RED
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- Two day later -
Thursday
It was October 30th, which meant that tomorrow was Halloween. The anticipation of the holiday was palpable, with decorations lining the halls of the school and the excitement of Crystal's Halloween party hung in the air. However, I found myself feeling indifferent to the buzz around me. To be honest, I never really understood the fun of this holiday. The allure of dressing up in costumes and the thrill of trick-or-treating never spoke to me.
It was lunchtime, and I entered the bustling cafeteria, scanning the sea of students for any sign of the twins. After a moment of searching, I finally spotted them sitting at a table in the back. I made my way through the crowd, weaving past groups of chattering friends.
As I approached, Ariana greeted me with a warm smile, her eyes lighting up as I sat down next to her. Evan, however, seemed entirely engrossed in something else, so much so that I thought he didn't even notice my arrival. His gaze was fixed intently on the far side of the room.
I leaned closer to Ariana, curiosity piqued. "What's with him?" I asked in a low voice.
Ariana's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "He's been staring at Jenna all day. He's trying to work up the courage to ask her to be his date to Crystal's Halloween party." She explained, amusement evident in her tone.
"Oh, about the party—" I began, only to be cut off by Ariana assertive tone.
"You're going." She declared, leaving no room for argument.
"Fine, but I'm not dressing up." I conceded, rolling my eyes.
"Okay, I'm going for it." Evan suddenly announced, pushing back his chair and rising to his feet.
Ariana chuckled, shaking her head. "Last time you said that, you asked her if she had some gum. Seriously, what is it with you two being dorks around your crushes?"
"I'm not a dork." I protested, feeling a bit defensive.
Ariana raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on her face. "I've seen you walk into a pole because you were too busy looking at Chloe."
Ariana's laughter filled the air, and I shot her a glare. "That was one time." I mumbled under my breath.
"Still, that one time, it was pretty funny." She teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore Ariana's laughter. "Don't worry, Evan, I'm sure Jenna is going to say yes."
Evan flashed a grateful smile and made his way over to Jenna's table, where she was sitting with Natalia and Chloe. My heart sank as I noticed Chloe sitting next to Piper, the two of them engrossed in conversation and laughing together. The sight of Chloe's radiant smile directed at Piper sent a sharp sting through my chest.
"They seem...close." Ariana observed, her gaze following mine.
"Yeah..." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
I hadn't spoken to Chloe much since our conversation in the hallway. It wasn't as if she was purposely avoiding me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was still upset with me.
"I'm sure they're just friends." Ariana reassured me, but her words did little to ease the ache in my chest. The more I watched them, the more I felt like I had blown my chances with Chloe.
