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"Hey! Hey, Monty! Wait up!"
He stopped without turning around, knowing it was Harper who caught up to him quickly. “Hey. Why the rush?”
The girl stared at him incredulously, which he returned with just as much confusion.
"Haven’t you seen this?" Harper held up her brand new copy of their yearbook. "I have some questions. Many of them, actually."
"Of course I have. But it’s not like I missed anything last year. I already know where I’m in it."
"Oh, oh just look", she stopped him right outside the cafeteria and handed it to him.
Monty sighed, but flipped the book open. “What am I looking for?”
“Just keep going. More, little more, just… a little… more. There!” Harper slapped her hand on the page, startling him. “Look!”
“You wanted to show me… the cheerleading squad?”
Harper looked at the page and huffed loudly before moving her hand slightly. “The other one, dumbass.”
“Most likely to… take over the world?” Monty raised his brows at her. “Really not following you here.”
“For the love of”, Harper grabbed the book from him and held it in front of his face. “This.”
The headline said ‘Cutest couple’ and underneath it there was a picture of him and…
“Nathan Miller?” Monty yelped and a few passing students looked at him weirdly. “Cutest… what? Couple? Miller and I? We’re not — We barely — What is this? Harper! Explain!”
“I’m asking you! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you’re boning him!”
Monty hushed her before dragging her to the side of the corridor. “I am not boning him. We’re not dating. I would’ve told you. Harper, this has got to be a joke or something! What do I do?”
Harper turned the book around and looked at the picture again. “Are you sure, though? It’s a really cute picture.”
“That I didn’t take! Or submit”, he slammed the book shut. “It’s got to be like a prank or something. Who would do this? Who would vote for us? We’re not even dating. Why would anyone do this?”
“I don’t know! I thought you did it. That’s what the surprised face is for”, Harper pointed at her face.
Monty ran a hand through his hair. “So this is why Wick congratulated me this morning.”
Harper giggled. “Wick? Our tech club temp? Congratulated you? And you didn’t question it?”
“He talks a lot of shit. I don’t always pay that much attention”, Monty shrugged. “I can’t believe this.”
"So you think it could be a prank? I mean… Miller’s on the football team. They don’t have the best sense of humor as far as I’ve seen."
Monty turned his eyes towards the cafeteria, a look of determination on his face. “Let’s find out.”
"What? Monty! We can’t just — Okay", Harper rushed after him as he marched into the room.
Most of the football team was at their usual table, creating astounding amounts of noise. Monty walked up to them without slowing down and slammed the book on the table, silencing them.
"Did you do this?" he asked slowly, meeting all of their eyes one by one. Miller was the only one who clearly knew who he was. Still, they all turned to look at the picture he was pointing at.
"Wow, Miller! What great news!" one of the boys smirked while the rest hollered.
"Shut up, Diggs", Miller snapped before taking the book in his hands to see it better. "What is this?"
"Has love made you illiterate? You got voted cutest couple of last year", another boy leaned his chin on his hands as he grinned at him.
Miller pushed his tray forward suddenly so it made his elbows drop and his face almost hit the tabletop. “Zip it, Murphy.”
Monty could feel Harper move nervously behind him, but he wasn’t going to back out. “So is this like a prank? You think it’s funny?”
"I swear I had nothing to do with this", Miller frowned at him. He seemed completely sincere with wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. "Did you do this?" he looked around at his friends who all shook their heads.
"I mean… I voted for you. But that was just to support you, you know. I figured you just hadn’t told us about getting a boyfriend or didn’t want to talk about it. You don’t really share that much, dude", the team captain, Bellamy, shrugged one shoulder. The rest nodded along again.
Monty was sure his face mirrored the shock that was all over Miller’s. “We’re not dating, though”, he finally choked out.
All the eyes were on him again.
"Wait… you’re not?"
"No!" they both exclaimed simultaneously.
"Sure could’ve fooled me", one of the players muttered to the one called Murphy.
"Mbege, you shut up too", Miller sighed. "So all of you thought I was secretly dating Monty, and went on to vote for us for this shit, all without asking me about it? Since when have any of you been able to keep a secret for more than five seconds?"
The whole team just shrugged.
"We were giving you space", Bellamy said. "It’s been less than a year since you came out. We figured you didn’t want to talk about it anymore - like you said when you did."
Monty glanced at Miller who was still staring at Bellamy with his mouth hanging open. He hadn’t actually known the boy was out. They’d only ever spent time alone together when he was tutoring Miller. And that hadn’t been more than once a week for a few months during the previous year. Well, maybe sometimes twice a week, and maybe rather continuously, but still. It was just studying.
“Where did you hear about it?” Miller’s voice shook him out of his thoughts, but he was still looking at Bellamy. “It was your sister, wasn’t it?”
“Well — I mean — Yeah”, Bellamy smiled apologetically. “O might’ve mentioned it to me once.”
“Me too”, Murphy added.
“And me”, Diggs nodded.
“I heard it from Roma, but that’s basically the same”, John shrugged.
Miller covered his eyes with his hands.
“So it’s an actual Thing now. Us dating is a Thing”, Monty turned to Harper who just made a face at him.
“I guess… I’d heard about it earlier too”, she bit her lip.
“From Octavia Blake?”
“Maybe.”
The bell rang loudly, and the football players started quickly gathering their things. Miller grabbed Monty’s arm before he could leave.
“If you’re going to talk to Octavia, I’m coming too”, he said.
“Meet us by the library after class”, Monty nodded and he let go.
“Monty, let’s go”, Harper ushered him out of the cafeteria and into the crowded hallways.
~*~
Monty spent his whole lesson thinking about the picture, knowing that Harper would cover for him if necessary. Most of the school would’ve seen it by then.
It was obviously taken by someone else: the distance and angle of it easy for someone to take without them noticing. So clearly they weren’t to blame for not knowing about it; they’d been studying in the library like they always did. And so what if they were smiling and looking at each other like –
“Like no one else exists in this universe”, Harper spoke in a hushed tone to him as they walked through the halls towards the library. “You literally look like you’re madly in love.”
“But it’s just a picture! We don’t act like that. We were probably just laughing at something. This is insane!” Monty hissed back. “And now we’re going on this weird treasure hunt, trying to find who started the rumors. What is this? A teen movie?”
“Hey now. Don’t shit on my teen movies. They give you hope until you actually have to go to high school yourself.”
“Harper, you know how I feel about — Hey! Miller, you’re already here”, Monty gave Harper an alarmed look before smiling at the boy.
“Yeah”, Miller’s eyes moved between them. “I am. You know where O is?”
“Not really, but Harper does.”
Miller raised her brows at the girl who’d turned bright red. “You and O?”
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no”, Harper shook her head. “Nothing like that.”
“She wishes, though”, Monty muttered, earning a punch on the arm.
“No, I don’t!”
“Yeah, because it’s normal that you know a girl’s schedule just for the fun of it”, Monty snorted, and even Miller cracked a smile.
“Shut up. There she is”, Harper backed towards the wall as she saw the cheer captain approaching. “She has practice next.”
“Hey! Octavia!” Monty waved at the girl.
She looked up from her phone and flashed a smile. “Hi! You’re Monty, right? Oh, hey Miller. What’s up?”
"Hey, O. We have something we want to ask you", Miller said.
Octavia pocketed her phone before crossing her arms over her chest. “What is it? Is it about Bell? He gay too?”
"Still straight - at least while he’s sober", Miller rolled his eyes. By the look on Harper’s face it seemed like it was the best day of her life. "But this is not about that. Have you seen the yearbook?"
"Of course. I guess congrats are in order?" Octavia gestured between them.
"That’s why we’re here, actually", Monty stepped in. "Bellamy and the rest of the team said they heard about us dating - which we’re not, by the way - from you two. We were wondering how you got that idea."
"Wait… you’re not?" Octavia narrowed her eyes at them. "Are you fucking with me right now?"
"Honestly we’re not. And that’s why we’re trying to figure out where the rumor started."
"Well we didn’t start it if that’s what you’re asking. We did vote for you, though! Roma, who did we hear talking about it?" Octavia turned to her friend.
"You told me about it. I think you heard it from that girl… Maya, was it? The science girl."
"Yes! You’re right!" Octavia clapped her hands excitedly. "Maya, she helps me out with chemistry. She’s a lifesaver, really. You should ask her."
"Wait", Monty glanced at Harper who looked like she was about to die of the dramatics. "Maya Vie? Jasper’s girlfriend Maya?"
"Yeah, Maya Vie. Tell her I said hi if you see her. Okay, bye now. We’ve got practice to run", Octavia smiled brightly at them. "Cute necklace, by the way", she said to Harper before walking away with Roma, their ponytails swinging in sync.
Harper clutched her chest, watching her go longingly. “Thank you.”
Monty sighed deeply. Miller just shrugged when their eyes met.
"I guess we should go find Maya then."
"You know her?" Miller asked.
"She’s the only thing my friend Jasper’s been talking about for weeks. They just started going out", Monty said. "See you after class again?"
"Yeah, sure", Miller nodded. He patted Harper’s shoulder gently before waving them goodbye.
"Are you going to live?" Monty leaned on the wall next to his friend.
"I think I already died", Harper sighed dreamily.
"Let’s get to class, loser."
~*~
So the rumor had gone through the football team and the cheerleading squad. If the most popular kids in school knew about it, there was no way someone didn’t.
Monty and Harper met up with Miller by the chemistry labs. They searched through the rooms until they found Maya clearing out her space in one of them.
"Maya, hi!" Monty slid on the seat next to hers.
She stopped working for a moment to see who was disturbing her. “Hey, Monty. Why are you… and Harper and… Sorry you I don’t know. Anyway, why are you here?”
"You’ve seen the yearbook, right? Of course you have. What I’m asking is, did you tell Octavia Blake Miller and I are dating?"
"Octavia says hi, by the way", Harper added quietly, ignoring Monty’s glare.
"Ah, I do know you then", Maya nodded at Miller who continued to stay quiet. "It may have come up. I knew she’d know who Miller is so I asked. Why?"
Monty closed his eyes for a second. “A few things why. For starters, we’re not dating. And… I guess that’s basically it. But the point is, we’re trying to find out who started the rumor. I mean, somehow we won this poll without ever knowing about it.”
"Oh yeah, I voted for you!"
"Thanks", Miller said dryly.
Maya grinned. “I heard about it first from Wells, my lab partner. I can go get him if you want. He’s just out there.”
"Thanks", Monty nodded, kicking Miller in the shin to stop the snarky remark he was clearly about to let out.
Maya left the room and returned just moments later with Wells. They recapped the situation quickly to him as well.
"Oh, so you’re not dating?" Wells frowned.
"Nope", Monty said while Miller just made a vague gesture with his hands.
"Well that’s… never happened before. You should go talk to Clarke. She’s in the yearbook club, and she was also the first to tell me about it."
Harper gasped. “Clarke Griffin? Future valedictorian Clarke Griffin? Voted most likely to take over the world? That Clarke?”
"Yup, the one and only", Wells chuckled. "She’ll probably be at their workspace during the breaks."
"Let’s go then", Monty got up. "Thanks."
They left the lab and made their way across the school to the space set up for the yearbook club. Harper was almost skipping with excitement.
"Do you really think it’s this Clarke?" Miller asked. "Neither of us actually know her."
"No idea anymore. But she’s a lead."
Miller’s lips curved slightly. “You think this is like a detective game?”
"Just trying to see the positives", Monty shrugged.
"Of course you are."
~*~
"Hi Harper! What are you doing here?" the girl handing out the yearbooks smiled at them.
"We’re looking for Clarke? Is she here?" Harper asked.
"Uh, we’re not supposed to disturb her…"
"Well, we really need to, though", Monty said.
The girl glanced at him and Miller wearily before her eyes widened in recognition. “Hey! You’re this year’s cu—”
"Yeah, yeah, we know", Miller cut her off.
"Please, Fox", Harper pleaded. "We’ll say we overpowered you. No blame."
"Fine", Fox sighed. "Go in."
They slipped past her into the class Monty assumed was usually used by the school paper’s team. Clarke had her back towards them as they entered.
"I already told you. If you didn’t order on time, there’s nothing I can do for you", she said without turning around.
"Good, then you should be able to help."
She snapped around to glare at them, the blonde curls bouncing around her face lessening the effect severely. “Oh. What do you need then?”
"The yearbook looked great this year", Monty tried and successfully got a smile on Clarke’s face. "We just had one question about it, and surely you’re the only one who can help."
"I probably am", Clarke nodded, sitting down at an empty table and encouraging them to take a seat as well. "So what’s up?"
"As you know, Miller and I were voted as cutest couple of the year. We’ve just been trying to figure out who nominated us since neither of us did it", Monty explained.
Clarke frowned. “We don’t exactly write down the info of the people who nominate others. Was there a problem?”
"Right, yeah, of course. Just the fact that we’re not actually dating."
Clarke’s sudden laughter startled all of them. “Wait, you’re serious? In the couple category we gather the nominations, and well, we’d know if some of them weren’t real. But we got confirmation of you two.”
Monty turned to look at Miller who sighed.
"Which is why it’d be great if we got the name of whoever nominated us", he said calmly. "Or at this point anyone who "confirmed" this."
"Are you sure? There’s never been such a mistake in the yearbook. This has never happened. Are you sure you’re not dating? Even just a little bit?" Clarke flashed them a hopeful smile.
"I think we can say that with accuracy", Monty reached out to pat her hand as she dropped her forehead against the table.
"I never thought this would be the problem. Maybe a typo or — Who am I kidding: I don’t leave typos on something I’ve worked on for months", Clarke sat up straight again. "For the whole yearbook committee, I apologize. Just maybe don’t tell Lincoln about this. He might fire me as president."
"It’s not the end of the world. We’re just very confused as to where the rumor started. Wells sent us to you because he knew you could help. There’s a reason you’re the best of the best. Valedictorian to be. Head of the yearbook committee. President of the student council."
"Last year’s beer bong champion", Miller added helpfully.
"You flatter me", Clarke waved them off. "I do try to be the best at everything I do. So I’m going to help you figure this out. Just give me a second."
They watched as she flipped out her phone and tapped on for a moment. Monty sneaked a glance at Miller. The boy was looking around the room, hands restless on the tabletop. He knocked their knees together, and Miller’s eyes met his. He raised a brow at him but he just shook his head lightly.
"Alright, I think I’ve got something that’ll help", Clarke announced. "I got my final confirmation from my friend Anya. She knows everything about everyone."
"Clearly", Miller snorted, and Monty elbowed him in the ribs.
"You’ll find her behind the bleachers. Sorry, that’s all I have to give. Let me know how it turns out, though", Clarke stood up and they followed. "Maybe I could write about it in the school paper."
"Yeah… maybe. See you later!"
"Is she or is she just the coolest person you’ve ever met", Harper grinned after they’d gotten far enough. "I’ve got to go to class now. Text me later, Monty."
She rushed away, leaving the two of them alone.
"I think I’ll go talk to Anya now. Free period", Monty said, eyes on the floor.
"Oh, um, okay. Let me know how it goes", Miller nodded.
"I mean… I don’t think she’s the one but… It’s better than nothing, I guess."
"Yeah, of course."
They stayed quiet for a moment.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Miller broke the silence. "I mean — You know — It’s the bleachers."
"Don’t worry about it", Monty rested a hand on his shoulder. "It’s not like I haven’t seen drugs before."
"Right", Miller muttered, glancing down at the fingers still on his jacket.
Monty let his hand drop. “I’ll let you know how it goes. Okay, bye!” he skipped away hurriedly, not looking back to see the eyes that followed him out.
~*~
The underside of the bleachers was just as nice of a place as it sounded. The ground was covered in cigarette butts and broken glass. Just to reach the ultimate cliché status, someone had dragged some skeezy looking furniture there. Monty could smell the smoke before even seeing anyone.
Two girls sat on an old couch, smoke surrounding them even though neither seemed to have anything lit.
"Anya?" he called.
"Yes?" the other one answered. "What do you want?"
"Um, hi. Clarke said I should come ask you about a thing."
Anya glanced at her friend with an amused look on her face. “Is that so? And what does Clarke believe I can help you with?”
"She said you confirmed something to her about a yearbook poll…"
Anya grinned. “Ah, is this about you and the footballer? I heard you’ve been asking around.”
"Yeah, I have. We’d just like to know why you said that we’re dating even though we’re not", Monty kicked off some of the glass so he could stand more comfortably - and look less uneasy.
"Why would we say such things? What do you think Lexa?"
The other girl turned her heavily lined eyes to him and smirked lazily. “No idea.”
Monty frowned. “So you just made it up? And let Clarke publish it? All while knowing it’s not true?”
"Who’s to say it’s not true —"
"I am! I’m literally here to say it’s not true. I’m not dating Miller."
"So defensive", Anya clicked her tongue, and Lexa laughed lowly. “Then I’m not really sure what you need from me.”
"Okay", Monty nodded, turning on his heels. "Thanks for the help."
"Reyes."
He turned back around, raising his brows at the duo. “What?”
"Reyes is who you’re looking for. Down at auto repair", Anya said.
"She’s the one you heard it from?"
"Good luck", she said through the cigarette in her mouth and leaned closer to Lexa who had a lighter out.
Monty took it as his cue to leave.
~*~
"Hey", Miller appeared by his side as he was walking towards where Harper had her latest class. "What did that Anya chick have to say?"
"Uh", Monty made a face at the floor. He was starting to get nervous that all this weirdness would leave a mark on their friendship. Especially if he told Miller that the girl, who was almost a medium to the student body, still thought they were dating.
"Come on. It can’t be that bad."
He glanced at Miller who flashed him a half-smile. “Well, I guess it’s not that bad. It’s just weird, you know? She seemed to think she was right.”
"She thought we’re dating?"
"Yeah, like with full certainty. It was weird."
"Right."
"Not that I think dating you would be weird!" he backtracked. "I just mean… You know."
"Yeah, I know", Miller muttered.
"Hey guys!" Harper spotted them before he could say another word. "Ready to go?"
"Where?" Miller frowned at Monty.
"I was getting there", he said. "Anya didn’t start the rumor. She told me to go find Raven Reyes. She’s at the repair shop. We go way back."
"Yeah, I know her too", Miller nodded. "She could be the source."
"What are we waiting for then!" Harper grabbed Monty by the arm. "How was Anya, by the way? I hear she’s the coolest."
"Terrifying’s more like it."
~*~
Raven laughed in their faces when they confronted her about the rumor.
"So you’re — You’re not dating — And it’s printed in — This is too much", she said between fits of giggles.
Monty threw up his hands. “I know! We’ve been around the whole school all day looking for an answer. And still nothing. Please Raven.”
"Okay", she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "For the best laugh I’ve had all day, I’ll tell you."
They leaned closer as she bit her lip.
"I didn’t start it", she deadpanned. "Now get out of here." She smacked Miller with the oil-stained towel she had on her shoulder. "Go!"
"Hold on!"
They all turned to look as a girl rolled out from under a car.
"I think I know who took the picture."
Miller helped the girl get up, wiping his hands on the front of Raven’s jumpsuit afterwards to her discontentment.
"My brother Sterling takes pictures for the school paper. I’m pretty sure he’s helped out with the yearbook, too", the girl said.
"Okay, where do we find him?"
"Well he’s also in the theater club. They have rehearsals now."
"If he took the picture, someone probably told him to", Monty pondered. "Jasper will let us into the auditorium. Let’s go."
"For the last time, I hope", Miller sighed.
Raven watched them rush out, waving back to Harper. Once they were gone, she turned to Monroe.
"We’re definitely going to see this, right?"
"Absolutely."
They scrambled after the three.
~*~
"So Jasper is… What?"
"He’s directing the play. Don’t ask me how he got that job. I don’t think he knows himself", Monty knocked on the auditorium door.
"Do you feel dumb that we didn’t think of the photographer before, too?"
"Mhm."
"Good."
After a few minutes the door opened. Jasper grinned at Monty before noticing he wasn’t alone.
"Still on your quest, eh?"
"Yup, and we’re looking for Sterling. He in there?"
"Come in. We’re just on a break so if you’re quick you can do this", Jasper held the door open for them.
The space was mostly empty, the actors and other participants having gone backstage to spend their break.
"There he is", Jasper pointed out the boy sitting on the edge of the stage, fiddling with his camera.
"I’ll wait here", Harper said. She sat down in the back row.
Monty and Miller followed Jasper down the stairs. The boy disappeared behind the curtains, leaving them alone with Sterling.
"Hey", Monty started. "We were won—"
"Did you take that picture of us for the yearbook?" Miller asked sternly. The look he gave Monty said he didn’t have the energy to go around nicely anymore.
"Whoa, yeah, I did", Sterling grinned. "Pretty good, huh?"
"Yeah, sure. Who told you to take it for the poll?"
Before the boy could answer, the auditorium doors burst open and a group of people walked in. Football players, cheerleaders, science and yearbook club members were led in by Raven and Monroe still in their overalls.
"Hi, Monty!" Octavia waved at him from the crowd.
He waved back, watching them all sit into the first rows, dumbstruck.
"So did you find the source yet?" Raven asked.
"You’re all here for that?"
They all nodded. Harper came to sit at the end of the row, again looking like it was her birthday and Christmas at once.
"How did you know where to come?"
"I got a text from Anya", Clarke explained. "And it sort of snowballed from there."
"Hi Clarke!" Octavia had turned around in her seat and was now grinning at the blonde.
"Octavia!" Clarke jumped over a row to hug the girl. "I haven't seen you in forever!"
Suddenly they all seemed to simultaneously notice someone they hadn’t talked with in a while. Monty and Miller watched the scene in front of them with matching expressions of astonishment.
"What a great group of people", Sterling’s voice brought them back to their original dilemma.
"So who was it? That told you to get a picture of us together?" Monty asked quietly.
"It was Jasper", Sterling stated simply.
"Jasper?"
"What?" the boy in question sat next to Sterling on the edge of the stage.
"You told him to get a picture of us for the yearbook so we could be voted cutest couple of the year?" Monty hissed.
Jasper huffed out a laugh. “Oh yeah, I did.”
"Why?"
"I thought it was overdue. Clearly you want to bone each other; you’re just being stubborn. No one spends that much time “studying" together. Oh, and funny. I thought it’d be funny", Jasper shrugged.
"Hey, what’s happening?" Raven yelled from the crowd.
"It was Jasper", Monty let his arms drop against his sides.
Everyone was quiet for a second.
"Well that’s not exciting at all", Clarke said.
The others seemed to agree as they got back to talking to each other.
"I need to start the rehearsals now. Was there something else?" Jasper asked.
Monty gaped at him, unable to answer. Never had there been such betrayal –
"We’ll get you back for this", Miller poked him in the chest. "Just wait."
He ushered Monty away from the stage. Harper squeezed his hand quickly as they passed her, but he was still too in shock to say anything. They went almost up to the top row, Miller sitting him down carefully.
"I should’ve guessed it. Who else would have the balls to do such a thing", Monty muttered. "And Maya was too smug about it.”
"For some reason they all were", Miller snorted.
They sat in silence for a moment. Monty watched Wells and Roma talk, Octavia seemingly introduce Clarke to her brother, Raven wrap the rest of the football players around her little finger with no effort, Harper and Monroe snicker at something with their heads leaned in close, all while Jasper was trying to get the rehearsals back on.
"I guess we really are the cutest couple of the year, huh", he sighed.
Miller turned to look at him. “Seems so.”
"If I’m being honest", Monty cleared his throat, "I don’t really mind."
"Me neither", Miller said, eyes locked on his lips. "Probably easier just to… play along."
"Couldn’t agree with you more", Monty nodded, hand finding his on the armrest.
"Want to get out of here before they notice?"
"Yes, please."
And that’s how he ended up with his back against the wall right outside the auditorium, Miller’s lips firmly on his.
It took their friends over a week to catch them.
They refused to believe they hadn’t been dating all along.