Chapter Text
“What the hell?” The short blonde muttered, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at the headline of the school news paper. It read, in large black letters:
AUDREY JENSEN AND BROOKE MADDOX RUNNING FOR PROM QUEENS
“Oh my god,” Emma gasped quietly, putting her hand over her mouth to hide her smirk and laugh.
Brooke looked over at her friend, her eyes slanted in a little glare. She held up the paper to Emma, shaking it, and asked, “Did you know about this?”
She shook her head, taking the paper from Brooke and reading it over while shaking her head. “I had no idea.” She really didn’t. Whoever did this was definitely going to feel the wrath of Audrey. Brooke, though, didn’t look mad. She looked more agitated and confused than anything. None-the-less, Emma prayed for the poor soul who nominated them for prom queens.
“Is Audrey here yet?” Brooke asked as she and Emma made their way inside the school.
“Uh,” Emma checked her phone for the time. Class would start in twenty minutes, so the chances of Audrey showing up that early weren’t bright. “No, not yet.”
Brooke spun around to face the taller girl with her arms crossed. “She’s going to have a fit.”
Emma shrugged and nudged Brooke’s arm with her elbow. “Maybe she won’t because it’s you.” She suggested with underlying meaning. Emma knew of Brooke’s crush on Audrey, and while Emma would never break her trust and tell her, she did make ambiguous comments about it from time to time. Every time she did, especially around Audrey, Brooke wanted to fall into a hole and never get out. It wasn’t a secret that Brooke was pansexual, she’d come out of the closet long ago, but it was a secret that she was head over heels for one of her best friends.
The blonde could feel her cheeks heating up at the thought. She shook her head and turned, heading straight for her locker. It doesn’t matter that it’s me. She thought as she began to get the books that she would need for the day. It doesn’t matter because she doesn’t feel the same. The thought made her sad, but it was the truth. She and Audrey were best friends, nothing more. She wished it could be something more, but she wouldn’t force her feelings onto the girl. She loved her too much for that. And she figured that as long as they were close friends, then that’s all that really mattered, and she could find contentment in that.
Or, at least she thought she could. Some days were harder than others. But Brooke would make it work. She always did.
“No,” Brooke sighed and shut her locker, began walking beside Emma towards their first class. “She’s definitely going to freak out.” She stated matter-of-factly. She could practically hear Audrey screaming now.
“Noah, what the hell is this?” Her voice was deathly calm, and he was very afraid.
“I can explain.” He said quickly, avoiding her direction in fear that she would be glaring at him. If looks could kill, he would be six feet in his grave—which technically was a horrible joke because last year he was buried alive and if Audrey and Emma hadn’t—
Foster, shut up. He hissed at himself, then gulped and turned his attention back to his best friend, who was still looking at the poster plastered to the high school entrance with blank eyes. In big, bold black letters it said:
VOTE AUDREY JENSEN AND BROOKE MADDOX FOR PROM QUEENS
Audrey snapped her neck up at him, glaring so sternly her eyes were nearly closed. “What the hell did you do?” She snapped, her voice growing higher and higher with each word.
The boy cringed back, afraid that she would punch him in the arm. Not that he didn’t deserve it. He had royally fucked up. “I-uh-well—you see, funny story,” He laughed nervously, bouncing from foot to foot, not really sure the words he should use to explain himself.
“There’s nothing funny about this!” Audrey shouted, throwing her arms in the air and waving them around wildly.
Noah held up his finger and opened his mouth, struggling for words. Finally, he said, “I know you’re mad—“
“Mad?” She questioned, taking a few steps closer to him. “You think I’m mad? Is that what you think I am?” It was a trick question, he knew. She wasn’t mad; she was so far beyond that. He didn’t know if he was going to be alive for much longer.
“If you’ll just let me explain—“
“There’s nothing to explain, Noah! The explanation is on that damn door!” She pointed to the poster, then held her head in her hands as she kicked at the ground. “I can’t believe you would do this.” She whined, pulling at her hair and giving her best friend a pathetic look.
Noah straightened up and cleared his throat. “It was a joke. I nominated you and Brooke as a joke. I didn’t think the student council would actually go for it.” He explained. Audrey looked at him incredulously, then sighed heavily and slumped her shoulders in defeat. Noah raised his hand to pat Audrey’s shoulder, but with one sharp look from the girl, his hand found its way inside his pants pockets instead.
Audrey continued to look at him like he was an idiot as she said, “We survived two killing sprees, Noah. Who wouldn’t vote for two of Lakewood’s Final Girl’s running for prom queens? Who in their right mind wouldn’t vote for us to do that?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly because shit she was right and how the fuck did he not think of that?
“Well,” He began, choosing his words carefully. “I think… I don’t think Brooke will be mad.” And with that he walked into the school, leaving Audrey to stew in her anger alone. She watched him leave, the desperation and hopelessness not leaving her face.
It wasn’t that she thought Brooke would be mad. She knew the blonde wouldn’t. It was that, with this, with everyone thinking they were dating now because they were running for prom queens, it made Audrey’s crush on her all the more unbearable. She thought she could maintain it. And for the most part she had. She was content with just being Brooke’s friend, she was okay with seeing the girl fawn over other guys, girls, people. She was fine. But now…now she wished it were real more than ever and she hated herself for it.
With a loud, defeated groan, Audrey ripped the poster from the door and stalked inside the school. She had to find Brooke and figure out a way to end this before it even began.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Audrey muttered under her breath in exasperation. It was three hours later during their free period, and she and her friends were seated in the courtyard at their usual bench. Brooke sat to the left of her while Zoe sat in front, explaining with in amusement that the student council couldn’t take them off the nomination ballet because once nominated it couldn't be taken away. Especially not with so many people backing the two girls already.
Zoe shrugged aloofly, the situation obviously not bothering her, and said, “Sorry, but rules are rules.”
“So we’re going to have to do this? We’re actually going to have to run for prom queens?” Audrey was glaring daggers at Noah the whole time she spoke. The boy was avoiding her gaze, pretending to look at the sketches on his boyfriend’s tablet instead. He was sure if he made eye contact with her that he would burst into flame.
“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Maybe we should do it.” Brooke said, turning to face Audrey. The short haired girl opened her mouth to object, but Brooke went on, “The school has never had two prom queens before, and with so many people backing us already, don’t you think we should see this through?” She questioned curiously, her head tipped to the side.
Audrey propped her head in her hand and sighed, shrugging. “Maybe? But don’t you think this will be weird?”
“We’re friends, Audrey, I don’t think it’ll be weird at all.” Brooke hoped no one, especially Audrey, caught how her voice cracked at the word ‘friends’. Because fuck, Brooke didn’t want to be Audrey’s friend. She wanted to be her everything.
Friends. Ouch. Audrey mentally kicked herself, hoping that the disappointment wouldn’t show on her face at the word ‘friends’. Clearing her throat she said, “Yeah, okay. So, what? We pretend to date, get the crowns, and then have a big, dramatic break up?”
Brooke grinned mischievously. “You know being dramatic is the one thing I’m great at.”
You’re great at more than that. Audrey thought fondly. She felt herself getting lost in Brooke’s eyes, the way they twinkled when she spoke, the way they crinkled in the corners when she smiled, the way—“Shit!” She hissed, feeling a sharp pain in her knee. She shot Emma a nasty look and Emma only smiled, though her expression spoke volumes: You’re being too obvious. If you don’t want Brooke to find out, chill.
“Anyway,” Audrey turned her attention back to the blonde, tuning in to what she was saying. “Zoe can be our campaign manager and we’ll—“ she didn’t pay attention after that, getting too absorbed in her own thoughts. She and Brooke were going to pretend to date. She and Brooke were going to run for prom queens. She and Brooke were going to pretend to date.
She and Brooke were going to pretend to date.
She and Brooke were going to pretend to date.
She and Brooke were going to pretend to date.
She could do this. No problem. Right?
She thought she could, but then Brooke turned to her and flashed her a gorgeous smile and Audrey felt herself burst into tingles on the inside. Oh, Christ, she thought, the feeling of dread washing over her. What the hell have I gotten myself into?