Chapter 24 #2
Emma looks at me. “Thanks for staying here,” she says. “I’m sure chillin’ by the bathroom isn’t your favorite way to party.”
I smile. “What are you talking about? This is the only way to party.”
We both giggle, and Suzy gives me a side hug.
“Seriously, though,” Emma says. “Thank you.”
Just then, we hear a cry, and Emma and I look at each other.
“Taylor,” she says.
“I’ll stay with Tina,” Suzy says. “Go!”
Emma and I dash back down the hallway and up the stairs. Well, Emma dashes. I walk as quickly as my red stilettos will let me.
“This idiot spilled my drink.” It’s Nick from earlier, and his white polo shirt is soaked through with bright red punch. He stands by the deck railing, an affronted look on his face.
Taylor rocks back and forth, looking distressed.
“I’m sure it was an accident,” Emma says. I hurry to stand beside her.
“Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth,” Taylor murmurs.
Nick gets in Taylor’s face. “What did you say, freak?”
Emma storms forward. “Just go away and leave us alone!”
Nick scowls, and his two friends behind him glare. “This shirt cost $200 dollars. The cleaning is not going to be cheap. Are you going to cover it?”
Emma snorts. “You spent $200 dollars on that?”
I cover my mouth so Nick won’t see my smile. His face darkens. “You and that freak are going down.”
He steps forward, but so does Emma. I reach out a hand to stop her, but she barrels ahead. “Emma!”
Emma shoves Nick with surprising power. He stumbles backwards. One of his friends cries out, and I reach forward, but I’m too far away. I can only watch in horror as Nick’s legs go over his head, and he falls off the side of the yacht.
My mouth drops open.
Emma just stands there with her arms crossed. Her bubblegum pops.
I rush to the railing along with one of Nick’s friends. The other one doubles over, holding his stomach and laughing. Luckily, the deck isn’t too high. Nick bursts from the dark water, sputtering and gasping.
“What do we do?” I panic. I glance around. “Help!”
There. On the wall is a life ring. I grab it and hurl it into the water, but Nick is already swimming for shore.
I sag to the ground and notice that several people are filming and laughing. I swallow back tears of frustration.
Just then, a spotlight turns on over the upper deck and Noah steps forward, microphone in hand. “Can I get everyone’s attention please?” He looks devastatingly gorgeous, and my heart drops for just a second. He’s wearing a navy blue suit, tight across his biceps and chest.
And I realize something. I used to think that Noah was like a chocolate chip cookie—rich and warm.
But he’s a twinkie. Golden and gorgeous, but so sickly sweet that you can’t help but realize that it’s fake.
“Brielle, babelicious, would you join me?” Noah extends a hand.
The DJ turns off the music, and the students go silent. The group in the middle that was dancing before stares at the couple, enraptured. Brielle leaves the dance floor and ascends the steps to her boyfriend. She looks radiant in a sparkling peach dress and blown out blonde hair.
Noah gets down on one knee, and the students around me sigh. This is bad. Fireworks light up the sky in green and white, our school colors. People gasp and clap.
I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Suzy with a worried expression.
Brielle looks up to the sky, her expression glowing, and then back to her boyfriend.
“Brielle Williams, I adore everything about you. Will you go to Homecoming with me?” Noah asks.
Suzy mimes gagging, and my stomach flips.
“Don’t do that right now,” I say. “I might actually throw up.”
“This is ridiculous,” Suzy says. “It’s not like they’re getting married.”
Emma is oblivious to everything, or maybe she just doesn’t care about drama like who dumped who and who’s going to Homecoming with who, because she stands at the back, rubbing Taylor’s back and handing him a cup of water.
Brielle takes Noah’s hand and squeals. “Yes!” He stands, and they kiss. Cameras flash. The group of entranced party-goers sigh and cheer.
“Sheesh,” Suzy mutters. “You’d think they were the center of the universe.”
“They act like they are.” I pull out my phone. My fingers hover over the quick link I have saved to take me to the voting website.
I shouldn’t do it. I shouldn’t look. Not right now. Not when Brielle’s had such a clear victory . . .
But I can’t stop myself. I tap on the link.
Brielle is ahead of me.
The party and the Homecoming proposal. Just those two things and that’s all it took for her to go back to demolishing me.
Brielle is up to nearly four hundred votes, and I’ve lost some of mine. I’m down to three hundred and twenty.
I tuck my phone into my purse, my heart sinking. “I don’t know if this is working, Suze.”
“GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!”
I whip my head around at the cry. It’s Shannon in her purple heels and Taylor, both fallen to the deck. Shannon is screaming and pushing Taylor off of her.
“He just tripped!” Emma shrieks. She and Tina—who must’ve finally emerged from the bathroom—try to help Taylor up and only get in each other’s way.
“He attacked me!” Shannon shouts as she gets to her feet and dusts off her dress.
Just then, I spot Nick stepping from the gangway onto the deck, soaking wet and furious.
“Okay, we’re leaving,” Emma says.
“Right behind you,” I say.