Chapter Text
Homecoming was close, and everyone was talking about it, but Lottie didn't feel the same enthusiasm. It only annoyed her because she had decided not to go, and she wished they would quit talking about it all the time. They wouldn't even stop, before, during, and after soccer practice. Maybe she was just bitter that the person she liked wasn't going, and even if she was, it would not be with her.
When practice ends, Lottie stays behind, letting the others go to avoid talking about the party. But, of course, Van sees her and decides to stay behind with her.
"So, homecoming, have you changed your mind about going?" It is the first thing Van says when they reach Lottie.
"No," she answers, already tired of the conversation.
"Come on, most of us are going. I've been begging you all week to come with us." Van tries to convince her cheerfully. "We can all go together!"
Lottie stands up, picking up her things. "You're going with Tai. I doubt I will enjoy watching you two making out all night."
"Come on, you know you always have fun with us," Van says, as they follow Lottie towards the school building.
"That's debatable. Remember when you left me with that girl I didn't know last summer party?" Lottie reminds her.
"I really thought you were going to have a good time with her!" Van exclaims.
Lottie rolls her eyes. "You just wanted to go and find a place to make out with Taissa."
"But, I also wanted my friend to kiss some girls before school started," Van says, smiling innocently.
Lottie shakes her head, letting out a little laugh. "You left me with a straight girl whose boyfriend was very jealous."
"I didn't know! I was only trying to be a good wing-man," Van tells her. "But, we did laugh about it afterwards." Reminding her how funny it all seemed once they left the party.
"Well, you're a shitty wing-man," Lottie says, teasing Van.
"I was running out of time to find you someone before we came back to school, and you spent another year pining over Laura Lee." Van explains, then adds, "That's why I want to make it better!"|
"So what? Do you want to find me somebody at homecoming?" Lottie scoffs. "I don't think I'd be interested in anyone who's attending."
"You might be." They pause and grin at Lottie. "I heard Laura Lee is going," Van whispers as they enter the locker rooms.
Lottie stops at the door, processing the information.
-
Lottie watches Laura Lee as she packs her things to leave. Weeks ago, she heard Laura Lee wasn't going to Homecoming, so even if she dared to ask her to go with her, the other girl wouldn't go. Lottie didn't know why. She wondered about what had changed, worrying about somebody else asking Laura Lee to go with them.
-
Lottie waits outside for Van, who usually goes with her when Taissa can't take her home.
"You seem in deep thought, Lottie, everything fine?" Van asks her grinning, opening the car's door.
"Shut up," Lottie tells her and starts the car. Van laughs and puts some music on.
Lottie doesn't talk and tries to focus on driving until she can't stand not asking about Laura Lee.
"It's just, I thought she wasn't going." Lottie frowns. "Did someone ask her?"
"I heard that Randy asked her," Van says with a serious expression.
"What?" She says, and looks at Van with a shocked expression, almost losing control of the car.
"Whoa! Eyes on the road!" Van yells, putting one hand on their chest. "Anyways," they carry on saying. "I heard it was really sweet. He made an entire proposal in the halls."
Lottie stops the car in the middle of the road, looking at Van frowning.
"Oh my god, your face. " Van laughs. "I'm kidding."
"Asshole." Lottie punches Van's arm and starts driving again.
"I'm sorry," says Van. "I think she is going by herself. Well, with a few others, as a group. But it could be true, you know, not the Randy part, Laura Lee would never." Van pauses, shuddering. "But, someone else could ask her, and you would just watch from afar because you're being a coward."
"I'm not being a coward, I'm just saving myself the inevitable rejection," Lottie says as she parks in front of Van's house.
"I don't understand how you can make out with three different girls at a party, but you are too scared of asking sweet Laura Lee out."
"Not the same thing at all, Van. Laura Lee deserves so much more," Lottie says, discouraged.
"You're an amazing person, Lot. You need to have more faith in yourself," Van tells her, and gets out of the car.
-
Lottie spends all night thinking about Laura Lee. She has had a crush on her for years. She had only told Van, and only because they asked about it, but she was sure the others knew.
She doesn't even know when she started developing feelings for her. At first, she thought Laura Lee was pretty and kind, and the more she got to know her the more fascinated she became with her.
She always found herself gravitating towards her kindness and warmth, maybe because she didn't have much of that in her life.
She doesn't know when the other thoughts started, about what it would feel like to hold her hand, to run her fingers through her golden hair, to take on a date, to kiss her. It all overwhelmed Lottie. She wanted so much, but she had given up without even trying. She didn't think someone like Laura Lee could be with her.