Chapter Text
•••
“I’ll be your quiet afternoon crush,
Be your violent overnight rush,
Make you crazy over my touch.”
-Lorde
•••
Blossom
•••
Blinding lights shine throughout the room where the party is ever present. I sat at the couch with my friends, observing the messy game of beer pong. Whoever hosted this party must be going insane from the way the other highschoolers absolutely trashed their house. Personally, I find those who host these types of parties brave, because there’s no way in hell you would ever find me letting a large amount of weed and alcohol infused adolescents come inside my house.
But lucky for me, there are people crazy enough out there to give up their house to the crazed kids, because that means I get to enjoy a night out with my friends. And find a cute boy to kiss at midnight.
I checked my phone to see the time. It was 11:23 and I was definitely running out of time. Although it would've been ideal to kiss someone I was actually madly in love with when the clock strikes midnight and the new year begins, some of us are just not that lucky. But yet, I was still determined to find someone to fill the shoes of my devoteful imaginary boyfriend for at least one night, for one kiss.
Yes, it's not necessary to kiss someone, but the thought of having someone to hold and go into the new year with you just sounds so nice, I can't help but want it. It's a tradition that brings people closer together and sets the tone for a promising and joyful start to the new year. Even if the most I’m gonna get tonight is some slobbery kiss from a drunk fool, so be it.
I might not seem like one to follow cliches and be into cheesy things like that, but sometimes I can't help it. If anything, I have always had a romantic heart, and I just love the little things that I've seen people do for others in the movies, where they would sacrifice everything if it meant they gotta kiss the girl they wanted. I wanted that.
I wanted to be loved so deeply that every fear, doubt, and insecurity within me would be gently washed away by the warmth of that love, leaving me feeling whole, cherished, and accepted for exactly who I am.
But I am so very picky. My friends often tease me for holding guys to such high standards, but I am a high tolerance girl and I won't just settle. Tonight just happens to be different circumstances is what I like to tell myself. Everyone has a moment of weakness.
I looked around the room and realized I needed to start moving to find my kiss. I start to get up from my seat before someone grabs my arm.
“Hey, where are you going?” My best friend Robin draws out in her semi-drunk voice, looking up from her phone.
“I'm just gonna go use the washroom before midnight.” I told her. Looking at her state, I contemplate leaving and think if I should stay here with her. “Will you be okay?” I ask her.
“Yup, don’t worry about lil’ old me. I know where you're really going, and I'm gonna go do the same.” She smirks at me and laughs at my face which I know is slowly turning pink.
I smirk back at her. “Whatever.” I laugh, shooing away her fingers, which were poking my side. She gets up and comes with me and we walk to the other side of the room, near a set of windows to assess our prospects.
“Okay, blond boy over there is definitely giving you the look.” She says, pointing with her eyes. I follow her eye line and look over to the boy she is pointing out, but I stop when I see a familiar face conversing within the same group.
“Definitely not happening, he's friends with Brick. ” I groaned. Poor guy. He was cute too.
“Okay so. You're just not gonna consider anyone who even stands near him. The guy is popular for god's sake. At this point, you're gonna be kissing your reflection in the mirror.” Robin rolled her eyes, teasing me.
“Okay, moving on.” I said, distracting her from that group of guys. “I actually do need to use the washroom now. Can you go find Bubs, I haven't seen since we got here.” I asked her.
“Got it.” Robin said, already moving towards another group.
I watched her join another group of friends, and when I knew she was fine, I went in search of the bathroom. Sometimes I couldn't help but be a little protective of my friends, especially since being drunk can make you do some stupid things, and they constantly annoy me with their antics. This is why I prefer not being drunk. I like to make sure everyone is safe, and I can't do that when I'm not in the right state of mind.
As I walked up the stairs, I noticed a long line which I followed and realized the line was leading to the bathroom. I groaned inwardly. This would take ages and I still needed to find my midnight kiss. I started walking away from the bathroom door to find the end of the line.
But when I turned, I bumped into someone.
“Oh sorr-”
“My bad-”
We both paused mid sentence and looked at eachother, and laughed a little.
“Nah, that's my bad.” The boy said, looking a little bashful. “ I should've looked where I was going so I didn't bump into such a pretty girl.” He chuckled.
“Oh! That's okay. Thank you.” I said, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. He was cute. Who was I kidding, he was really pretty looking. He had brown messy hair with the nicest blue eyes I've ever seen. He was wearing a simple plain green sweatshirt with some jeans, while holding a red solo cup in his hands. I was pretty sure this guy went to Townsville High, but I haven't seen him much before. “Have I seen you around?” I asked the brunette boy who seemed as if he was a puppy dog in human form.
“I assume so, since we both go to Townsville high. Although, you are Ms. Popular, so I kinda doubted you would be able to recognize me, I'm Noah.” He chuckled and stretched his arm forward for me to shake his hand.
“I have a pretty good memory I guess, I’m Blossom..” I said sarcastically and laughed back while playing with the ring on my finger. I didn’t know why I felt this way, but for some reason I felt very light around this boy. Maybe it was something about those eyes, but I really wanted to get to know him.
“Trust me, I know who you are.” He winked at me, and our hands lingered in each other's hold for a couple of seconds where I felt I was almost frozen in time, looking at his face. He stopped staring as if he was pulled out of his trance and quickly pulled his arm back with a blush covering his face.
“Oh hey, were you waiting to use the washroom?” he asked me with that sweet voice of his, making me jump a little as I had started to daydream about him. Just a little.
“Um, yea. But the long is really long. Like excruciatingly long. You would think there was a Black Friday sale going on in there.” I chuckled slightly, almost wincing at my horrible attempt of being funny. Why the hell would there be a Black Friday sale there. God, sometimes I can’t believe the things I say. Lucky for me, he found it funny.
“I don’t even think Black Friday lines are this long. This one is just something else.” We both laughed. “I was gonna say, I have another bathroom you could use, if you're interested.” He said to me and I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he laughed. God, he was so cute.
“Oh, that would be nice,” I said. He motioned me to follow him as he started to walk. I started to follow after him before stopping. How exactly did this guy know where another bathroom was?
He looked back, noticing that I was falling behind him. “Oh! I probably should've mentioned. This is my house.” he said, scratching the back of his neck.
“Oh that makes sense.” I chuckled, chiding myself a little for following this guy so easily, even if he was cute. I need to get a hold of myself.
God, I could already tell that he would be my new little obsession for a while now. I can’t believe how quickly I was falling for this guy without even getting to know him.
He led me into a room that was locked, and when I walked in behind him, I realized it was his bedroom. Oh god, I’m in a boys room. A cute boy that I think I like! Okay, I just need to play it cool and relax, I said to myself, trying to calm down before I freaked out.
“Are you okay?.” he said, looking a little concerned.
I jumped at the sound of his voice, surprising me. “Oh uh, yea. I'm great.” I said, a little too cheery for my liking. I'm definitely weirding him out. Be cool Blossom!
“Oh well great,” he said, chuckling a little at my antics. “Here’s the bathroom.” He gestured to the door near his dresser.
“Oh wow, it must be nice having a bathroom to yourself. I have to share it with my two sisters.” I said, a little jealous after remembering how Bubbles pushed me out of the bathroom as if I wasn't about to shower today just so she could do her makeup.
“Yea, perks of being an only child I guess.” He chuckled.
I walked past him and went to use the washroom. Once I came out, after repeatedly checking my makeup and applying my lipstick, he was sitting on his bed checking his phone. He looked up once he noticed I came out.
As I walked closer to him, I started to observe his room a little closer and my eyes were drawn to the bookshelf where he had cute little baby photos. But what really caught my eye was an entire collection of the Bridgerton series.
“It’s really rare to find a guy into these types of books.” I said, a little shocked that he had these books as he didn’t seem like the guy who was into steamy romances.
He looked to where I was pointing my finger and went red. “A good book is a good book. Even if it is a bit unconventional for a guy like me.” He said and I could've sworn this guy was meant for me.
“That’s true, and this really is a great series.” I said, appreciating the other books he had.
“Hey listen,” he started, looking a little shy. “It’s almost midnight, and I was wondering if you would like to kiss me.” He asked.
What.
What!
“Oh, well,” I started unsure how to answer.
“It’s okay. You can say no. I just always had someone to kiss on new years and it's kind of a tradition for me. It feels weird not to this year and you seem like a sweet girl-” he trailed off but I stopped him.
“It's important to me as well!” I said, a little too enthusiastic. “I mean, it's the least I can do, since you offered me your bathroom. I have to repay you somehow.” I said, laughing.
“That’s true, you do kinda owe me.” He chuckled, his cheeks turning a little red. “Well, five minutes until midnight, shall we?” He put his hand forwards for me to grab.
I took his hand and let him lead me out to the backyard. I was a little behind him while holding onto his hand and internally screaming. Is this actually happening? I knew I wanted to kiss someone tonight for good luck, but I didn't expect it to be someone like him. Some who I genuinely like and want to get to know better. From the corner of my eye, I saw Robin talking to a boy of her own. She glanced over at me and then to Noah and gave a little head nod of approval to which I smiled.
Once we got to the backyard, Noah turned around and grabbed me by my waist, turning me to look at him. He smiled down at me and I swear I almost let out a sigh when those blue eyes met mine.
“You sure you don’t feel weird about this right. It’s not everyday a random guy asks to kiss you. Well, actually, for someone as beautiful as you, it must be pretty common, huh?” He said, in a teasing tone.
“Yea right, not many people have the guts honestly. I don’t feel weird about this.” I said. I felt a little euphoric to be honest. I felt like I was still in a state of shock.
All of sudden, I heard counting down starting from 10, and Noah started to count down as well, yet he kept his eyes on me.
3
2
1!
And he pressed his lips into mine.
The sound of fireworks that some kids set up blared beside us. With every passing second, the intensity grew, and our lips moved in harmony. It felt as if my senses were heightened, catching every detail—the softness of his lips, the faint taste of peppermint on his breath, the scent of night air mingling with the intoxicating aroma of his perfume.
It felt like the world around us faded into the background, leaving just the two of us and the overwhelming feeling of being completely present in that moment.
He pulled back and gave me a shy smile before opening his mouth and saying, “Thanks for this. See you around Blossom.” And then he walked away, leaving me on cloud nine, with the euphoric rush washing over me. The smile he gave me felt like one that spoke volumes, like a gateway to a world of unspoken promises and uncharted territories.
This was definitely not my first kiss, but for some reason, it felt like the only one that counted.
Regaining some consciousness from my lovesick world, I decided to go find my friends so I could tell them about what just happened.
While I was walking back, I was suddenly stopped when a broad shoulder bumped into me, yet this time, it wasn’t a cute boy, but a cocky devil who has been on my last nerve since the first grade.
“Watch it.” The boyish gruff voice of none other than Brick Jojo spoke.
“What? You bumped into me?.” I said, a little dismayed. He turned around to face me, with that usual face that seemed to be stuck in a permanent glare. Although, for me, he usually had that annoying little smirk rather than the glare.
As much as I disliked the boy, I couldn't deny that the years hadn’t been nice to him. Despite our age, he had an overly acceptable build that made it seem as if he lived in the gym and a defined face that made everyone swoon. Well, almost everyone.
Yes, I couldn't deny that he was handsome. Brick is oh so great in many people's eyes but not mine. Nope, I don't fall for that charming bit he may give people because I know that he's just trying to get something he wants with no care about who it may hurt. Most say that my hatred of him isn’t very justified, but I think that they just don’t understand the things I put up with.
I have been at the top of my class for as long as I could remember until he came along. He joined us in school early, but he has never really tried in school, which is why I was always the best. Until one day, he decided he had to beat me in everything, and in that wretched year of grade 3, I had a moment of weakness and he had somehow beat me to top of the class. I was second. Unacceptable.
Ever since then, I have vowed to never let him beat me in anything again, and we have been competing for the top ever since.
“I guess you must have given up the spot for valedictorian, how else can we explain that Miss. Perfect at a New Years party? Isn't past your bedtime?” He towered over me and gave me that infuriating smirk. God, why couldn't the professor have added some more height when he created me? “You know, I can just go inform the principal myself, to save you some time.” He said to me, his red eyes gazing at mine. He had a cup of who knows what in one hand and a light in the other.
“You wish. That position is mine and we all know it. And you're at this party too.” I crossed my arms and peered up at him.
“Well lucky for me, that's a normal occurrence. But you, that's something else. People will definitely talk.” He chuckled to himself as if he was plotting something in his brain. I wouldn't be surprised if it was him doing the talking. “And the way you were practically attacking that guy out there, it’s like you wanted a scandal.” He said, looking amused
“I was not attacking him. Why were you watching me anyway?”
“I wasn’t watching you. I caught a glimpse and almost threw up in my mouth.” He expressed in false disgust. “It was like watching a mother bird feeding its baby.” He chuckled at me, following me while I started to storm off.
“You're such a creep! And not that I have to explain myself to you, but I am a great kisser!.”
“Yea, that explains why he ran away right after, huh?” He spoke, teasing me further.
“You are so annoying, can’t you find someone else to bother?” I spun around to face him again, and he stopped in front of me.
“You’re just too easy.” He says, ruffling my hair. “Anyways, this has been fun, that's a great granny dress by the way. I’ve gotta run.” He smirks at me one last time before walking over to a girl who has been smiling at him the second we both entered the room. Poor girl. If only she knew how annoying he is.
I directed one last glare in his direction before I left the room to leave him to his flirting and went to find Robin and my sisters. I walked across the room, looking out at the backyard through the sliding doors. I caught a glimpse of Buttercup, who seemed to be recording and yelling out something to someone across the pool. I followed her gaze and saw Butch in a kayak about to go down a makeshift slide into the pool, with people surrounding and cheering him on. I thought about stopping him before I realized that if he damaged something, Brick would be pissed, so I continued searching for Bubbles and Robin.
I found her in another room, talking to a group of girls. I went up and tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around.
“Oh my god, hey! I saw you walking off with that boy, he was gorgeous, tell me everything!.” She said, wrapping an arm around me and dragging me to the kitchen, where she grabbed another drink.
“Where do I even start, god,” I gushed, remembering the way his lips felt on mine. “We had just bumped into each other, and he was so kind and kept complimenting me like he was in awe of me!.” I said. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but I couldn't help it. Everything just felt perfect. Like my senior year was just completely going my way.
“Oh my god!” A high pitched squeal coming from behind me. I turned around to see my drunk little sister wobbling over. “Look who it is! It’s my big sister! Awh I love you so much.” She laughed drunkenly and came up to me and wrapped her arms around me, putting her entire weight onto my body as she started sliding to the floor.
“Hi Bubbles.” I chuckled nervously from the attention on me and her. “How about we get off the floor.” I said and started to help her back onto her feet.
“Hey party people!” Butch walks in, soaking wet in his swimming flippers and goggles pushed up to his forehead. Buttercup trailed in behind him.
“Oh my god, you guys have to see this! The idiot missed and fell into Noah's parents' shed.” She exclaimed and I felt my heart skip when she mentioned his name.
“What a rush. Hey Bloss, what should I slide off next.” He said, grabbing one of the bottles of some alcohol and chugging.
“We have a pool! You can slide off our roof! It's definitely higher than this house.” Bubbles telling him, leaning on the kitchen counter instead of me now.
“Hell yeah! I can definitely set it up!” Buttercup exclaimed, mischief already swirling in her eyes as they started to brainstorm other ways they can kill butch.
“Okay! Hello? We are not doing any of that. I won’t be the one responsible when something goes wrong and Butch ends up drowning in our pool or something.” I said, stopping their plotting. “Hey it’s getting late, and I don’t think Bubbles can go any longer before she pukes on something. Or someone. We need to leave.” I said, shivering when I remembered how Bubbles ended up puking on some poor stranger the last time we went partying. I shook my head, shaking off the horrid memory. “Come help me drag Bubbles to the car. Do you two need a ride?” I asked Robin and Butch.
“Are you kidding me? The party's just getting started!” Butch yelled before walking to a large group of people who were dancing.
“I think I'll head home with you guys. My parents were expecting me like 3 hours ago. Oops.” Robin said, wincing a little, remembering her curfew. Lucky for us, the Professor was also out at a New Years work party.
“Alright, let’s go. Also, you are definitely gonna get grounded.” I said, shaking my head at Robin.
“I texted them saying I would stay till midnight! They should’ve expected this at this point.”
“Anyday ladies. Bubbles is losing consciousness.” Buttercup said, holding Bubbles who was resting on her, falling asleep. She quickly slapped her awake so they could walk to the car. Me and Robin followed her.
“Hey, you still gotta tell me what happened between you and that boy.” Robin said, and I remembered how Bubbles interrupted me while I was telling her. “Only, tell me tomorrow, so I won't forget.”
“Yea, if your parents don’t take your phone away.” I said teasingly, and she pushed me to the side slightly.
We laughed together before we heard Buttercup yell out from ahead of us. “I call shotgun by the way, I don’t wanna get puked on.”
“No way! Neither do I.” Robin said, before she bolted to the car.
“Hey!” Buttercup chased after her, leaving Bubbles in the dust, and they both sprinted towards the car.
I rushed ahead to grab my little sister's arm so I could help keep her steady and I followed after them.
This was gonna be a long night.
•••
The next morning, I woke up with a determination.
A determination to talk to Noah. He seemed too good to be true, and I could not let that pass without trying. Any boyfriend I've had in the, which admittedly is not a lot, has only lasted about two weeks because I would so easily get bored, or get a complete ick from the guy and not even be able to look at them for the next week or so.
But with Noah, it felt different.
The way he had just wanted to kiss me, and he said it straight to my face. And how he let me use his private washroom so I wouldn't have to wait in line. He also read the same books as me. You couldn't convince me we weren't made for eachother.
I was into him, and I think he was into me. Now I just needed a plan.
Once I finished my shower, I started to apply my makeup and pick out an outfit for the day. It needed to be something cute since I might run into Noah, so I settled for one of my favorite floral dresses along with a white fuzzy cardigan since it was still a little chilly.
My door was suddenly thrown open, and in walked my sister who was wrapped around her blanket. She threw herself onto my bed face first and I watched her from my vanity.
“God, who’s bright idea was it to have a New Years party on a Sunday? My head is killing me.” Bubbles groaned.
“Well Sunday was New Years Eve, so it would be kind of weird to have it any other day. And you were the one who insisted on going.” I said, focusing back onto my makeup.
Bubbles sat up, huddled around her blanket a little more. “Why did you let me drink so much? I'm not gonna make it through the day.” She whined.
“Do you want some medicine?” I offered her.
Buttercup walked right after I said that, along with some Tylenol in her hands. “Here loser, I brought you some meds.” She threw it at Bubbles so she could catch it, but Bubs made no effort to catch it and it headed up hitting her on the forehead and then falling to the ground. Of course, this did not phase her as she just stared down at it. Buttercup just shrugged her shoulders and sat down on my reading chair by the window.
“You're getting extra dolled up today. Who are you trying to impress?” Buttercup teased, watching me from her seat.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Is it the boy you were making out with yesterday?” She asked.
I stayed silent, and to this she smirked. “Okay! Whatever. I may or may not have found my soulmate at this party yesterday.” I said, blushing.
This got Bubbles attention as she let go of her blanket and came up next to me on the vanity. “Oh! Who was it? Is he hot? Does he go to our school?” She asked, bombarding me with questions.
“It was Noah. Yes he goes to our school, and yes he’s really cute and perfect.” I said, starting to gush.
“You mean the guy who hosted the party? Yea he was pretty cool, he didn’t even get mad when Butch’s fatass broke his shed.” Buttercup said, remembering the events of last night.
“Yes, him. We kissed at midnight and he also let me use his washroom.” My heart warmed as I replayed the romantic gesture in my head.
“Is that code for something?” Buttercup asked, a teasing glint in her eye.
“No. Can you not turn this into something dirty.” I asked her, not wanting to ruin the sweet memory.
“Aw, I’m so happy for you Bloss!” Bubbles exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her sister.
“Thank you.” I said, smiling softly. “Now, go get ready for school.”
“Ugh.”
“Fine.”
•••
Coming back from Winter Break is always a pain, but nonetheless I need to get back onto my game. Currently, I have two things that I need to direct my focus on, My studies and Noah. My father always said it's good to have a balance between fun and schoolwork, but not to find yourself getting lost along the way.
I need to keep up my studies so that I keep my spot for the University I have applied to, as well as beat Brick in the race for Valedictorian.
In my opinion, it shouldn't even be questioned that I would be Valedictorian after all I've done for this town and school, yet Brick has decided that he just had to have my position. At first I was sure that the students and staff would pick me, but now Brick has been stealing my spotlight, bribing the people with his words and actions. If I was anybody else, I would be a little nervous. But I'm not. No matter what that infuriating boy says.
Now, as for Noah. I know that there was definitely a moment between us, and I think I owe it to myself to explore that option because there are just so many amazing things that could happen. I don’t know why I haven't felt this excited for the prospect of something in a long time. I haven’t always been good with relationships but this just felt different.
With my time at this school coming to an end, I’ve realized that I spent most of it huddled over a book, trying to get at the top of my classes, that I've neglected my love life. I always end up denying myself the ability to be liked by someone because I've always just taken care of myself and my sister. I’ve been a little cold (no pun intended) and the amount of missed opportunities makes my heart upset.
But this year is gonna be different. Like my dad said, I need to find a balance and Noah seemed like a pretty good option if I do say so myself.
“Earth to Blossom.”
The voice jolted me back into reality from my zoned out state. “Huh, what?” I asked Robin, who the voice belonged to.
“I was asking, how are you gonna act on your little situation? You don’t have that guy in any of your classes.” Robin said.
I had already filled her in on the details of last night and what happened this morning. We were currently in English, which was the only class we had together. The class had just started, and students were still filling in.
“I don’t know.” I whined, leaning back in my chair. Then, an idea popped into my head and I shot back up. “Wait. Would it be pathetic of me if I waited for him outside the entrance after school?” I asked her.
“Yes.” A voice that wasn't Robin shot up from beside me, where Brick was currently walking by to get to his seat.
“I wasn’t asking you Jojo.” I rolled my eyes. “This is a private conversation. Go crawl back into that hole you came out of.”
“Are you implying that I'm a fox? You just aren't able to resist this charm, huh?” Brick stopped beside my desk, grinning down at me.
“Is this the same charm that you used to get half the cheer squad on your side to beat me, because that sounds more like cheating to me. I wonder what the principal would think of that?”
He smirked. “Jealous? Looks like your chances are getting slimmer as the days go by. If I were you, I would just give it up.”
“Good thing I'm not you then.”
“God Pinky, I'm gonna be honest, I’m starting to feel like you don’t like me.” He said, in false hurt, putting a hand to his heart.
“I have told you in multiple circumstances that I don't.” I said, giving him a sweet smile.
“See, it's that attitude that just ensures I'm gonna be valedictorian. Keep it up Bloss.” He said, ruffling my hair before heading to his seat. I smack his hands away and fix my messed up hair.
“Good Morning Everyone!” The teacher exclaimed, walking in seconds later.
“Anyways,” I whispered to Robin. “Bad Idea? Yes or no.” I asked, referring to my plan of finding a way to talk to Noah.
“I don’t think so, I mean you gotta do what you gotta do. But I gotta warn you, I heard that he's been on and off with Princess Morbucks for the past couple of months, and that he's still completely hung up on her. ”
“Are you serious?” I asked, a little shocked that I wasn't aware of that relationship.
“Yea. They kept it kind of quiet because they were actually into each other, but they couldn't be together in public because her father would find out and he rarely ever approves of any guy she dates. From what I heard, they were pretty serious.”
I nodded my head, listening intently. Now, I wasn't exactly close with Princess Morbucks, and I honestly haven’t talked to her since we were young. But I couldn't help the fact that I absolutely couldn't picture her with Noah. With my Noah. They may have been together but neither of us could deny that we had a moment together. Maybe breaking up with her is what it took for him to find me.
“That’s pretty unfortunate for her.” I said, thinking.
“You're still gonna wait for him, aren't you?”
“Yup.”
And so that's what I did.
•••
It was after school now, and I raced out the front door so I could catch Noah before he left. Kinda pathetic but I was determined to get his number at least.
People came out and left and yet I still didn’t see Noah. I was starting to give up when most of the school had left, and I was starting to feel like a little stalker.
I started to walk away, ready to go home. But then, I heard the door open once more when I had moved away from my super hearing, and I turned back to glance at the door.
I saw Noah walk out, and I was almost about to break out in a run towards him before I saw who walked out behind him.
Brick.
I groaned.
God, why was he everywhere. Is he trying to torment me or does it really happen to be a coincidence that they are walking out together. I prayed to them that they weren't friends. That hope was squashed when they continued to talk and laugh with each other. And also get into Brick's car together. I start to fly home in defeat.
For god's sake, just my luck that they are friends. Noah has probably told Brick about what happened between us, and I'm sure that Brick has done everything in his power to ruin it.
It's just what he does whenever something is good in my life. I know he is probably cracking jokes about me to Noah and just completely ruining his image of me. I don’t exactly trust him enough to build me up to him so I’m probably screwed
As I land down on the front lawn, I go to open the front door, and somehow I feel even more defeated onc i see what was waiting for me inside.
A complete mess.
The kitchen is the first room you see when you walk into my house, and right now it looked like a bomb exploded in it.
“I only got home 20 minutes after you guys.” I groaned, needing to sit down.
“Oh! Hi Blossom. Did you see Noah?” Bubbles asked, popping out from behind the counter that she was bent behind, with a bowl in her hands. She had her apron on, and it looked as if she was currently making some sweets. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely a baked goods girl, but Bubbles had a knack for making a complete mess every time she entered the kitchen. The outcome always tasted great, but then she would complain that she was too tired to clean, which would lead to having to clean up after her.
“Yup.” I said, plopping down onto a stool across from her and the war zone. I rested my head on my hand as I watched her work.
“Why do you sound so depressed then?” A more uncaring voice joined in. Buttercup came down and snatched a bag of chocolate chips from Bubbles before seating herself next to me.
“Because, life has decided to play a cruel joke on me and make Noah and Brick Jojo friends.” I groaned, planting my head depressively on the counter.
“Oh no!” Bubbles exclaimed, snatching the chocolate chips from Buttercup, earning her a glare from the black haired girl. She pauses, “Wait, why is this a bad thing?”
“Because! I can’t date someone he’s friends with.” I say as if the answer is obvious. They both give me looks, one confused and one that is definitely making fun of me. “If I try to get with someone that is friends with Brick, he's just gonna ruin it by saying something stupid. And Brick gets on my nerves and I might end up saying something off putting.”
“Okay, I guess.” Bubbles says, starting to see my side of the situation.
“You're being dramatic Bloss. Brick has nothing to do with this and if you're asking me,” Buttercup speaks up.
“I’m not.”
“I would use that to my advantage. I mean, you have an inside if Brick is friends with that guy.” Buttercup finishes.
“Buttercup’s right,” Bubbles says.
“I’m sorry, can you say that again so I can get that on film.” Buttercup cuts in.
No. Put your phone down.” Bubbles rolls her eyes. “Anyways, maybe you can get Brick to talk to him about you and help set you up.” Bubbles says excitedly, truly believing she hit the nail with that stellar idea.
“And you suppose Brick will just do this out of the goodness of his heart.” I ask, not believing a single thing they are saying.
“Just listen Bloss, I heard that some guy is throwing a little gathering this friday for some athletic thing. Me and BC don’t know them so we aren't invited, but I'm sure that the person hosting is friends with Noah, and Noah is friends with Brick.” She says, assuming I'm catching along with what she's saying, but I'm completely lost.
I motion for her to continue.
“Brick is probably invited to this gathering.” She finishes and I finally understand what she is saying.
“You think that if I somehow get Brick to help me, he can get me into this party?” I ask, starting to feel a little hopeful.
“You just have to find something to bribe him a little, but yea. This party is kind of a small one so you have better chances of seeing Noah and getting to talk to him.”
“Bubbles, you are a little genius.” I said, reaching over the counter to grab both sides of her head and give her a big smooch on the forehead. Bubbles smiled
“That was like mostly my idea, but whatever.” Buttercup grumbled.
“You want a kiss too?” I asked mockingly, reaching for her.
“Ew no, get away from me you loser.” Buttercup runs away and I laugh before walking to my room to change out of my school clothes and get comfortable.
I walk over to my desk to pull out my homework and sit down to work on it, but my mind starts to wander the second I sit down.
This idea was definitely a long shot, because when would Brick ever try to help me in anything? He would probably scoff in my face and then turn me down. Yes, there was a very big chance he would say no, but I didn’t have many other choices and being able to talk to Noah at a small group gathering would be great for me.
I knew that Bubbles had a good idea by getting Brick to get me into that party and put in a good word for me, but I also knew that Brick wouldn't just do this because he is just as much a romantic as me and loves to see two people fall in love. No, I would have to resort to different measures to get him to agree. The question is what. What would Brick want in return for helping me?
I racked through my brain, thinking of something I could offer Brick that would ensure that he would help me. Suddenly, my eyes lit up and the idea came to me before I could stop it.
One thing that I know Brick wants, something that me and him have been competing for since the beginning of senior year, and basically the start of highschool.
Valedictorian.
Brick wants to be valedictorian. But so do I.
I have wanted to be valedictorian ever since highschool started. I wanted to be the one at the end of the year that represents our class and their hard work and serves as a role model. More importantly I wanted to shove it in Brick's face that I was a better student than him.
Now I have a choice to make. Should I choose being the Valedictorian and beating Brick and give up my chance at finding true love? Or should I let Brick have it, and get him to help me get Noah?
The choice seemed pretty clear to me.
•••
The next morning I woke up extra early, way before school started, to find a certain red-eyed boy and get him on my side. I hadn’t been able to sleep at the thought of my bright future. I have worked hard for so long, and I wanted this more than anything. I have gone my entire life without finding someone that I felt a deep connection with, and Noah might just be it. I couldn't pass that up.
So here I am, at the apartment complex where the Jojo brothers reside. I remember a particular party that Butch hosted last year which is where I knew the address from. Hopefully I wasn't intruding. I assume that Brick is as much a morning person as I am and he would happen to be awake right now. Even if he wasn’t, there was no way I was leaving until I got what I wanted.
I started to knock. Quietly at first but when I realized no one was coming, I started to pound my fist on the door. I heard noises of yelling and scuffling behind the door.
“Who the hell is that!” I heard what I think was Butch.
“I dont know, but when I find out, I’m gonna fucking kill them.” I heard Brick's gruff voice coming closer to the door. Rude. He definitely wasn’t a morning person.
The door was pulled open, rather aggressively if I'm honest. Brick looked down at me with a glare on his face, and I could've sworn that glare softened just a bit when he realized who he was. It was quickly washed away by confusion.
“Good morning.” I said, pushing my way in.
He gawked at me while I situated myself at his barstool by the kitchen counter. “Why.” was all he said.
“What?” I said innocently.
“Why are you here at 5 in the fucking morning?” He grumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. He walked over to the other side of the kitchen, leaning on the counter, across from me. When he leaned forward, the veins in his arms flexed from the action, his muscle becoming very apparent and I then realized that Brick Jojo was currently shirtless.
As in he had no shirt on. Meaning that his bare chest was currently on display, with those plaid pajama pants hanging sinfully low on his waist. I quickly stopped myself from letting my eyes fall down too low, but then my eyes ended up back to his stomach and onto his abs and I nearly swallowed my tongue.
“As much as I am enjoying you completely checking me out, mind explaining why you're in my house at these ungodly hours?” He asked. my eyes averted back to his face with a little blush creeping up from being caught staring at him. Now, instead of glaring with eyes full of sleep, he was now smirking and almost fully awake.
I rolled my eyes. “God, you're so full of yourself. Would it kill you to put on a shirt?” I groaned.
“And put an end to your little peep show?” He snickered, coming around the counter to my side to grab a sweatshirt from the couch behind me. He came up beside me and took a seat at the stool next to me. I gave him a swift punch to the shoulder for that comment.
“Ouch.” He said, grabbing his shoulder.
“Don't be a baby.” I rolled my eyes, knowing that didn’t hurt him.
“What do you want?” He turned back to me.
“I-” I paused, thinking of a better way to say this, giving up when I came up with nothing. “Okay, first of all, I need you to swear that you will not tell a single soul about this.”
“Damn, sounds serious.” He said, chuckling. I tilted my head and glared at him, waiting for his answer. “Okay, fine, I swear.”
“I need your help.”
He instantly starts grinning.
I held my hand up. “Before you say whatever rude thing you're probably holding back from that comment, just listen. Now, I already know that you aren't just going to help me out of the goodness of your heart because honestly, I have a deal for you.”
“Thinking ahead, I like that Red. Hurts that you think I need to be bribed to help you out.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Okay, I get it.” He put his hands up. “Continue.”
“If you help me with this, I will-” I paused for dramatic effect. “I will let you have the position as valedictorian.”
“Really? Damn, whatever is it, you got it, Red. I'll help you.”
“You don’t wanna hear what it is that I want?”
“Must be something good if you gave up your spot.” He paused for a second to think. “Wait, you're not giving this up because you realized you have no chance, right Red?” He said, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, his mouth curving into that smirk.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Of course not. I'll tell you, but you better not say anything until I’m done.”
He nodded for me to continue.
“Okay, so at that New Years party, I met a boy.” Brick opened his mouth to say something but I gave him a warning glare before continuing. “You saw me kiss this boy, and let's just say that me and him shared a special moment that night but I haven't gotten the chance to talk to him again.” I said, looking over at him to make sure he was still following. Brick eyed me carefully, as if he was letting every word I said soak in. “Yesterday, I saw you leave the school with him and I realized you were friends.”
Brick started at me, looking a little confused. “Hm, I don't remember leaving with anyone.”
“Noah, his name is Noah. You two got into your car. I saw you.”
“Oh right. God, when did you become such a creep.” He said.
“I am not a-!” I paused to take a deep breath, which made Brick chuckle so I glared at him. “Stop distracting me. Anyways, I saw you and I know your friends and I need you to help set me up with him.”
“How exactly would I help you with this?”
“Just put in a good word for me. And maybe also get me into that party on Friday?” I asked, hopeful.
He looked around the room before looking at me. He seemed to be thinking very deeply about what to say, with a weird look in his eye.. In the end, he just said, “Sure.”
“Really!” I said, starting to get excited. “Thank you so much.”
“Why do you want this so bad?” He asked, looking at me intently with his eyes narrowed.
“Oh! Um, I don't know.” I started to pick at my skin for some reason, feeling kind of weird about telling him my real answer. About how much I desired to be in a relationship and have someone love me so much it hurts. He wouldn’t understand. “I just really like him, and I think he likes me too. I wanna see where it goes.” I looked down, away from his face.
It was silent for what seemed like forever before he spoke again. “Okay.”
“Thank you!” I squealed and bounced on my seat like a little kid at their birthday party.
“Okay! Okay, calm down.” He said, rolling his eyes. “I'll pick you up at 7 on Friday. Do me a favor and leave. I still have a good hour of sleep until school.” He got up and went around me, grabbing my shoulder to push me off the stool and out of his house.
“Jeez, okay. I'm going.” I said getting up from my seat and letting him push me. “But seriously, thank you. I really appreciate this.” I smiled at him.
“Sure.” He said, sounding kind of grumpy. He must be really tired. “You can have fun with your boy and I'll enjoy being valedictorian and ruling over the school. Fair is fair.” He said shrugging, before opening the door and pushing me out.
“By-.” He cut me off by slamming the door. Rude
•••
But it’s just a supercut of us.
-Lorde
•••