AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 34
Matt
I spend half the day back at the hotel, helping to get the finishing touches set up. After we finish everything, I head back home and lounge around. Carter calls and says they’re going to meet up at his house, the limo picking us up from there. While I’m happy to hang out with them, I know Jen is going with Franco. That means I’ll be the fifth wheel, which stings. Mostly because I screwed up so bad with Izzy and it didn’t have to be this way. But now I have to bite the bullet and just deal with it.
I take one last look at the Spike costume before I leave the house. It’s no use. Even if I changed into it now and showed up, she was already going with Oscar. So, what’s the point?
I pull up to Carter’s house just as the limo pulls up. Carter’s mom is outside taking pictures, while Franco stands off to the side with Carter, and the girls whispering back and forth, giggling.
“Yo!” Carter calls over to me.
“Hey.”
“Rent or buy?” Franco asks.
“I own one. It’s the same one I wore for a New Year’s Eve party my dad held last year,” I say, straightening out my tie.
“Cool.” He nods as he points at his. “Rental.”
Carter eyes me carefully. “You good?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry.”
“About what?”
He looks around, as Franco walks over to the girls, speaking a little lower. “Just about all this crap with Izzy and—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Yeah, sure.” He slaps my shoulder. Looking back over to everyone else, he points to the limo. “All right, let’s do this thing.”
“Just a couple more pictures,” Carter’s mom calls out.
“Mom.”
“Carter, Matt just got here. I need at least one with him in them.”
“Fine, fine.” He looks at me. “Better turn that frown upside down.”
“Shut it.” I walk over with the rest of them. His mom takes a few more picture with all of us together before Carter finally breaks away, urging us toward the car.
Inside the limo, I try to put everything else in the back of my mind and just have fun. I listen, nod, and joke around. But every time Carter whispers something to Emma, making her laugh, I grind my teeth. Jen and Franco aren’t together, but she likes him, and from the looks of it, he likes her. Their playful affections for each other make me look out the window. Not only am I cursing myself for not being in those same positions with Izzy tonight, but I fight against the thought of her being like that with Oscar. I have no reason to think she actually likes him, but just the fact that they’re going together is enough to make every muscle in my body tense.
It doesn’t get any better as we get to the restaurant. It’s a fancy sushi place, which I should enjoy because I love sushi. But when I’m not remembering to respond to something, or making sure I laugh at someone’s comment, I just stare out the window of the restaurant. It doesn’t help that another couple from school decided on the same place and are actually feeding each other. The couple cuteness is starting to make me gag.
After the restaurant, we hop back in the limo and make our way to the dance. We arrive thirty minutes after it starts, so there are a few people, but it’s still slow. A photographer is set up, taking pictures.
“Hey.” Carter nudges me. “We’re going to take some pics.”
“Cool.” I motion to the dance area, where a few tables are set up. “I’m headed inside. Mr. Garrison and a few other teachers are running things and counting votes, but we’re supposed to check in.”
We’re not. But I have to get away from the couples and breathe.
“Cool, we’ll be in in a bit.”
I bump his fist and walk towards the tables.
