“I care about you.” I reached over the table and took her hand.
“You’re special, Sian. Always have been.”
I loved this girl so much. She was my best friend and I’d do anything for her. She was the first genuine person I’d ever met.
“Tell me, why do you care about all of this?” I asked. Heather had never shown any interest in the selection before. It seemed kind of odd for her to be doing it now. I was never interested.
Four guys, one girl, a whole lot of speculation and rumor. I’d rather never experience something like that, like ever.
“I don’t know. I guess I find it fascinating. How do four guys decide one girl? They all have to be attracted to her, right?” Heather’s wide smile made me smile.
“I have no idea, but come on, why is it worth the time?”
“I like drama. So long as I’m not the one in the middle of it.”
I chuckled. “You’re a goofball.”
“The one and only.”
I shoved another fry into my mouth as Heather picked up her burger to take a huge bite. Her eyes went wide as she looked past my shoulder. “They’ve all just entered. Holy shit, they’re carrying the red rose. It’s so pretty.”
I went about eating another fry, not interested in whatever drama was going on. My thoughts wandered to Drew, wondering what she’d make of all of this. I came up blank. Drew wouldn’t have been interested in the drama or rumor mill. She was far more concerned about my education. She always wanted to know what I was enjoying. What I wanted to do. I missed her so much, and it was moments like these where I had no choice but to rub my chest as the ache became so acute.
The pain of her loss always seemed to linger.
“Sian?”
Heather’s use of my name brought me out of my dark thoughts, and I looked at her. “What is it?”
She didn’t have to answer as four guys came to the table and placed the single red rose right in front of me.
I heard the audible gasp throughout the cafeteria.
People were shocked.
I was fucking … what the fuck?
This was crazy.
I stared at the rose, not really comprehending what the hell was going on. There was no way this rose was mine. There was no way they had presented it to me. My heart raced and my hands went clammy. I didn’t need to look up to know the entire school watched this moment.
No. This couldn’t be happening.
No way.
Not happening.
Never in a million years.
For the most part, she stayed out of everyone’s way and stuck with her one friend, Heather. The scholarship poor kid who’d transferred not too long ago. Before that, when Sian finally entered school, she kept to herself. Rumor had it she transferred from a public school. The way some of the people reacted, they would have thought she came from some kind of prison. Was that why she didn’t fall into line? She hadn’t been ingrained with the social hierarchy of the school.
“It’s never good when you think,” Mateo said. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” I took a seat. The rose was destroyed as it lay on our coffee table.
“We’re not giving up,” Dante said. “You know we can’t.”
“What are we going to do? Force her?” William asked. “I’m into a lot of shit but not that.”