As the duo of Sonny and Nadia made their way to the cafeteria, Sonny had told Nadia to save them a table as he went inside to get their lunches. For Sonny, his go-to always has been and always will be pepperoni pizza. There was no if, ands, or buts about it. To him, that was the only pizza he would ever recognize as proper pizza. A second place would be a meat lovers pizza that had three types of sausage in addition to pepperoni. How people can choose Hawaiian pizza over the classic staple of pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and a thin layer of red sauce was beyond his comprehension. For Nadia, he got her a salad. She seemed like the type who enjoyed a nice Chinese chicken salad.

“That’ll be how much?” Sonny thought he heard wrong.

“Thirty Bucks, Sonny,” Timmy, the poor nerd who worked in the cafeteria, said.

“Fuck, that’s a ripoff, Tommy.”

“It’s Timmy.”

Rolling his eyes, Sonny handed him a fifty dollar bill. “Give me that change, Tammy.”

Timmy glared at Sonny as he gave him a twenty dollar bill in return. “There ya go, Sunny.”

And that earned Timmy a glare from Sonny.

He tried to shrug off the annoying feeling that nested itself deep in his stomach. “That Tummy Scott sure has a lot of nerve. Maybe Kavi should pay him a visit.” Sonny contemplated the entertaining thought of sicking the mixed pitbull on the nerd. He knew Kavi enjoyed tormenting those who were a lot weaker than he was. Usually, Sonny wasn’t supportive of it, but in this specific case, he was more than willing to turn the other cheek.

As he shook his head, he decided to save that for later as he came to the view of the table spread throughout the quad/courtyard (it was called a lot of things). It only took him a second scan to find Nadia. She had saved them a seat somewhere in the middle of it all. He rushed over to join her, handing her salad. “I didn’t know which one you liked, so I just got this one. My sister loves it and you two seem to have similar tastes,” he shrugged, taking a bite of his pizza, letting his eyes wander around the quad.

He saw a lot of faces that he recognized. Some were those he didn’t particularly like and some he did but didn’t feel like disrupting his time with Nadia. To his surprise, he actually found himself enjoying her company. Who would’ve thought that, of all people Sonny could’ve been paired up with and of all the possible outcomes, he’d find himself not minding the more mellow, if not somewhat cheerful, company of Nadia a breath of fresh air. She was nothing like that Victoire. God, if he never had to see her again, he’d still think it wouldn’t be long enough.

“So, what I’d miss--”

Before Sonny had a chance to finish what he was going to say, he first heard the familiar voices of Victoire and Jun rush past him, though they seemed to stop not far from where he and Nadia were sitting. At first glance, he rolled his eyes. Sonny didn’t mind Jun all that much anymore. The past month had been good for their building friendship (if you could call it that), but seeing Victoire still made his blood boil. But that’s all it was - a first glance. It was as it appeared to be. Sonny noticed a particular irritation from Vic as she spoke to Jun in a way that seemed way too familiar for the teen.

Sonny couldn’t help but utter a loud, noticeable laugh. “Get her, Jun!” Sonny whistled, cheering on his fellow misfit.

The back and forth between Jun and Vic had Sonny actually enjoying lunchtime for once. It had gotten to the point where Sonny pulled out his phone and started recording the conversation. From Jun being Jun and Victoire doing everything that she could possibly to rid herself of him. That was something Sonny could relate to, but heaven be damned if it wasn’t entertaining as fuck seeing her get the just deserts that she had been asking for since the party.

As he watched and recorded, laughs soon consumed the chuckling air that Sonny consumed. It was that use of nothing that always seemed to be an indicator of how Vic often felt about someone. Stella had told Sonny about how she said ‘I nothing you’ to her, but just like Stella didn’t, Jun wasn’t giving up. And just when Sonny thought Jun couldn’t top his previous line of the use of ‘Viccy’, he did it.

“He fucking did it!” At this point, Sonny was ready to become a real-life version of the common abbreviation of ‘rolling on the floor’ as his laughter could be heard from the parking lot to the history department nearly a half a mile away (not literally but that’s just how loud he was laughing). “I’m..gonna need a minute,” he said to himself. He made sure to save the video. He never knew when he might need to use it.

About three or so minutes later, though Sonny had some chuckles that remained, there was no doubt it mostly passed, so he was finally able to eat his pizza. He could see the apparent displeasing nature in Nadia’s eyes as she ate her salad. He didn’t pay that any mind. It was so worth it because he just knew it would come in handy one day. If Victoire’s reaction to Jun was any indicator, using this video was the key to getting to her as well. As he took a bite out of his pizza, Sonny wanted to check out the tables, seeing who might’ve shown up. At that moment, Sonny regretted doing just that. And before he could take the act of curiosity back, there four tables away from where he and Nadia were sitting, at their table, was Marisol, Archer, and two nobodies that Sonny didn’t recognize. Well, he recognized Captain Kirk, but the brown boy who, at the moment he saw them, had his arms around Marisol.

“And just who the fuck is that?”

There was a lot happening around her that, if she was being totally honest with herself, she found a bit overwhelming. Everything from her pairing being someone who, up until just a few moments ago, didn’t know all that well. She knew Oliver, of course, but only through passing glances. She didn’t interact with that particular crowd he often rolled with. She always saw him with Raven, the girl whose three names confuse Stella. Every time she would try and guess which name was the right one, she just found herself drawing a blank. Then again, Stella didn’t really talk to Raven or Oliver enough to wage whether either of them was particularly fond of her. She knew how she could be. And what was even worse for the poor girl, she wasn’t even sure what to make of it all.

And of course, Kavi’s words about how she was least likely to get laid of the three seemed to bother her more than it should’ve. Okay, sure Stella wasn’t like a lot of girls at the school - especially not if the rumors were true about that XiXi girl. And definitely nowhere near the levels of some of the guys in their class (yeah she’s looking at you, Kavi Salvador), but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be up for it. If Oliver was a gentleman or if they clicked, she wouldn’t turn it down, but there was just something about the way he dismissed the possibilities of her ever getting laid with Oliver was what had the brunette in a rare state of equal annoyance and irritation. Okay, both were the same, but to Stella, they were two sides of two very different coins.

“Kavi can be a jerk all he wants. I’m not gonna be unlaid come next week. He can bet!” Stella told herself, huffing as she went to eat her salad.

And as her own words of encouragement drove the girl to chomp hard on her leafy greens, from behind her, she heard Oliver speak to her. "Stella, my darling. Any chance we could discuss the news over lunch?"

“Oh,” Stella managed to utter a single word, though she said it a surprised, almost-hushed tone, so it was practically mute at this point. “I mean, hey, yeah! Go ahead and join me,” she said to the blonde teen, gesturing him to take a seat at the empty table she was sitting at. “What’s on your mind?”

”Nothing much,” he replied, taking the seat across from her. ”I figured that since we're being forced to go to homecoming together, we better make the best of it. So… uh… did you already have a dress picked out or anything?”

Stella smiled at Oliver, though there was a moment where she thought he didn’t know her at all. Even at a passing glance, it was obvious what kind of girl that she was. “I had mine picked out since labor day. My Aunt Florence took me shopping in New York,” she told Oliver with a smile. “Do you have your tux? Or are you one of those blazer kinds of guys?” She asked him.

A special shopping trip to New York? Wow. ”In all honesty, I was planning on sitting this one out,” he said laughing. ”But definitely more of a tux guy. I'll try and pick one out real soon. Did you want my tie to match your dress or anything?”

On that note, Stella instantly perked up, a smile that could light up the stars went off. It was as if her wishes of the perfect date had finally been answered. So, as her brown eyes sparkled with an imaginary shade of bright orange like a sun within the night sky, she pulled out her phone. “This is the dress my aunt got for me. They even photographed me and everything. It’s lavender, so if you could get something similar. Maybe a lavender tie with a darker shade of purple. Or maybe cornflower blue with a lavender tie!” Stella found herself thinking out loud. After the second suggestion, her mouth kept rambling on and on as if it faded into white noise, though her voice certainly would carry.

Nodding along as she spoke, Oliver’s eyes widened as he looked at the picture. ”Dayum… You look freaking stunning. Well, I mean, you always do, but anyway.” He cleared his throat, taking a moment to think. ”I actually love cornflower blue, but are you against bowties? That's a bit more my style than a tie.”

She didn’t know why, but when he called her stunning, her cheeks turned a shade closer to strawberry red rather than the fleshy tone of peach her skin has always been post-makeup time. This alone had her looking at Oliver in a new light. The words Kavi had spoken to her started to fade as Stella was now actually starting to see Oliver as someone she could see herself with.

To hell with Lucas Anderson, she thought to herself, the thought itself taking her by surprise. Was she really that kind of girl now? It was her fault for not following up with Lucas, wasn’t it? No, that wasn’t why. She didn’t follow up that night with him because she found out he was Diablo’s best friend. She didn’t want anything to do with him, so she punished Lucas for it. Oh God! I’m just like all those bitches from those mean girls-type shows..

Completely beside herself, Stella just tossed those thoughts out of her mental window as she chose to focus on Oliver - sweet, sweet Oliver. “I love bowties! And you’d look super cute in one, I’m sure of it!” She couldn’t believe she actually said that, but to her surprise, Stella wasn’t going to take it back. She just smiled at Oliver, slightly batting her full eyelashes at the blonde teen.

Everything was going so smoothly. Stella was just as great as he had always imagined and heard about - though he would admit he was still a tad curious about the rumors of what a party girl she could be. Most of the others were probably at their appointed partners throat. Some of those pairings had been interesting, to say the least. He noticed her blushing and felt a small sense of accomplishment. His passing for straight was working. (Well, it had been working for the last eighteen years, but you get the point.) And he had gotten her approval for the bowtie!

”So…” Oli said thoughtfully, squinting his eyes slightly in concentration. ”Excellent homecoming partner, check. Wardrobe, check…. Was there anything you wanted to do beforehand? I known of this great Japanese joint about fifteen minutes from the school.”

“Wait, you mean Kiyoshi’s Sushi Bar!?” Stella had to ask. If true, then she loved him even more than she was starting to already.

He laughed seeing how her face lit up in excitement. ”Yeah, that's the one. I freaking love that place.”

Oh. My. God!

Yeah, Stella was practically freaking out right now but in the best of ways. They were so in sync that they might as well be saying Bye Bye Bye! to this place and make a beeline for the sushi bar. How could someone be so perfect for her and she not even know they really existed? Well, she knew about Oliver - that was a no duh, but what she didn’t know was, in the ten minutes they’ve been talking, she has gotten to know him more than she thought she was gonna. They were, if anything, one of the best pairings to come out of this arranged ordeal.

“I love-love-love-love their spicy tuna roll. It’s so yummilicious!”

This was starting to get a little crazy - but in a good way. Stella had excellent fashion taste, shared the love for his favorite restaurant, and was actually quite… adorable. If he was into girls, she would most definitely be his type.

”That one definitely makes my top three. It's delicious.” Still thinking, he ran his fingers through his hair. They had discussed wardrobe and dinner plans. That was about it for homecoming plans. Oliver found that small factoid to be disappointing. He really enjoyed talking to Stella. ”Was there anything you wanted to add?” he asked, out of ideas to keep the conversation going.

“Oh, uh, there is something,” Stella said, though she hesitated from saying anything further. A part of her grew embarrassed, her cheeks unintentionally flushing a slightly darker shade of pink. “You’ll have to pick me up. My dad is - how to put this gently - over-excited for homecoming. When I told you my aunt took me to NYC for shopping, what I left out was that my dad came along and he picked out all of the possible dresses.” She seemed to be regretting this particular mention. She loved her father, but he was way too excited for his own good. “So, when I got my dress, he told me that whoever my date is, they have to pick me up and meet him, my mom, my Aunt Florence, Uncle Wesley, and basically the entire Lambert clan.” She could feel a familiar anxiety building up as she went to a mental place that made her think this would scare him off.

Well, it wasn't the scariest thing he had ever done or been propositioned, but it was definitely up there on the list. He hardly knew Stella personally, and here he was more or less invited to meet her whole family. It couldn't be that bad though, could it? All of his friends mom's had always liked him. Dads had always seemed indifferent. There were worse things in life that could happen. However, meeting the family meant he would have to keep his sass toned down to a minimum. Or maybe her family was super sassy too, and they could all just have one huge sass party. Okay dude, chill. You're anxious. You're over thinking. It's okay.

Regaining his mental composure, he smiled at her reassuringly before speaking. ”Honestly, Stella? I really don't see a problem with that.”

”Well, uh, well shit..”

That was the only thing that had made it out of her mouth and it was so unbecoming for someone like Stella. She hardly ever cussed and when she did, it usually was in a positive manner. Her brother, cousins, father, and friends all had a sailor’s tongue, but she never showed signs until now. Truly, when she was as taken aback by something someone says, she really didn’t know what to say. That was exactly what was happening right now. She half-expected Oliver to be jittery or be overconfident about it. She also thought he was going to back out. This obviously wasn’t the case.

Collecting herself, Stella coughed, letting out a few, short, awkwardly-nervous laughs as she fixated on the eyes that, at this moment, felt like they were the only thing able to calm her down. “I mean, if you really don’t mind my family’s erraticness, then I guess it’s a date..” She uttered slowly, a smile of relief forming where anxiety previously resided.

Oliver grinned. This had truly gone way better than expected. ”Sounds good to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go catch up with Martha,” he said grabbing his things.

“Wait!” She stopped him real quick, “let me give you my number,” she said, pulling out her iPhone 9. “Ya know, just so you can text me or whatever.”

”God, yeah,” he said, laughing a bit and handing her his phone in return. ”Almost forgot that. I feel like such an idiot now.”

She waved up her hands. “Oh, no it’s my goof! I should’ve asked for it before now,” she told him, holding up his phone and taking a selfie, and set it as the pic that came up whenever she would call him or text. “And done. I even added a cute-ass selfie for you too.” There she went cursing again. And what’s this? She winked at him. God, Stella what is up with you?

Oliver smiled, looking down at his phone and seeing the picture. ”Awesome. I'll catch you later, Stel,” he said pocketing his phone and turning to walk away.

When she was left to her lonesome, Stella was gushing and just staring at her phone with Oliver’s picture there as well. Well, it was a quick shot from earlier, but she had it and goddamn he was cute. His blonde hair, his eyes, his dimples - everything about him made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She hasn’t felt this way about anyone since the days she and Santiago were dating. Okay, so it wasn’t dating in the traditional sense, but they went out on a date or two and she thought he actually liked her, but now? She really felt like Oliver liked her in the way she has always wanted a guy to like her.

“It’s just perfect!” She squeed to herself, getting up as she knew the first person she just had to tell!

The sheer amount of hatred radiating off of Victoire only fed into itself, perpetuating an alarming but typical scowl etched on her face. She hated everything on a normal day, but it was as if the universe had kicked it into overdrive. She had no idea how she was going to manage Homecoming without murdering that moron Jun, nor was she willing to hold back on that end. He got one over her, that much she couldn’t deny, but she was going to make sure she paid it back with interest.

It was hard to deny the embarrassment didn’t affect her, as nearly everyone she made contact with had some sort of stupid smile on their face. The only reason she had yet to hear anything after seeing them was that her death glare was especially on point due to her anger. And so she would forgo going to the cafeteria; she could just eat later, if she saw another stupid face approach her she would probably end up punching someone.

“Victoire!!!!”

And as if on queue, coming from behind came a surprise, literal glomp from Stella Lambert to Victoire’s surprisingly sturdy vertical frame. Her arms wrapped around the dark-haired girl and gave her a hard squeeze. “I’m glad I found you before you left! I have so many things to tell you!!”

Of course. Because the universe needed to test her patience further.

That wasn’t right. Stella did nothing wrong to her. She needed to rein in her anger for a moment. Taking in a deep breath, she turned her face towards the smaller girl. ”Do you now?” She couldn’t help but ask.

Stella gave Vic a nod, followed up by a repeated ‘mhm’ sound that was muffled by her closed lips. “Yes I do!” She repeated herself, nodding again. “God, it’s just so amazing and I knew I just had to tell you!”

Victoire only looked at Stella. After a moment of not saying anything, she remembered how dim the girl was and said, ”So are you going to tell me?”

”I, uh,” Stella hesitated, looking at Vic. “Are you okay? You don’t seem like yourself,” she said, concerned for her friend.

”I’m always like this,” She replied. ”There is never a day where life isn’t needlessly annoying.”

Stella now felt really horrible. Here she had her own, selfish news about Oliver that she wanted to tell her, but then here was Vic seemingly in a constant state of negativity. “I can go if you want..” She looked at Vic, unsure. She didn’t want to cause yet another level of irritation for Vic.

The girl looked like a kicked puppy, and now it was Victoire's turn to feel bad. She shouldn't let her emotions get the best of her, especially as the last thing she wanted was to talk about that moron. ”No, it's fine, I'm just annoyed that people seem to blame me for this Homecoming fiasco,” She dismissed the girl's concerns. ”You should have seen the way Diedrikson looked at me.”

“You mean people aren’t happy with it? I’m ecstatic! It’s such a neat idea. Instead of going out of our way stressing over who to ask for, the choice has been made for us. It’s so exciting! Don’t you agree?”

At that moment Victoire subconsciously liked Stella to an adorable baby sheep. ”Considering the blowout, I can't say I agree. If I had a more likable partner, then maybe, but I am stuck with the class clown who is set on making my life hell until the dance.”

Was there really a blowout to it? Stella understood that not everyone was happy, but she didn’t think it was as bad as Vic was making it out to be. “Class clown? Oh right, you were paired up with Jun. Is he really that bad?” She asked Vic.

Victoire gave Stella an unamused look. ”Yes.”

Stella was confused and she didn’t understand it entirely. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, extending an ear if Vic needed it.

Fuck no. ”No.”

“Oh. Well, okay that’s fine!” She smiled at Vic. It was no problem for her at all. Whenever Vic was ready to talk about it, she knew that Stella would be there for her. “In any case, about what I wanted to tell you!” Her slight smile shifted into a wide grin laced with a layer of nerves that seemed to threaten to break her curved lips. “You know the boy I was paired up with, Oliver Greyson, right?”

”What about him?” She asked.

“I think he likes me,” she stated simply, though her cheeks flushed bright red as soon as she did.

Raising her eyebrows slowly, Victoire had to take a moment to really take in that information. Stella looked positively peachy about it, but something felt a little off. As far as Victoire had been aware, she couldn’t recall Oliver ever going out with anyone. She actually thought he was like herself in a way when it came to relationships, albeit she had no proof. But that was neither here nor there; she supposed if Stella had her eyes on someone who was a million times better than her idiot brother, then good for her.

”What makes you say that?” She asked, somewhat curious.

“Well…” Stella hesitated for a minute. She gripped the side of her arm with her other, darting away from Vic’s direct gaze for a moment. It wasn’t until she thought about it herself that she seemed sure of why. “The vibe I got when we talked earlier just seemed like there could be something there. I know I don’t have the greatest track record. I mean, not that you would know that, but I was burned pretty bad by Santiago and I just couldn’t handle Lucas after the party, but with Oliver, it just feels natural. And I’m pretty sure he was flirting with me.” She was rambling, but it was the only way she knew she could get her thoughts out without sounding like a complete dumbo.

Wow, this girl had it bad. Victoire nodded slowly as Stella spoke, a little curious but unsurprised by the Santiago remark, but otherwise, she certainly seemed excited. But she couldn’t shake off that itch, that feeling that maybe she should advise her to be cautious. ”Natural, huh,” She said, pausing for a moment. ”Well, if you’re sure, then I wish you the best. At least you’ll have fun at the dance one way or another.”

“I sure hope so! I’m like really nervous. Or I would be if -- aaah!-- if he wasn’t so damn cute, ya know? You’ve seen him, right?” Stella didn’t wait to answer him and she pulled out her phone and showed her the one picture she had of Oliver on her phone. “Just look at him. Isn’t he the dreamiest cutie pie you ever seen?” She asked Vic, her big eyes looking to her friend as they always had done.

”He’s no Kavan Varma, but yeah, he’s cute,” Victoire agreed, her eyes going from the phone to Stella. ”So, what, you’re going to ask him out?”

“Oh, you must not have remembered, but he’s my date for Homecoming,” she said, replying rather swiftly, which was unlike her. She usually fumbled.

She had to remind herself to be patient with the little sheep. ”Okay, but that doesn’t answer my question,” She said. ”What are your intentions with him?”

“What do you mean?” She asked, confused. “I mean, I guess dancing?” Stella said almost as if she wasn’t sure herself, though she was more perplexed by Vic’s question more than what she was actually going to do with Oliver. “Should I have any intentions?” A question escaped her lips that, in her mind, she thought it was going to be something she’d say to herself, not out loud. Too late now.

Jun had already filled a majority of her idiocy tolerance so Victoire had little patience for Stella’s airheadedness. ”If you think he’s cute then yes. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time,” She decided to be as upfront as possible. ”But that’s up to you, I have my own ‘date’ to worry about, unfortunately.” Just thinking about Jun again got her riled up.

“You’re saying exactly what Kavi implied.” In the place of a confused expression came a slight pout-like frown.

Getting compared to that other idiot did very little to uplift her already sour mood. ”If you hear the same thing more than once, it’s for a reason,” Victoire advised her.

“Yeah but Kavi’s a dum dum! And you’re not!” She exclaimed rather passionately. As she thought about it more, Stella just looked at Vic for a moment. Could she be right? Could Kavi be right? Maybe she wouldn’t get laid or close to it. “Am I really so innocent and wholesome that people assume I wouldn’t get laid like most girls in our class would?” She asked Victoire. Truly she didn’t understand it one bit. It wasn’t like she hadn’t slept with guys before, but ever since Diablo, she hadn’t put herself out there.

‘Innocent’ wasn’t the word Victoire would have used. Nadia was what came to mind when she thought of the word innocent, Stella was more insecure and unsure. ”What I mean is that you’re too passive. Some aggression would do you well,” She told her.

“I don’t want to be mean to anybody. I wasn’t raised to be a bitch -- no offense to you, of course. I know it works for you, but I’m not sure it’s my thing, ya know?”

”I’m a bitch because I hate everything,” Victoire spelled it out for her.

“Well, that’s a lie. You don’t hate me!” And just like that, Stella’s frown was turned upside down, directed in full at Vic.

Victoire chose not to respond. ”My point stands. If you don’t put in some effort to get what you want, you’ll find yourself sitting there alone with no one to blame but yourself,” She said.

”I suppose you have a point.”

Stella did agree with Victoire. She didn’t like it, of course, but there was no denying the truth in her advice. The reason Stella was in this position was due to her lack of confidence in herself. Where it came from was another matter. She wasn’t like this when Sav was still around. Maybe that was the problem. Her leaving really did a number on the brunette and it just drove her to do a lot of the wrong things for what she thought were the right reasons. Obviously that wasn’t true. But Vic’s words rung true for her and it was only after she let them sink in did she seem to finally get it.

Looking at Vic for a moment, Stella finally responded with a smile and a sudden, tight hug. “Thank you so, so, so much for your wonderful advice! You really are something special!” She said warmly, letting out a breath of warmth as she made the hug last for a few, long moments.

”You’re very touchy today, aren’t you?” She couldn’t help but ask.

Stella might’ve lacked aggression, but she certainly knew a sign to let go when she heard it. “Oh my God, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to..I’m just really happy today and talking to you really just helped me even more. But I’m sorry! I guess you’re not used to impromptu hugs, huh?” Her question was followed by a nerve-ridden laugh.

”My personal space is important to me, so my reaction would have been the same regardless of who it was,” Victoire replied somewhat dryly.

“Oh, I totally get that. Like, I’m just -- uh, what’s the word? Oh, yes,” she smiled at Vic, ”I just like hugging you. It’s weird, but you just have a warm presence and totally not bitchy at all!”

”You flatter me.”

”You deserve to be flattered!” She replied with gusto.

There were quite a few people who were likely to disagree with that statement. Still, Victoire decided to humor Stella, if only for the sake of not wanting to get touched again. ”I have a few things to take care of, so just remember what I said. Best of luck,” She told her.

”And to you as well! Jun’s not that bad of a guy - he just jokes a lot,” she said, hopefully giving Vic some peace of mind. As she said that, she went to hug Vic again, but she remembered that she didn’t like it when Stella hugged her not once but twice without saying anything. So, in the place of her arms wrapping around Vic’s slender body came her right hand extended out with her fingers straight, though Stella’s big, bright eyes full of honey sweetness. “A shake for good luck, perhaps?”

Lord have mercy, this girl was hopeless. Making a mental note to bring plenty of tissues for the inevitable rejection, Victoire shook her hand. ”Good luck.”

Since departing the auditorium and getting to the cafeteria, there wasn’t a moment that Kavi didn’t think about how perfect everything was falling into place for him. Not only was the teen able to snag the last calamari dish the cafeteria had, but the thought of how bothered he knew Diablo was going to be when he received the text Kavi sent shortly after leaving the assembly. He just knew it would get under the candy man’s skin. And how did he know this? Well, Kavi knew Diablo. Or at least he knew how much he apparently cared for April. The rumors of their on-again-off-again spread like wildfire. If someone hadn’t heard about their mess of a relationship, then either they lived under a rock or simply didn’t care.

Good thing Kavi did. And he planned on using it to his advantage.

“Thanks, keep the change,” Kavi handed the Timmy, the vendor two twenty dollar bills as he took the styrofoam package that had his sticky rice and calamari with spicy soy sauce to dip it in. Just like how grandpa makes it.

He couldn’t wait any longer. Kavi wasn’t even three feet away from where he had purchased it when it propped it open, but before he could get his claws into it, a voice from behind stopped him from taking his first bite. In the back of his mind, he was ready to pummel who it was, but the words in addition to who it was didn’t make it seem like that would be wise on his part.

“First use is free of charge, but every other use requires payment.” He smiled at April, taking no shame in looking her from head to toe and then back up, stopping at her eyes that, even in the artificial lighting the cafeteria lights had, had a brilliant, sweet, sultry honey shade to them. “Though, for you, I might make an exception.” With charm on overdrive, Kavi kept the smile, holding his styrofoam package in one hand while running the other through his dark locks.

“An exception huh?” April grinned. If one thing was for sure, it was that Kavi’s charm was almost intoxicating to the brunette. She watched him with playful eyes as he looked her up and down, smiling as a sudden wave of self-awareness hit her. It wasn’t a new experience for her--Diablo did it damn near every time she saw him--but something about it being Kavi made the experience all that more foreign. Surreal almost.

Maybe even fun.

April sped past him and grabbed a table not far ahead, placing her own tray down before sitting opposite to Kavi. It was evident that she was excited about this entire thing; the stupid smirk that she had originally greeted her newfound homecoming partner with had yet to leave her face. There was a moment--and it was a good long moment--where Santiago had entered her mind and she wondered if he would’ve been alright with this. But then she remembered what the past month had brought to light and any shred of guilt that had been present disappeared in the blink of an eye.

”It’s Kavi right? Or as Mrs. Sanders called you, Mister Salvador.” She said, making her voice sound all whiny and irritating as she mimicked the older teacher. April took a moment to down some of her garden salad after carefully drizzling it in balsamic vinaigrette, before looking back to her partner. With her eyes still ever playful, April sipped her coffee as she watched him over the lid of the cup. He’s certainly easy on the eyes she thought to herself, before putting down her coffee. “So, we’ve never really talked a lot before...how’s life?”

“My life has been pretty great, actually.”

Kavi didn’t really think about it; he didn’t feel the need to. When it came to how great he’s been living the past month - hell, the entire school year - has been nothing short of amazing. From dates with the most attractive girls at the school to being rewarded with a new car from his father just last week, Kavi really didn’t have anything to complain about. It was perfect - just like him.

He glanced at April. “It’s a shame we never did, though. I know we would’ve been a great item,” he unashamedly stated.

His statement took April by quite a surprise. The brunette’s eyes widened and her cheeks gently flushed before she looked down and composed herself quickly. Did she really just hear him say that? April looked up to him once again and made sure that he knew she contested the idea, even if it was just a bit. Her eyes spoke volumes in conversation.

“That’s a rather bold assumption, don’t you think?”

Ah yes, that was right. The name came back to her. Next to Santiago, Kavi was one of the main self-proclaimed womanizers. It certainly explained the attitude he brought. April briefly pondered about clearing the water of any assumptions early but kept quiet for the moment. She wanted to see how he’d react first.

“Bold and true,” he admitted, “I know you know I date a lot. This isn’t because I think I’m the gift that keeps on giving; they just come to me, ya know? And at some point, these girls just seem like blank faces, but don’t think I haven’t been watching you, April.” He said to her, leaning against the wall behind him. “The number of times you and Santiago have broken up can’t be counted on my fingers. He treats you like yesterday’s garbage. Or maybe I’m wrong here. If I am, then do correct me. I just know if you were my girl, the number of times we would have gotten back together would be this many.” He held up a hand that was balled up, showing her the number he spoke of was zero.

His piece about Santiago hit her like a freight train. Absolutely every bone in her body screamed at her to defend him, but she found herself hesitating. Everything he’d said had been true. Santi had never really been with her. He knew it and April had tried to forget it. What little they had between them was hidden behind a purely physical relationship and Kavi had just uncovered the whole mess. “I...I can’t say that you’re wrong.” April looked down to her food and let out a deep breath.

“And is that because we’d just be so in love, or just because we’d hate each other so much that we’d never want to speak again?” She replied, offering a gentle smirk before leaning in to sip her coffee. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she spoke, trying to put the thoughts about her dear El Diablo out of her head.

He didn’t know if she intended to, but her comments forced out a laugh from Kavi. He collected himself, giving April a smile, though the chuckles still remained. “Sorry about that, but you thinking we’d hate each other is so funny to me. Nobody hates the Kavimiester, April,” he arrogantly stated, a familiar pride in his ego present. “There’s a reason people love me so much. I’m the kind of guy that will give you a night you won’t ever forget - that’s a fact.” Again, Kavi was showing no sign of his ego taking a break from assuming what April might think. “Unless you somehow disagree?” He knew it was unlikely to be the case, but the question still had to be asked.

April gritted her teeth. Kavi’s arrogance and over-inflated ego were beginning to get on her nerves. As mad as she was at Santi, he kept his ego more in check and didn’t act like an over-confident asshat. Right now, Kavi was being just plain irritating. “Do you honestly think you’re funny? Arrogance is not attractive Kavimeister, it’s irritating.” She looked at him impatiently as she put down her fork, contemplating what to say next. “Honestly Kavi, I completely disagree. The only reason I wouldn’t forget it is because it would be the night that held the record for the shortest time it’s taken for me to dump someone.”

He just sat there, eyes fixated on April round face. Thoughts swirled around as he contemplated what to say. He had a lot of things he could tell her. He could say she was wrong and that a time with him was unforgettable. He could remind her just who he was and how good at what he did he was. Reputations aside, Kavi knew that was the absolute truth. Another truth he knew were her truths -well, at least one that nobody at King’s Academy could afford to ignore.

Taking in the moment, he offered her a smile, unbeknownst to her there was something quite sinister lurking behind it. ”In your own words, you said ‘arrogance isn’t attractive’, yet you keep crawling back to the only person at this school who has a bigger ego than I do,” Kavi told her in a casual manner as he chomped on his lunch nonchalantly, his brown eyes occasionally glancing up at April.

April could feel her temper rising as her previous sarcastic smile faded into a look of pure venom. Those once welcoming, sweet brown eyes now stared daggers into Kavi’s perfectly punchable face. “And yet somehow I find you infinitely more irritating than he ever was. Having a big ego and flaunting it around are two very different things.” Her voice was unnervingly calm for the amount of anger behind the words. This control she had wouldn’t last long and she knew it. If the conversation didn’t end in some way soon, April was going to lose it. “And besides, I knew going in that Santi and I wouldn’t be serious. You assuming that we would be? That’s a whole new fuckin’ level of low, even for you.”

There was a moment for Kavi where he considered correcting April about a few things. But in that same moment, he saw something that, for the three seconds that followed, Kavi actually found himself ...wait for it! Feeling bad about what he said. Yes, it was possible for Kavi Salvador to actually feel regret and it was brief, but something in his gut tossed around, settling in nicely as a slight aching feeling in his stomach started. This had him gripping his stomach to help quell it. ”There is nothing low about it, sweetheart. At the end of the day, I know what I am. I have never shied away from being, as some would put it, an arrogant ass,” Kavi corrected her about her assumptions that what he said to her was ‘a new low’. ”Can you say the same about Santiago?”

Sweetheart. Little pet names like that made her skin crawl. Who the actual fuck did he think he was? April wanted to explode. She picked up her coffee and downed the rest as fast as she could. “I’m gonna be honest Kavi, I really, really wanted this to work for homecoming because I wanted to make a point for Santiago to see. But you are an absolute asshole.” There. It was out. “And call me sweetheart one more time and you can say goodbye to that perfect little smile of yours.” April tossed her lunch dishes out in the conveniently located garbage bin just next to their table before turning back to Kavi. “Anything else in my life you want to tear apart or can I stop wasting my breath and go do something productive?”

”Oh, lighten up. You’re acting as if I called you a bitch or something.” Kavi responded back, annoyed himself. “You really did hit the lottery, because I also want to rub it in Santiago’s face, too. He’s nothing more than a poor excuse for a latino. I know, right about now, he’s probably seething that we were paired up. And if not, then my text I sent out to him sure as hell would get him there.”

April stood from her seat, grabbed her now empty tray, and turned to walk off. She stopped briefly, turning to Kavi once more. “I guess we’re both going to homecoming alone because I’ll be damned if I’m spending another minute with your egotistical ass. Free or not, it’s not worth my time.” The brunette took in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, much like she had to do back at the party. Her fists clenched, she waited a single moment to see if Kavi had anything left to retort with.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kavi simply said, hoping that would catch her attention.

“Why shouldn’t I? You’ve given me absolutely zero reasons to stay. You’ve continuously rubbed my dysfunctional relationship in my face and on top of that, you don’t even seem to give a shit about it.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, staring down the irritatingly attractive teen.

“All true, April. I don’t care about your relationship with Diablo. Honestly, I don’t think anyone really cares about it, but they still talk about it like we’re talking about it right now,” Kavi stated bluntly. “Given the state of your relationship with him, you shouldn’t either, but you do, don’t you?” He didn’t need an answer. He could see it in her eyes. “You don’t like me and that is your right, but I’m the only one who can get exactly what you want. I can get under Santiago’s skin in the way you want.”

Damn it! Why did Kavi have to be so unbelievably right? April inhaled deeply, running the thought through her head over and over. “Alright, fuck it.” She conceded. The end result was too valuable for her to give it up over a minor speed bump like Kavi. She walked back to the table and took her seat once again. “On one condition.”

Well, that was easier than he thought it was going to be. “And what would that be?” He asked, wholly curious.

“If for some unknown reason one of us ends up at the other’s house after homecoming, I am not sleeping with you. Period. So get it out of your head before the idea even grows on you.” She said, her voice stern. She made the point clear and concise, phrasing it as something not to be questioned. There was a certain point that April would go to prove a point to Santi. Sleeping with someone? That was well past it.

Kavi laughed at just how serious she sounded. “A lot can happen in a week, darlin’.” He shot her a teasing wink. The fact that it crossed her mind even for a second was plenty of room for Kavi to work with. If he truly wanted to get her into his bed or work his way into hers, there was always a loophole to exploit.

After a moment of silence passed, Kavi returned to his slightly-straight posture. “Well, if that’s it, you better run along, or maybe you wish to spend the rest of the lunch period telling me off some more? I always welcome the company.”

“I think I’d better run along before people get ideas about us. I guess I’ll see you at homecoming.” April stood once again, before turning and walking off. What the actual hell are you doing April… She thought. This homecoming was certainly going to be interesting, and for better or worse, she was stuck with it.

Every year the exclusive private school of King’s Academy holds their Senior Homecoming Dance near the end of September and/or towards the beginning of October.. And every year, both the location and theme vary on who organizes it. Usually, the ones who organize it are the Senior Class Student Council. If that was true, then the most likely of venues that would be chosen to host the Homecoming dance was likely to be on the boat of some generous alumni who may or may not have their child attending the current class of 2019 of King’s Academy, however as it was revealed just last week during an assembly hosted by the teaching staff, as well as the Principal of King’s Academy, Principal Franklin, they revealed this year's would be different. Instead of a boat or maybe by the beach like it usually would, the Homecoming Dance was going to be held at the Crown Heights Country Club.

And boy was it met with mixed reactions. While a good majority of the senior class seemed to applaud the innovative idea and motivations from, there had been an uproar from the rest of them because they felt like they were being forced to participate in something that should’ve up to the student council to decide, not the staff. Their concerns were understandable given the people they were to arrive with was chosen for them and if they didn’t show up, it meant they risked getting expelled, so it was less of an enjoyable experience for some, though that was the case for roughly a handful or two of the senior class. Regardless of anything they were feeling at the time of the announcement, this was their reality.

As it was finally the day of Homecoming, when the students would arrive, the set up is like a lot of things within the gated, private community of Crown Heights, over the top in every possible way and with more glamour than all of the private schools in the southern part of Florida combined. Though it’s technically set up inside the ballroom of the Crown Heights Country Club, it simultaneously has its base of operations set up outside in the form of two separate greenhouse-like tents that are as transparent as they come.

From the outside, it’s just a bunch of lights, but inside these two tents are two decorative representation of Stars and the Moon. Lights flicker where the ground and the edges of the tents meet, leading all the way up to the various ornaments shaped like a moon, colored with alternating hues of silverish gold like the moon is when it’s completely bathing in the sun’s light and the sort of blue that one would see reflecting from the ocean, the moon’s form subtly hitting it with its shining brilliance. On the inside of the tents, a better look of the lights and hanging ornaments could be seen, but there’s also a more detailed arrangement of tables that spread across the entirety of the tent starting where one enters to where there is a stage where the live DJ will set up shop shortly but more importantly, it was where the King and Queen would be coronated three hours after the dance started.

It is here the King’s Academy Homecoming dance of 2018 will happen on a night of a thousand stars that shine brightly of the reluctant and willing.

The last week or so leading up to homecoming, Oliver and Stella had shared a few texts back and forth. Though the conversations were never all that serious, Oliver had enjoyed them. Upon hearing that he was attending homecoming, his mother was ecstatic. She had taken him to the nearest mall to buy a cornflower blue suit, Oliver not really wishing to make that big of a deal out of homecoming. Much to his pleasure, he had also managed to find a bowtie that matched the exact shade of Stella's dress. He had managed to get his mom to let him borrow her 2019 Jeep Cherokee for the night as well. Everything was falling into place perfectly so far.

Arriving at Stella's house, he walked up to the door before ringing the doorbell, waiting patiently.

But before the bell even had a chance to be rung, the door was opened, giving Oliver the sight to a rather menacing older woman with black hair and dressed like she was ready to take on the world. She wore a candy apple red dress that was intricately laced with white, small dots going from the right shoulder to the left hip with intersecting dots of black going from the left shoulder to the right hip. Where they met in the middle, the little circles created a mock-yin-yang symbol.

As she met Oliver’s gaze, it was clear to her the boy was sweating bullets. “So, you must be Oliver,” her voice, so silky smooth, was that of a New Yorker with the slightest drop of Quebec French. She held out her hand, reaching for Oliver’s. “Florence Lambert, Stella’s aunt. Please, come in.”

Shaking the woman's hand, Oliver walked through the door with a nervous smile. ”Nice to meet you, ma'am.”

Florence gently pulled the teen inside, leading him from the porch to the first right where he’d see the Lambert clan. “Allow me to introduce you to the family.”

One by one, Florence gave the introductions. First was Wesley, who was drinking the bourbon, smiling politely at Oliver. Next to him was Florence’s children with Wesley, Abraham, a med student and Winnie, a college freshman going to NYU Film School. All of this was stated as she warmly introduced them. Before she could get to Stella’s father, however, he beat her to it.

“So you’re Oliver, huh?” Frank stood up, looking Oliver up and down. The older man, who bore a short, yet sleek, hairstyle, gave Oliver the intimidating dad stare before smiling and pulling in Oliver for a surprise hug. “Man you’re a stud, aren’t you? No wonder my Stella talked so much about you.”

When Stella had said ‘The Whole Lambert Clan’ she had really meant it. While Florence introduced him, Oliver gave small waves, polite smiles and shook hands. Once coming to a stop in front of Stella's father, Oli didn't have to wait to see if he should say something first. While the glare was expected, it still filled Oliver with a slightly scared feeling. With his mouth dry, he couldn't find what words to say before he was pulled in for a hug. Luckily Mr. Lambert released him before he could figure out whether to hug the older man back or not.

”Y-yes sir. A pleasure to meet you,” he replied, clearing his throat. So Stella had been talking about him? A lot? There was no way. Sure, Oli had been thinking a lot more than he would care to admit about Stella, but that didn't mean that she had done the same… right? ”Where is Stella? he asked curiously. .

“Oh, Stelly will be down in a minute,” Winnie said, propping next to Oliver, smiling at the teen. “Tell us about you, Oliver. What’s it like being the fabulous Oliver Greyson?” Winnie asked, a playful tone in her voice. “ - Stelly’s words, not mine by the way,” she noted, giggling.

Fabulous? Not by a long shot. What was he going to tell them about himself? He was the school gossip, not some really impressive jock. ”Well, there's not really all that much to tell. I've lived in Crown Heights practically my whole life. I'd consider my grades to be pretty okay. I usually make B's and C's. Oh, and I like to write.”

“Well, that’s impressive. Most around here get so self-absorbed that they forget about their studies,” Abe commented. “Good to know my little cousin found herself a self-aware man,” he said, a slight smile forming on his face.

Frank went to open his mouth, but instead of saying something that was directed at Oliver, instead his words came out to be directed at the person standing at the entrance wearing a lavender dress with the faintest hint of a certain blue that matched Oliver’s suit. She finished off her elegant, yet comfortable dress with a pair of salmon-colored heels. The color pop could not be denied.

The young man followed Frank's gaze, his eyes landing on Stella just like everyone else's. She looked even better wearing the dress in person than she did in the picture. ”Stella… wow.” he commented, otherwise speechless as he pulled the corsage from his pocket. (The color would match her dress, of course.) ”I, uh, got this for you.”

While Stella was still in the state of shock when she saw that her entire family was practically making googly eyes at her, for the most obvious reason ever - especially when it came to the mind of one Stella Lambert - the way she was looking at Oliver was pretty clear: She thought he looked so handsome and that her family didn’t scare him off. At the back of her mind when her father said he wanted to meet Oliver, she thought he’d scare him off, but when he was right there, pulling out the lavender corsage. She didn’t know what to say. She was even more surprised when he took the initiative to put it on her wrist.

“Oh my god, thank you. It’s beautiful!” She replied, dividing her attention from it and him. The more she did that, the more she looked at Oliver. Goddamn, he was fine. “You look great, Oliver!” She finally said. The way her eyes shined at Oliver was pretty clear to her family, especially Winnie.

“Picture time!” Francis said, breaking up the love fest. He was partially doing it so he didn’t have to witness his princess and her prince make out. Francis was already set for when they were ready to pull their eyes away from each other.

Smiling as he finished putting the corsage on her wrist, Oliver looked up to find all of the attention still on Stella. At least that meant that her family might stop asking questions - not that he had minded them that much. His skills lied in talking about others, not himself.

”You really don't look that bad yourself, Stel,’ he said wrapping his right arm around her waist awkwardly as he turned to smile at the camera.

She was just as prepared for that as she was for her father’s sudden snap of the camera, the flash catching her gasping expression as her head had been on Oliver. She quickly collected herself as her father, as well as the others, took their photos. After what felt like a lifetime, the ordeal of smiling through so many flashes of camera phones and traditional cameras was done. It would only finish as she hugged her parents, giving them a tight hug (more from her father to her than her mother to her).

And when she was finally able to leave, she let out a loud sigh when she and Oliver had reached his car. “Oh my god, I thought it would never end!” She said, leaning against his car, looking at him. “I’m sorry you had to endure the torture of my father’s need for flash photography. He refuses to update like the rest of us have,” she said apologetically.

Cheeks still sore from smiling, Oliver opened the passenger side door for Stella, allowing her to climb in. ”It's no problem. Your family actually seems quite charming,” he responded. Walking to the other side and climbing in the car himself, he turned to look at her one last time before cranking the car and giving his attention to the road. ”Ready to get this night officially started?”

She smiled at him, nodding. “Let’s go! I’m ready to party-arty-arty!”