Siege joined us on the dance floor, and the students’ cheers were so loud that I chimed in, clapping along with everyone else.
“The votes are in, and it is now time for us to meet our homecoming king and queen.”
Miss Sunshine, the librarian, walked to the edge of the stage, her high heels clicking on the gym floor, as he made her way to hand Principal Jackson the envelope.
I looked at the three boys, questioning them silently about their votes, since I didn’t even know there was an election underway.
“There was a table in the corner where people were writing things. I thought they were taking bets or something,” Dex said, shrugging.
Amused at his cluelessness, I laughed softly and leaned back against him as I watched Principal Jackson open the envelope.
“Everyone, give it up for our homecoming queen,” she trailed off with a drumroll playing over the speakers as she pulled the card out and flipped it open. “Miss Andy Tittsworth!”
Well, that’s no surprise.
I clapped with everyone else as Andy came up on the stage, and I realized it was the first time I’d seen her tonight. She was dressed in a sparkly red dress, and it matched the sash and crown that Principal Jackson placed on her, making her every bit of the homecoming queen she was clearly destined to be.
Turning to Nero, I let out a teasing smirk. “Good luck,” I sing-songed, knowing for sure where all of this was heading.
“And now, our homecoming king,” Principal Jackson said as she pulled out another card from the envelope, and she barely had it open before she was announcing, “Nero Combs!”
The cheers for Nero were louder than Andy’s, and that’s partly because the football team shouted for him, while I let out a loud laugh from my chest, much to Nero’s displeasure.
He groaned past us as he made his way towards the stage, and soon enough, it was his turn to be crowned on stage by Principal Jackson, getting his own crown and sash.
I watched as Andy tried to hook her arm awkwardly around Nero’s, but he wasn’t having any of it, that he pulled away before she could succeed.
Principal Jackson turned back toward the mic as she said, “Now. Please make space on the dance floor for our homecoming king and queen’s?—“
Nero politely interrupted Principal Jackson, requesting permission to speak into the microphone, and when she nodded and stepped away from the mic, he began.
“Uh, hi. I’m not going to make a speech,” he started, and I heard a few giggles and chuckles in the crowd. “But as some of you are aware, Andy and I are broken up, so there’s no way in hel— I mean, I’m not dancing with her.”
The crowd booed at that, and Andy’s smile faltered, but she kept the facade on, forcing her lips to stay curled as she tried to talk to Nero, but he wasn’t budging.
“I don’t want to disappoint, though, so how about I… uh?—“
His gaze then drifted towards me—not at me, though. Is he looking at Siege and Dex?—before he continued.
“How about I sing for you guys, instead?”
19
NERO
The whole thing was absurd.
But from the squeals of the girls in front of the stage, I think it’s a fair exchange.
I’d do anything to avoid having to do a fucking dance with Andy.
I nodded at the enthusiasm, holding a hand up as if I was telling them to hang on for a second to go to the left end of the stage, asking for them to pull up a song that I’ve been listening a lot to these days.
Not only because it was catchy, but because it made me think of Cosette and our whole situation.
From her spot in the middle of the stage, Andy walked over to me as the AV club guy prepared the instrumental version of the song on YouTube.
“You can’t just suddenly change things, Nero. You’re ruining homecoming,” she said in a whine.
