On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 27

Just then, two girls walked to our seats. I couldn’t make out who they were since the lights were still pretty dim.

“Do you mind moving so me and my friend can sit together?” One girl said to Beatrice, who was already slouching sleepily on her seat.

I know I was a stubborn redhead at birth. I also know I kept the stubbornness even though the redhead faded into some other color.

“Sit apart, we don’t care. You should’ve come earlier if you wanted better seats.” I talked back before B could answer her.

“That’s rude, considering the principal’s right over there and I know you have an unclosed record, still,” She retorts, sneakily smiling at the principal who was cautiously eyeing us, as well.

“It’s okay, Lottie, I’ll move,” Beatrice said with no enthusiasm at all. This was where we differ. I’d fight for my rightfully earned and deserved spot.

“Who are you anyway? Arriving this late to an event and demanding seats. You could have at least written your name on the chairs if you wanted them so badly,” I whispered the last part to myself. I had some restraint left in me.

“Emma, let it go. She’s right anyway. We shouldn’t have bothered with a third milkshake.” Her friend tells her. She leaves us a glare and continues to sip on her milkshake.

Ahh, the infamous Emma. B and I share a look of realization.

This must be James’ new fling.

She couldn’t even show up on time.

An hour had passed by. The dance teams had finished performing. So did the first solo dancer. It was almost James’ turn. So far, in my opinion, the first dancer was nothing compared to James.

Granted, they had the freedom to choose whatever genre of music and type of dance to perform. But that guy chose hiphop with a splash of breakdancing and he couldn’t even do a headspin properly.

Fingers crossed that James is just good enough to beat all these other contenders.

The next dancer to come onto the stage was a teenage girl in a gymnastics costume. She must be doing an acrobatic dance. She starts performing with serene music playing in the background. It was elegant and definitely mesmerizing, even some of the judges couldn’t help but leave a standing ovation.

She had managed to cross the wide stage from end to end in three minutes, beautifully executing every step.

Honestly, I was starting to feel nervous for James. It would be difficult to top that kind of performance.

“Next, we have Mr. James Tucker doing a contemporary dance for us tonight.” The host announced.

“Whoo! Go, babe! You have this in the bag!” Emma starts squealing like a little girl beside us before we even had a chance to scream our chant.

Yes, we had a chant for his performances. This wasn’t his first time. We had to have our own creative show of support for him.

He gets up on the stage clad in a tight black leotard.

“J! A! M! E! S!

You are James

and you got this!

Break a leg!”

We chanted. I know it’s not the best, but we were in middle school when we did that. It just sort of stuck.

The girls beside us look up like clams, especially Emma. She must not have known us beforehand. Now she definitely knows not to mess with us if she wants a blooming relationship with Tucker.

The lights turned dark. A spotlight lights up, focusing only on James.

Beats begin to play in the background, resembling Billie Eilish’s Lovely. James sweeps across the dancefloor, beginning to sway to the music.

His performance was bone-chilling. He nailed the facial expressions. He looked so melancholy yet so graceful at the same time.

Isn't it lovely, all alone?

Heart made of glass, my mind of stone

Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

Hello, welcome home

During this part of the music, he glances at us, in the front row. I couldn’t tell whether it was us, his friends, the principal, or his new love interest, Emma. But she squealed and blew a kiss in his way anyway.

I rolled my eyes. She was such a child. James must have noticed this because he smirked, knowingly.

“Is he looking at us?” B observes.

I smirked back at him, completely confident that he had got this in the bag.

It was a brief moment of exchange between us, before he tumbled across the floor on purpose.

“Aww, Lottie, you’re smiling,” Beatrice continued to distinguish my facial features even though we were in the dark.

The last verse plays, and his performance slowly fades into the end.

He whips out a black rose from behind him, and the crowd goes wild in silent anticipation of his next move. Completely caught off guard, he handed the rose to me.

The stage was basically steps away from the front row of chairs. I could bend over and I’d touch the stage already. He smiles his cheeky grin, nudging me to take the rose. I could feel Emma glaring at me already. It was annoying.

Without thinking twice, I took the rose in his hand, and reached over to kiss him on the cheek. The audience claps in an uproar. The judges ‘aww’ at witnessing the scene unfold. Even the principal was left with jaws ajar.

As I take my seat back, he bows in front of the audience and gracefully makes his exit.

“Well, that was unexpected,” I muttered to myself after the next contestant was called.

“What a bench,” I heard Emma mutter under her breath, but I ignored it.

I was extraordinarily happy. I couldn’t explain it with words.

Bea and Charles were still looking at me, shocked still.

“What the hell was that?” Was B’s first reaction, along with a blissful hug and shrieking glee.

“Was this a thing all along?” Charles inquisitively asks with a hand on his chin.

Behind me, I could already feel Emma’s burning gaze. I felt bad for her though. She came as James’ date. James invited him, but she was just utterly humiliated.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” B screeches in my ear, trying to whisper so as not to enrage the witch behind us anymore.

Charles, taking the signs, crouches to hear us talk as well.

“There’s nothing to tell,” I tried to hide my giddy smile. But it wasn’t helping that my mouth just wouldn’t close. “I don’t know. He must’ve mistaken me for her,” I motioned to Emma behind me. “James never told me I was participating in his performance.”

“How about a kiss? You can’t tell me you didn’t plan that beforehand,” Charles was unbelievably doubting my truthful words.

Yes, I wanted to kiss him so badly. Yes, I might have planned on doing so earlier this evening, trying to disguise it as some sort of good luck. But I did not plan for it to happen and to happen so smoothly.

The crown was taken with that little stunt.

Or was it just a ploy? Did he just use me?

As instant as the scene unfolded, and the thoughts poison my mind, a frown replaces my grin.

“I’m sure James was just forking with me. Besides, I’m sure that was just a beneficial stunt for his performance. He needs to win, guys.” I convinced them.

I can’t get my hopes up. It was nothing. He was dating someone else.