentioned the movie.
I wonder if Oliver has heard what people were saying. I wonder what he thinks.
On Friday, Ruby and I go to the library at lunchtime. We take a table in the corner. My back is to the rest of the library, but I face the windows and have a pleasant view of the art studios.
After two games of Uno, where Ruby and I play viciously, her eyes latch onto something behind me. “Eve.”
“Hmm?” I ask as I deal.
“They’re approaching.”
I don’t have to wait long to find out whotheyare. “What’s happening here?” A familiar voice asks, his face appearing beside mine.
