Page 114 of This is Me

Peer Of The Year

“This sucks,” Andy mumbled, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. His eyes locked onto Cooper’s full body mirror, scraping up and down his figure.

Saturday night was on us, and the school ball was closing in. Andy, Blaire, and I had all converged to Cooper’s mum’s house to get ready. Well, to help Cooper get ready, which was over quicker than I’d thought.

“Why? Because you don’t have a date?” Blaire teased, leaning up against Cooper’s bedroom door.

“I do have a date, thank you very much,” Andy shot back, glaring at her in the reflection.

“No, he’s bummed out because Leroy’s banned from the ball,” Cooper mocked, bouncing slightly on his bed with his legs crossed.

My heart stuttered at the sound of Leroy’s name as I swayed next to Cooper as he bounced. I hadn’t told anyone about what had happened the previous night, nor had I spoken to Leroy since. With the way Andy and Blaire had been looking at me though, I had a feeling Leroy may have told them. They weren’t cold looks, and I could sense there was understanding in them. Although Andy looked as though he was trying not to say something about what had happened. Hopefully, he could control himself.

I felt terrible about what had happened and for walking away, and I really didn’t need Andy saying anything about it. I would make it up to Leroy. I would talk to him and help him. For now, though, I needed some space. I hoped the school ball would give me that. After all, the plan was to meet up with Leroy afterward at The Coffee House. I would have to face what I had left behind.

“Wha—have we officially met?” Andy asked, turning around to look at Cooper.

“You nodded at me when you walked into my house, so, I think so?” Cooper snickered, and Andy shook his head, turning back to the mirror.

“Well, anyway, it just sucks he isn’t going to be there. Right, Pete?” Andy asked, training his eyes on mine in the mirror, and my stomach twisted.

“Yeah, it does,” I replied with a strained smile.

It wasn’t a lie. It would suck without Leroy there, but between the awkwardness and fresh wounds—well, fresher wounds—that were now between us, it was for the best he wasn’t. I couldn’t tell Andy that, though. However, something told me he already knew.

“Mhm,” he hummed, fixing his eyes back onto his collar. “This fuck won’t stay down.”

“Why wear that shirt then?” Blaire asked, and Andy scoffed.

“Because it’s the only one that goes with the rest of the outfit!”

“Black jeans and white shoes?” Cooper questioned with his eyebrows raised.

“The pants are a dark navy, Jesus Christ, whatever. Can we go?” Andy spun around to face the rest of the room. His shirt collar still sitting at an odd angle.

“No, Andy. We don’t want to leave until you’re ready,” I said with a smile, causing him to roll his eyes.

“I am ready!” Andy huffed, attempting one last time to fix his collar but failing.

“This is getting sad now. Let’s just go before he has an aneurysm,” Blaire muttered, gesturing for everyone to follow her out of the room.

“This is my house, shouldn’t I be leading?” Cooper asked in a low whisper as we both slipped off the bed and followed Andy and Blaire out of the room.

“Blaire has a habit of owning any space she occupies,” I whispered back. “She’s like a straight, white male.”

“What? Not being able to get their shit together, so taking everyone else’s?” Cooper raised his eyebrows, and I shrugged.

“Pretty much. She just does it with less invasiveness and murder.”

“And she’s none of those things you just listed.”

“So empowering,” I whispered with fake awe, and Cooper chuckled, before Blaire’s voice rippled through the hall.

“Come on, guys! Andy has made us late already!”

“I did not!” I heard Andy mutter as Cooper, and I got closer to them.

“Be safe, everyone,” Cooper’s mum said, walking into the small hall we were in and opening the front door.