Chapter 65: Chapter 65

"Prom night, prom night, prom night!"

That was the phrase that echoed through the halls of our high school. It was all anyone could talk about, even though the date had not been announced yet. On Monday, which was yesterday, we were told that prom was coming up soon. And ever since then, that was the topic of every discussion.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement, even though it was only April and prom was likely next month. But that didn't matter to my peers. They were already dreaming of that magical night in May when they would dress up and dance the night away.

As I walked to my history class, I had my earbuds in, but I wasn't actually listening to music. I just wanted to give the impression that I was. To be honest, I didn't care what anyone was saying about me. I was used to being the subject of gossip, and I had grown numb to it.

But lately, I noticed that people don't whisper and lean in close to each other when they see me coming. It seemed like they had gotten tired of talking about me.

It started last week when Romeo had asked Samantha to prom and the little argument I had with Samantha in the hallway.

Speaking of Romeo, I hadn't seen him around school in a while. It had been several days since the incident in the hallway when I slapped him. In fact, I hadn't seen him in any of the classes we had together. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth. It seemed like he had been skipping classes.

But to be honest, I didn't care where he was or what he was doing. I had really moved on from him. I had truly let go of any feelings I once had for him. My thoughts no longer wandered to him, and I didn't find myself missing him or longing for his attention.

I decided that it was time to focus on myself and my future. My SAT test was just around the corner, and I needed to make sure I was prepared. Stanford University was my dream school, and I knew I needed to do well on the test to have a chance at getting in. My future was the only thing on my mind now, and I was determined to make it the best it could be.

My relationship with James was going well too. He told me he was not in a rush to start a relationship with me and I was relieved. We had agreed to take things slow, and we were both comfortable with our relationship. While we were not officially dating, I would call it a "situationship." We were in a place between friendship and romance.

James was a nice person and I liked him. I was sure about my feelings for him. I really liked him. He made me feel at ease. He too was applying to Stanford university.

My train of thoughts was interrupted by the vibration in my jean pocket. I pulled out my phone and checked the screen, curious to see what it was. I couldn't stop myself from smiling when I saw the name of the sender of the text — it was James.

"Talk about perfect timing," I muttered to myself, grinning from ear to ear.

I opened the text.

James - I can't believe I got detention just for trying to text you in class. Life is so unfair!

I let out a soft chuckle, then tapped out a response.

Ivy - Why would you be texting in class? And if you got in trouble for it, why are you still texting me?

James - It didn't sound like you were scolding me, did it? I'm already out of the class, so I'm free to text you.

Ivy - I'm scolding you. You should stay away from trouble.

James - Detention is not a big thing though. I actually wanted to tell you that I love you and I really miss you. I kept staring at your picture during the boring class.

Who said a mere text message couldn't make my cheeks turn pink? I was red in the face.

Ivy - Damn! You should stop making me smile like a dummy in school. I miss you too.

"Hey!"

I heard a familiar voice from behind me, and I turned around to see Xander approaching. I took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't up to his usual mischief. I tucked my phone in my pocket, deciding to reply to James later.

"It's been a while!" He said cheerfully.

I didn't return his smile, keeping my face neutral. "Yeah, it has," I replied, trying to keep the conversation short.

"I actually have to get to my history class. I don't want to be late," I added, hoping to end the conversation.

His face fell. "I really messed up so bad that you don't even want to have a conversation with me," He uttered, his voice low.

"Yes," I blurted out.

Xander threaded his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, Ivy. I'm sorry for all that I did. I was just a jerk. I hope you can forgive me," He apologized.

I gave a half shrug. "It's okay," I muttered under my breath.

"I must have messed up pretty badly, if you're not even willing to smile at me," He mumbled.

"I can't just smile at you pretending that I was not mad at all what you did. It's now in the past anyway. Trust me, I've forgiven you," I told him.

He drew in a long breath. "Thank you for forgiving me. I should not keep you here, you must not be late for your history class. We should talk later," He rambled.

"Okay,"

I waved at him and walked out of his presence. I couldn't help but wonder what came over him. Was he playing some sort of mind game, or was just messing with me? Either way, I was not interested in being a pawn in someone else's game. His apology seemed genuine though.

Nearing the door to my history class, I knew I was already late. The teacher was already speaking, and I silently opened the door hoping not to interrupt. Thankfully, he barely even glanced my way, simply instructing me to find a seat.

As I scanned the room, my gaze landed on a pair of forest green eyes. My heart skipped a beat for reasons I couldn't explain. I averted my gaze and kept searching for a seat. I located an empty seat at the back of the room, but my walk there felt like a thousand miles.

I felt my palms getting sweaty. I could feel his gaze following me as I made my way to the seat. He was staring at me. I didn't want to look back, knowing that I would be met with those piercing eyes.

I should not turn.