The Book Fight

CHAPTER 16: Water under the bridge?

SEKANI

“These are going to suffocate.” I look at the tulips with a grim expression.

I remember seeing a lot of tulips the day of my mother’s funeral, which is exasperating because she also preferred roses.

“Oh, I didn’t really think it through.” Greg grimaces a little.

“It’s okay,” I open my locker and almost immediately, some envelopes fall out.

Greg picks them up and his expression falls as I change out my books, “they’re Homecoming invites and I think…love letters?”

“Yeah, our HoCo dance is this Friday.” I put the envelopes in my backpack and close the locker with the flowers still in my hand.

They don’t fit which means I’ll be holding them all day, drawing more attention than necessary to myself.

“Wait, you don’t have a date yet?” Greg looks around in astonishment when I shake my head. “Are the boys here blind?”

Why does everyone keep asking that?

“Maybe I’m hard to impress,” I joke.

“You’re telling me,” Greg raspberries. “You said no, to a fruit basket.” I actually smile at that. “You have a nice smile,” his statement kills it.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous now.

“Look Greg,” I strap on my backpack. “We’re good, okay? I appreciate the flowers and the sincere apology so I won’t curse your name anymore or sneer at you in public.”

I even forgot about him before he appeared again. I was never good at holding grudges and I am starting to learn it’s not really worth it.

“Do you need a date for homecoming?” Greg hesitates. “I can take you as friend or as a date-date or nondate, I just mean…” his words get drowned out when Buck and Aston pass by.

My heart does that weird, painful thing it did when I found the notebook in Aston’s room. The same thing it’s been doing every time I’m around couples.

“Greg.” I stop whatever he is saying, “do you like me?”

“Is it that obvious?” Greg looks nervous and I admit, it’s really cute but it also does nothing to me.

“Sure.” I agree because it will get Yi off back. “Let’s go to the HoCo dance together.”

“Seriously?” Greg is clearly surprised.

“Yes but as friends.” I watch him malfunction for a second.

Suddenly, Greg picks me up and spins me around. I put my hand under my butt, so I don’t flash anyone in the halls since I’m wearing Docs and a black floral print, mini wrap dress with puff sleeves.

“I did not expect that.” I say once Greg puts me down.

“Sorry, I got carried away.” He is beaming so hard, I can’t help but feel awkward.

Fortunately, the bell rings and I walk him to the exit where a driver opens the door for him. Which actually puts me so much into perspective.

“Finally, I have been waiting all morning for news.” Yi occupies the seat in front of me at lunch. “I see you kept the tulips” she eyes the flowers next to my tray.

“Long story short, I have a date for homecoming.” I confirm but Yi literally squeals. “What the hell Jeon?” I cover my ears.

“You have a date to Homecoming!” Yi claps and I try to hide my face from everyone looking at us. “Is that why he got you flowers? Oh how sweet,” she takes out her phone.

“I still prefer roses,” I point out.

“And next time, he’ll get you roses.” Yi pushes my food away, “now i********: moment. Everyone needs to know you have a date so they stop asking me.”

After taking several pictures with the tulips, Yi posts it on her story and I add one to my feed with her encouragement. I choose the photo where my face is buried in the flowers and add the caption: #Hoco.

Later, when I read everyone’s comments, I notice one that stands out.

“You look like a roses girl.” I click the profile of loner_ston3r.

The name under it, is A.M.P and it has 89,170 followers while it only follows 5 people—including me. The profile picture is an upside down smile with a black background.

I click on the 1st of the 3 black & white pictures on his feed and it has over 21k likes which is odd because it’s just a lighter with the night sky as its background.

The caption is, so many stars in Snoreville.

The second is a silhouette of whoever the person is, sitting on the hood of a black car. I’m not sure if it’s a truck or an SUV but the caption is 4 words: I miss you P—it has the most likes, 64k.

I scroll up to the most recent picture, which was posted the Friday of the lake party. It’s a red solo cup in a table full of bottles, poker chips, joints, burnt cigarettes and spilled snacks.

The caption is: your name means joy or laughter and it has over 47k likes.

I blink because that is clearly directed at me. My name means joy and my parents chose it because I brought laughter to them, or so I have been told.

I look for any clues of who this person could be and I only find one. Their bio has #RSH which means Rooksville High and it’s no coincidence Soon-Yi, MJ and Buck follow them too.

“Yi, who’s loner underscore stoner on i********:?” We are currently changing for gym class.

“Aston duh.” She clips her hair up. “Buck convinced him to use his profile again, he changed the handle to loner_ston3r and made him follow us. I think he is the most followed person in town actually.”

“Oh,” I put my phone away.

But why would Aston comment on my photo? Do I look like a roses girl or did he overhear me tell Yi?

No Sekani! It doesn’t matter because, he doesn’t exist!

I make sure to repeat the words in my head as we walk outside. Today we’re doing field activities instead of being cramped up in the gymnasium, I don’t even notice or see him.

Because he doesn’t exist.

ASTON

Look at me.

Please Sekani, just look at me.

I don’t mean to come across like a stalker but who’s the boy in the uniform? Sekani doesn’t talk to boys or take their flowers, tulips too—lame.

“That’s Greg Macy,” Buck answers like he can hear my thoughts. “We went to grade school with him, he had the biggest crush on Sekani back in the day.”

Did he now?

“What happened?” I hate how closely they are sitting next to each other.

He is blonde, has blue eyes and looks like the town golden boy while she’s Sekani, a true beauty. They look like the cliché perfect high school couple—barf.

“Sekani’s mom died, things changed and Greg moved away.” Buck is anything but interested in my predicament, “now he is back.”

Yes, I see that.

“You have a date to Homecoming!” Soon-Yi announces as I walk into the cafeteria with my lunch. First their corny display this morning and now this.

Come on Sekani, just one glance and I’ll do the rest.

Please, just—

“I still prefer roses,” I hear Sekani say when I sit next to Buck. “And next time, he’ll get you roses.” Yi still pushes.

Like hell he will!

Sekani has her face buried in a bouquet of tulips on my screen, #Hoco a simple confirmation that she is going.

But I hate Homecoming.

Why did this have to happen on the one weekend that holds the worst memories for me. My brother died on this specific weekend and now this—s**t.

“You look like a roses girl?” Buck snorts from my desk, “are you really that desperate?” He chuckles and I toss a pencil at him.

“Clearly,” we are supposed to be revising but I have been stalking Sekani since we took a break.

When Buck made me reactivate my account, she was the first person I followed before everyone else and I admit, Sekani’s i********: profile surprised me.

She has only 6photos in her feed and her username is: thatgirl.Sekani like she’s not the school princess but her followers gave her away. All 59, 304 of them.

I click on the oldest photo on her feed like I haven’t already seen it.

It’s two years old and Sekani is wearing denim overalls with a colorful stripe tank. The curls of her hair are combed out into a full afro that is filled with mini sunflowers as she beams brightly at the camera.

Flower girl is the caption and the comments are full of flower emoji’s.

The next post has two photos. The first sequence is a young her and Soon-Yi sharing a slice of cake at what looks like a garden birthday party. They look around 14years if not 13.

I swipe and an updated version shows. Instead of sharing a cake they have a box of pizza in front of them at what I assume a house party. I’m guessing the caption is meant to be ironic because it says: Not much has changed.

It’s actually my favorite post because Sekani looks happy in both photos and I know her friend is the main reason her smile reaches her eyes.

Next on the feed is a video of Sekani riding a bicycle with a white basket. She’s wearing sunglasses, her hair is sleeked back into a ponytail braid, she is in red shorts and a white fitted Life Guard t-shirt.

Summer rides to work, is the caption attached with a bicycle emoji.

The post after is of a three picture sequence. The cover is an art piece with a red heart in the middle, I swipe and picture of her parents in a warm embrace appears, they look young—probably in their twenties.

The mother has blue-green eyes, blonde curly short hair and sunburnt olive skin but her father has his dreads held back, a goatee and a chocolate skin tone. They look very in love and happy.

I swipe again and a family photo of Sekani and her extended family fills the box so I understand why her caption is: Love

The last post before the most recent homecoming declaration is a photo of dump of selfies with different hairstyles and the obvious caption of: hair catalogue.

Each photo has a different outfit, smile, pose and hairstyle. It’s a few months old but it’s the most liked and has comments that praise her beauty, perfection and versatility.

Screw this, “we’re going to homecoming” I tell Buck.