On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 35

James and I walked to class together that morning. Our rooms were opposite. I felt nervous about being in public with him. Although we were doing nothing wrong, his blushing face stood proud. It made me self-conscious how everyone was staring at us and our interlinked hands.

“Your hands are cold,” he remarked.

I smiled sheepishly, not knowing how to keep my fingers from freezing up like ice or responding to that comment.

B was in my homeroom. And she sees us right before I enter when James stops me from entering and leaves a small peck on my forehead.

Yes, it was sweet. Charming. Swoon-worthy, even. But I wasn’t used to having all this attention on me. I could feel my stage fright rise back up in my throat.

B’s eyes widen as I walked over to sit next to her.

“What was that?” She gushed.

“Um, nothing,” I responded awkwardly.

I hesitated to tell them the truth. It was a big change for our friend group. But then again, James wasn’t too reserved about us. Nor were we going to stay lowkey apparently. Charles and B would find out sooner and I’d rather her hear it from me to avoid unnecessary drama.

“Lottie,” She calls me again, noticing how I was perspiring almost profusely even in the middle of winter.

“I have something to tell you,” I blurt out.

I have never hidden anything from my friends ever since. I valued their opinion and I trusted their judgment. But I was a little nervous about their reaction to my newly formed reaction.

“Okay, what is it?” Her grin went ear to ear.

“James is taking me to the dance.”

She jumps off her seat in exhilaration but settles down with a different expression on her face.

“Wait, what? That’s it?”

Makes me think she already knew. Gee, why else did James confess his feelings for me, too?

“Okay, cat out of the bag, James and I are dating. As recent as this morning, so I don’t know how it’s going to go, yet.”

“Yes!” She screams, pumping a fist in the air. Other students in our class give her a glare for the disruption.

“But what do you mean, that was it? Weren’t you even a tiny bit shocked that James asked me to the dance?” I investigated.

“Oh, come on, Lottie, James has had this huge crush on you since you guys met,” She answered, nonchalantly.

Um, wow? Have I been the only one oblivious to this?

“No, he didn’t,” I opposed.

“He did. You were just too blind to see it. Have you never really noticed how he has always been so protective, caring, and gentle that i***t has been to you? He doesn’t treat anybody else that way, sweetie.” She discussed.

“Um, no. He’s like that towards his friends,” I tried to justify.

I have noticed how he has treated me differently since. But I never looked beyond it because we were friends. I just shrug it off as some payback for my kindness to him.

But, damn, looking back. It’s hard not to think he didn’t have a crush on me.

“He liked you from the start, Lottie. Everyone saw it. Everyone knew it. He’s been a chicken from the start, too. So, we never gave it much thought. I mean, all of us go through a phase of crushing on someone but never having the guts to tell them, and it kind of goes away after some time. And then you’re over it. I guess James never got over it,” She says, shrugging back to her seat as the teacher enters the class.

I was left shocked and grasping at the thought. I have known James for three years now.

It was all in the little things that I had managed to overlook. The way he’d offer to bring my heavy schoolbag or huge projects to school. Every time my parents weren’t around to pick me up after school, he’d walk me home. Since he started driving, he’d drive me home. Whatever the weather, he always made sure I went home safe. He always checked up on me every weekend when my parents weren’t around, and my brothers were in college, and sometimes brought a snack over. The way he used to exchange lunches with me was when mom would pack me something I hated, like a tuna sandwich or an apple.

Damn, how could I miss that?

“Oh, Lottie, don’t look too shocked,” Beatrice remarked, laughing as she noticed my stunned expression. “By the way, spare no details after class. I want to hear how, where, and when.” She whispers.

“Okay, class. I want you all to head over to the library. Your major teachers and I have decided to send you for research today. What with all the preparation we are currently doing for the winter formal tomorrow. This constitutes a three-paragraph long essay. At least with a total word count of 1,000,” A loud groan ensues from most of the students in the class. “A thousand words,” Mr. Vinny growls louder than the protests, “about something – may it be a tool, theory, concept, idea, person, literally anything or anyone, that has contributed to any aspect of English, Mathematics, and Science. Remember to associate your chosen subject with those three. This will be submitted after the winter break,” Mr. Vinny instructed before heading straight out of the room, with no more words said.

This is how most winter breaks end. One tiring assignment to do the entire break. A dance before the break. And an entire day at school to spend idly with no classes, but also not being allowed to go home. No one would spend their last day of class before winter break buried in books for research for an assignment to be passed two weeks from now.

The students cheered as Mr. Vinny leaves and some students leave the room, as well. Beatrice returned her attention to me with a raised eyebrow.

“So, how did James ask you out?” She began my dreaded interview.

And so, I begin a detailed narrative from how he confessed to me on the drive over last night, to giving me the teardrop necklace this morning.

“Wow, I remember you being so obsessed with that specific stone. Your dad even bought you the fake, plastic one,” She voices out. “I can’t believe he finally had the gall to ask you out though.”

“I honestly didn’t think he ever would,” I admitted.

Just then, James enters the classroom with Charles, bags hung on the back.

“Hey,” He places a soft kiss on my temple as he reached me and sits on the desk next to mine.

I smile back, still feeling uneasy about all his public displays of affection, especially with B and Charles in the same room.

Charles let out a low cough, attracting our attention.

“So, this is pretty new,” he remarks.

I turned to James, looking for confirmation that Charles knew and was well-oriented towards our situation. I didn’t want to retell the entire story again to him.

“I told him already,” James affirms.

“I have to get used to all this PDA now?” Charles scrunches up in disgust. James throws a crumpled paper his way, ignoring his teasing.

“So, are we doing our pre-formal ritual tomorrow?” B inquires, changing the subject.

I was just glad, or else the awkward tension would have eaten us all up until lunchtime.

“I don’t know if we should call it a ritual. We weren’t part of the dance last year. Just the cleanup crew.” Charles muttered.

We attended our first winter formal dance last year, but we came as the cleanup crew. They gave out extra credit. Who were we to refuse that? It was a fun experience, but surely it would be a hell of a difference to come as part of the actual formal.

This was our first year attending since as young as freshmen we get to be a part of a schoolwide event.

We were so excited about attending last year that we had the whole day prior to ‘prepare.’ It mostly constituted going to the salon, cuts, mani-pedis. Then, ending it with a movie marathon at my house, pizza, and ice cream.

Sure, the night ended with someone crapping their life out for hours for eating too much. I won’t drop names, but someone is lucky to be dating me today.

“I think we should,” I declared, reminiscing how fun it was to get together before the winter break.

“The salon downtown is still open, right?” B asks.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“We should probably not order pizza from the same place as last year. That was too destructive,” he mutters, chagrined.

We all share a look and try to stop ourselves from bursting out in laughter. James glared at me, thinking that since I was now his girlfriend, I’d stop making fun of him.

Oh, hell no.

“I know a great pizza place. Can we still come over to your house, Charlotte? Or is your room reserved for Tucker now?” B asks, teasing.

I rolled my eyes at her but nodded anyway.

“Yes, but I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t mention this,” I motioned to James and me, referring to our relationship, “yet. I want them to hear it from me. I’m not sure how they’d react."

“I’ll try,” Charles broke into an evil laugh.

I smack him lightly on the arm and James laughs. I glared at him, too. Telling my parents was a big deal and he, of all people, should not dismiss it lightly.

My parents were unaware of my past relationship with Adrian. They have known him as my closest friend since I was young. But nothing more. I didn’t plan on hiding it. They naturally assumed and I never found the right time to correct them, until it was too late to do so. Adrian wasn’t too keen on developing a relationship with my parents, anyway. He also wasn’t a frequent visitor at our house, so they had little to no communication.

But James was at the other end of that spectrum. He was actually close to my dad. Almost so close that he treats him like his third son.

I still don’t know how it will go, though.

“Anyway, what are you guys doing the rest of the day? James and I were thinking of sneaking out for a movie.”

“Wait, sneak out how?” B asks, intrigued. “The only gate outside school properties is locked and guarded.”

“We’ve secured some equipment,” James snickers, giving Charles a look.

I raised an eyebrow at him, inquiring about their recent stupid stunt.

“We took the utility’s ladder. We plan on climbing out to the parking lot where James parked his truck.” He answered, giving in to my intense sneering.

“You stole a ladder?” Beatrice gasped. “You better not drag us down with you when you get caught. That could cause you serious consequences.” She says, flicking the back of James’ and Charles’ ear. They both groan in response.

“We’re not stealing. We’re just borrowing it for a small amount of time. We’re going to return it tomorrow or have it returned when Manny finds it.” James countered.

“You idiots,” Bea slams a palm to her face. “Have you ever heard of plausible deniability? If any of you gets caught and it traces back to us, I will kill you both. We are on the honor roll and on track to have enough GPA and credit to be accepted to the finest schools we’ve dreamed of. I cannot have a single taint on my record.” She reprimands.

“Don’t worry, I promise it’s not gonna get traced back to you,” Charles argues, trying to soothe her. “If you come with us.”

B’s head snaps back up, looking at the playful and teasing expressions James and Charles shared. I chuckle seeing Beatrice fume.

“I mean, I want to do the research badly, but the library is probably full. Lots of students loitering. It’s going to be too crowded to do homework, anyway.” I suggested.

Yes, maybe I did want to spend the rest of the day with my boyfriend.

Wow, even thinking of the word pertaining to me feels surreal.

“Yes, and it’s not like your brain juices are actually going to start flowing the second you start the assignment. May as well go out and find some new experiences to take on a new perspective. Field research, if you may.” Charles continues to defend their choices.

Beatrice shook her head in contempt. With one little push, I’m sure she’d agree to their little plan.

“James is buying milkshakes for everyone, too,” Charles adds.

James immediately turned to him, surprised at his proclamation.

“I-“

“I carried the ladder by myself,” Charles interjected before he could argue. James backs down, defeated.

“A free milkshake doesn’t sound too bad, though,” Beatrice contemplated.

Charles and James held hands, waiting for her response, as if they were waiting for their winning lottery ticket to be called.

“Okay, let’s do it,” B gives in and the boy's fist bumps in triumph.