Chương 22: ~°~Chapter Twenty-two~°~
"The Spring Dance?" I repeat with wide eyes. "That's so cool, who will you go with Shana?"
Shana's eyes twinkled and she looks past me to wink at Virgil and Dale. "You of course!" She exclaimes, throwing her arms around my neck.
"W-What?" I splutter, going rigid in intense shock. "M-Me?"
"Of course!* She agrees excitedly, leaning back to look at my red face. "Or do you have someone else you want to ask out?" She asks and I choke.
The truth was that I hadn't even thought about it because I never planned on getting a date, I was even having second thoughts about going for the dance, I'd have preferred to stay home, curled up on a couch with a novel and Apple with me.
"Um…" I look behind me at the two boys that had suddenly gone quiet, I'm not surprised at the dangerous looks on their faces but the intensity makes me shiver.
I gulp, "Okay."
"You agreed?!!" Virgil and Dale yell simultaneously.
I blink at this. "Why not?"
Shana cuts them off before they can reply to me, throwing a possessive arm over my shoulder. "Why you two were being morons I simply did the sane thing and just asked." She gloats.
They transfer their looks to her, an identical glare on their handsome faces.
"Traitor." Virgil mumbles under his breath.
"Hey now, you never said I couldn't ask him."
I just purse my lips and watch them have a full conversation about 'me' over my head.
"We never thought you wanted to!" Dale exclaims.
"Well I might be willing to retract my offer for a fitting price." She smirks and I'm just done with them all.
"I'm not an object to be bartered off." I say stiffly, taking Shana's arm off my shoulders. "I wasn't even planning on going for it if Shana hadn't said she'd be my date." I cross my arms and pin each of them a look, slightly satisfied with the look of contrition on their faces.
"I haven't even made up my mind about my date yet, it's definitely not Shana seeing how she just wants to use me as currency…"
"Hey!" Shana objects, pouting.
"But it's true isn't it?"
"But I'm not off your list right?" Virgil asks in that serious tone of his that shouldn't be used for questions like this.
My cheeks go up in flames. "W-What? Y-You wa-want t-to take m-me to t-the da-dance?" I stutter out in absolute shock - what the hell is happening??
While gays were accepted in Pine Creek High - sorta - People weren't exactly open about it so Virgil's word stunned me.
"Not just him." Dale adds seriously then he breaks into a wide grin. "But we're going to let you pick who would take you now, because we don't want you to feel objectified.
I stand, gaping for a couple, very still seconds. Wait, what? 'now?'
"Now!?" I exclaim, recovering quickly as the implications of his words hit me. "Y-You weren't going to le-let me pick, before?"
They share guilty expressions and I want to scream.
"But now we are." Virgil insists when he gets a good look at my murderous expression. "So pick." He says innocently enough but I can hear the gloat in his voice.
"With the both of you as my only options?" I raise an eyebrow, unamused. "Who says I don't want someone else."
"Well you said that you didn't want to go anyway so how could you want someone else?" He asks, eyes dark.
I purse my lips at his logical reasoning, they have me backed up against the wall and knowing Virgil if I said I didn't want to come anymore, he'd find a way to make me come.
I go quiet to let their request sink in and my eyes widen. Pick! One of them?? - I think I'm hyperventilating.
I look to Shana for help but she has her phone out, probably recording the entire scene to show my mom. I don't even question this, already used to her antics.
The tension is thick as they wait for my answer, with how competitive they can be I can't imagine what would happen if I actually picked one. I still didn't know what their bet was about, honestly I'm slightly terrified to know.
I look from Virgil's grim expression to Dale's anxious but expectant look - 'I-I can't do it.'
"I-I… I c-can't pi-pick." I whisper, looking down.
It's the truth and it's not because I'm trying to be nice but because I genuinely do not know who I want to pick. 'When did I start falling for Dale too?'
"Then we'll do it the old-fashioned way." Dale drawls leaning back against the wall with his hands behind his head.
"W-What?" I look up at them again, my blush fading in my confusion.
An evil light comes into Virgil's eyes, his posture is still tense and I'm definitely sure he's very unhappy with the entire situation. "I agree."
"Hell no!" Shana stands up abruptly, eyeing the both of them wearily like she expects them to pull out guns and challenge each other to a duel. "There will be none of that, don't even consider it!"
"None of what? Consider what?" I parrot in confusion, looking up at Shana.
"These two idiots want to fight it out." Shana tsks, still giving them the evil eye.
My mouth drops open again and I'm shell-shocked for what must be the third time this morning and the bell hasn't even been rung yet.
"F-Fight? W-Why wo-would y-you wa-want t-to f-fight?" I stutter, incredulous, my gold-brown hair waving around me in my intensity. "Y-You c-co-could g-get h-hurt." I stutter harder, getting so angry that I'm finding it difficult to breathe.
Shana quickly pulls me into a tight hug, trying to distract me with the pressure. "What is wrong with you two?" She sasses them in exasperation. "You keep getting Hayden caught in the middle of your contest of wills."
The bell rings before anyone can say a thing.
"Let's get to class." Virgil says tightly, looking like he wants to punch somebody's face in.
We quietly get the stuff we brought up and start down, the tension in the air only thickens and I slip my hand out of Shana's hold to latch on to Virgil's hand, he quickly grabs it like a lifeline.
Shana subtly nods to me because we both know that Virgil is literally a live wire when he gets mad, very few things get Virgil mad but Dale manages to do this effortlessly and often by just simply existing.
The hallway is bustling as students hurry to get to their classes but as soon as we walk down the stairs, the entire hallway goes quiet, everyone turning to look in our direction.
I cringe into myself at the attention but Virgil just holds me tighter, almost pulling me behind him with how close he holds me.
We don't stop walking but the noise only increases, I don't blame them. Virgil and Dale are prodigies in their own rights not to talk about Shana who is an entire social system on her own but all this is very bad for my mental health.
I'm looking down at my sneakers again, leaving all the navigating to Virgil so I don't know what's happened to make the hushed whisper double in intensity, that is until I hear her voice.
"I've been looking all over for you Virgil." She says in her crisp, upper crust British accent.
Elise.
That one name was enough to drive shivers down most people's back, she was the Ice Queen as the entire school preferred to call her and looked like one too. She was always dressed in colors of whites and ice blue, her platinum blonder hair in glorious waves all around her.
"Now you see me, what do you want?" Virgil asks coldly, he knows it's better to just humor her or there would be hell to pay, literally.
"Don't be like that V, I just thought I should be the one to inform you as the Chairman of the committee handling the Spring Dance."
I blink, 'The Chairman of the Spring Dance? Is a student?? Is that even possible.
"I already know about the dance, Elise." Virgil says stiffly, tucking me closer to him. "Is that all?"
That small action dragged her icy blue eyes to me and she scowls darkly, her two hench-girls behind her doing the same like they were mind controlled.
"What's this?" She asks in disgust, while looking in my direction and Virgil squeezes my wrist so tight I'm scared it'll snap.
Shana replies before he can. "Oy! Blind bitch! That's a person." She warns in a dark voice, I can feel Dale trembling behind me.
Elise doesn't even react to the name calling, already angry with Virgil for treating her so coldly so she decides to pour her wrath on me, irritated with how close Virgil holds me.
"I just want to know why this low life thing has his dirty claws all over V." She says loudly in a clear voice, emphasizing on 'thing'
A gasp tears through the hall and it suddenly turns deadly quiet, everyone is looking at me.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Aryna_Stan
Aryna_Stan Oops! The Author has thrown in the cliche bitchy school queen to mix well... because honestly, it's always fun to see!
Chương 23: ~°~Chapter Twenty-three~°~
I let out a small involuntary whimper, retracting my wrist from Virgil's now slack hold.
"What did you just say?" Virgil growls in a voice so low that it's a miracle anyone hears it, reaching out to pull my hand into his again.
Elise eyes darkens at his tone but she does the unexpected, she backs down at his expression and walks away with her crew.
What the hell just happened??
My mind is blown again and I haven't gotten into my first class yet.
Has school always been this way?
But I didn't see it because Virgil and Shana finds a way to protect me?
I don't even know anymore.
We get to our first class and I'm too absorbed in trying to comprehend what the teacher is saying to worry about dances or mean girls, I even forget for a second about Dale and Virgil.
The rest of the day ends uneventfully, thank goodness but then I remember my promise to myself.
"Do you mind if I come over to your house?" I ask Shana as we make our way through the hallway, it's classes over now and the boys said we should meet them at the parking lot.
Shana pauses and takes a look at me.
I cringe into myself, I hadn't expected this frigid reaction, maybe I shouldn't have asked.
"I can't believe you even had to ask Hay, you're welcome to my house, anytime." She gushes, grabbing my hand and pulling me along as she hurries out of the school premises suddenly eager to get home.
"I can't wait to show you off to my mom and my big brother, my mom's sister and my adorable cousin…"
I die a little more as she starts to rattle off relatives staying with her.
"T-They all l-live in y-your h-house?" I ask in shock, beyond surprised.
"Yes." She chuckles nervously, scratching her head. "That's why I didn't invite you over, I know how you don't really like crowded places."
She's right, I don't like crowded places but I was the one who asked so I couldn't say no. Besides if they were all nice and down to earth like Shana I was pretty sure we would all get along, I had met her mom before, we all grew up together it was inevitable but I'd never actually been to her house before and it was a whole new concept to me.
"I-It's fine." I reassure her nervously. "I-I um, I c-called my m-mom already and told her t-that I would be coming over to your h-house so we could go right n-now." I inform her shakily.
"Awesome!" She cheers, we're outside now and she starts in the direction of the parking lot. "Virgil and Dale are coming over too so we'll all go together!" She says excitedly and even though I'm turning a little green, I try to act happy with her.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have any issue with her happiness or her family but Virgil and Dale hadn't factored in any of my plans to visit Shana and now that I tried to fit them in, it produced nothing but chaos and these were just mental simulations.
"O-Okay! W-Wait, wh-where are w-we going?"
She smiles at me when I ask this. "Dale brought his Escalade so he's driving us there." She informs me.
I choke at this little piece of information, my eyes wide. "Dale has an Escalade??" I half yell.
"You know you're easily impressed for someone who owns a couple yachts and a personal heli." She says drily.
I use my free hand to cover one of my ears, my head down. "I can't help it."
She just laughs at this mumbles out a 'cute' and points to a gleaming car that has Virgil leaning against it, Dale is sitting in the driver's seat looking really important and I have to fight the urge not to laugh at their ridiculous poses.
"What took you guys so long?" Virgil asks as we come closer, opening the door for me.
I blush discreetly at this but quietly slip in.
"Well some of us prefer not to dash out of school like barbarians." Shana sasses him, going around to open her door herself. "The day you open a door for me is the day I grow a tail." She mutters under her breath while getting in.
"I tried opening the door for you this morning..." Dale starts to say.
"Even though I clearly warned you not to." Virgil interrupted.
To which Dale waves a hand and continues his narration while carefully backing out of the parking slot the car was in, green eyes lighted with mirth. "But you kicked my shins and told me that and I quote, 'I'm neither blind nor stupid and I can open the fecking door all by myself!' unquote."
"I'm pretty sure I didn't need to hear you say all that." She drawls.
"That's why I wasn't saying it because of you, tiny demon." He fires back at her.
Virgil just ignores their arguments, obviously already used to it because apparently Dale drives them to school everyday, instead he looks back at me and reaches out his hand to me.
I don't think before slipping my much smaller hand into his and he just lets our joined hands hang, while he leans back against his seat and closes his eyes.
Soon we arrive at Shana's house and even though I've seen the large storied building before, I'm still staring awestruck at it.
It had to be built big because apparently most of her relatives preferred to stay in what they called the family house and I know this is why Shana loves to stay over at my place a lot.
I can't say I blame her, I wouldn't survive a day surrounded by so many people, even if they were family. Virgil comes over a lot because his dad is rarely home and so are his brothers and even when the twins are home, they make his life a living hell so when I think about it, staying over at my house does my best friends a lot of good.
"We're here!" Shana announces.
"Like we can't see your giant ass house right in front of our faces." Dale replies.
"See this is why we argue, I say something meaningful and you come from nowhere with your snarky remarks that nobody wants to hear."
Virgil ignores them again and steps out first as soon as Dale parks to come around and open the door for me, again.
Dale grinds his teeth at this but does nothing, Shana wasn't letting it blow over so easily.
"Okay!" She speaks up before we could make our way in. "Two things, maybe more, definitely more." She counts off her fingers. "One, no subtle fighting over Hayden, my relatives will find out and then the whole pack will know."
I frown at this, 'pack?' who calls their family a pack?
"Pack?"
"That's what Shana calls her family, because they're a little bit crazy." Virgil says.
I nod at this.
"Two, no obvious fighting over Hayden…"
"But you just said that." Dale interrupts.
"The first was subtly and the second is obviously, there's a difference and the third, no fighting over Hayden, period." She slashes her arms to emphasize her point.
"You could have just said that from the start." Virgil complains, unimpressed.
"With how thick your skulls are?? I feel like I have to say it a couple more times so you'll get it."
"Let's just go in." I say quickly, breaking up their silly argument.
"Fine." Shana agrees, leading the way up the front stairs.
Virgil is still holding onto my hand and Dale holds the other one and they start to try to subtly pull me closer to them.
Shana turns around with a done look. "What did I just say??" She threw her hands up, her peach blouse riding up her flat stomach. "As a matter of fact, none of you will get to hold Hayden's hand for the rest of this visit." She pronounced, snatching me from their middle. "I've got my eyes on you two." She threatens them before huffing and continuing her journey inside.
The door opened up to a hallway and we walked down it for a while, passing lots of rooms and other passages.
Soon burst out into a wide and airy room that looks like a kitchen, a dining room and a living room all rolled up into one, it's bright and noisy, delicious scents wafting around.
"Hey Mom!" Shana greets going over to hug someone that was being buried by pots. "I brought my friends over for a visit!"
"Hi Aunt Daphne!" She crosses the room to greet another lady that sits across the room on a rocking chair.
Shana's mom comes around the counter to meet us, she's a small lady, slightly taller than I am. A lacy apron is wrapped around her and her red hair is in a bun.
"Hey Mrs Colt." Virgil greets easily, already familiar with her.
"Oh, Hi Virgil, how are you love?"
"Just fine." He mumbled, already moving away when it looks like Mrs Colt would like to snatch him and place smacking kisses all over his face.
Dale greets her as well and she replies to him too, obviously used to seeing him as well.
"Hi Mrs. Colt." I greet shyly from behind Dale, where I had been hiding all this time.
"Oh my, you must be Hayden!" She exclaimes, snatching me into a warm hug before I can protest or escape. "I'm pleased to meet you, oh look at you, you're all grown up. When was the last time I saw you now?..." She starts to ramble, squishing my cheeks.
I nearly die from the attention but Shana saves me, like she always does.
"Mom, don't overwhelm him."
"Shanwa!!!" An adorable little voice screeches and a tiny child rockets into the room from an entering I'm yet to see, right into Shana's open arms.
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