Chapter Nine

There's no point in looking at the clock, that sits beside my bed, I already know what the time is. Just like every school day, at the same time, there goes the knock at my door. I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulder, as I open the door, to see Hayes standing there wearing the same emotionless expression he gives me every time he's around me.

Questions threat to shoot out my mouth but I know it would lead to dead silence. A group of girls watches us as we pass by them. I say us but it's really Hayes. They stare at him with love stuck eyes.

Even though we aren't together, anger burns through me. Hayes is mine. I wish I can tell them to stop looking. I wish there was no law that forbids me from being with him.

But none of that matters because Hayes still denies he doesn't love me and at times, I truly believe he doesn't.

Sophie joins us and immediately begins talking to Hayes about random things that don't interests me.

I walk a head of them and catch up to Lily and Reid. Lily gives me a smile and I return it.

"So" I start. " anything I should know about?"

She quickly looks at Reid and gives me a can you be quiet face. I just smile.

"No but I'll let you know if something happens" She tells me.

"What's going to happen?" Reid asks.

"Nothing you should be worried about" Lily assures him.

"Not yet, anyway" I add under my breath.

Reid gives me a confuse face and I shake my head.

"Don't worry about it" I say.

When we reached Arysn High, Laura, Daniella, and Lucas are waiting for us in the front.

"I'm just saying, Dani" Lucas is saying. "She doesn't have a chance."

Daniella rolls her eyes. "Yeah she kinda does. There's gonna be competition but still, she'll go for it."

I frown. "What are y'all talking about?"

"The Halloween Bash" Laura fills us in.

"Why are you talking about Halloween for?" Lily asks. "It's barely the second week of school."

"Yeah we know." Lucas says. "But for the Halloween Bash, you have to prepare for it weeks before it."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because the students nominates who they want to perform for the bash, this week and whoever wins, has to spend weeks preparing for it." Sophie says.

"Why is it like that?" Lily questions.

"If you see how many people would want to perform at the bash, you'll see why we have to vote." Lucas tells us. "It's not just the singer either. You have dancer,and musician too."

"And the party can only last for so long before they have to cancel it." Daniella adds.

"So anyone can be nominated?" I ask as we walk inside.

"Yeah we can nominate three from each group." Laura informs me. "And then you audition in front of the whole school and then we vote."

"Ava's been the annually perform for the past three years but this year, I don't think she'll be it." Lucas says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because there's someone better than her." He tells me.

All eyes lands on me and I slowly shake my head.

"No way." I say. "I'm not doing it."

"Why not, Millie?" Sophie asks. "It'll be fun to see what you can do."

"I don't want any drama with her." I tell them.

"You already have drama with her" Lily points out.

"Exactly my point." I say.

"Well you kinda don't have a choice." Daniella says. "If you get nominated, you have to audition."

"She's right, Millie" Lucas agrees. "It's the rules."

"Then don't nominate me." I tell them.

"No promises" Sophie says as the bell rings.

Lucas throws his arm over my shoulders. "Be ready to get nominated."

I roll my eyes as we walk into our English class. Mrs. Garner is writing our essay prompt on the broad as the rest of the class walks into the room.

"I know you hate to write" Mrs. Garner say as the tardy bell rings. "but you're going to have to get use to it. Writing is something you'll use a lot in the world. Especially if you want to become a journalist or a song writer." She tells us. "Writing can be as easy as emailing an important letter to your boss. You don't want to sound uneducated, now would you?"

When no one said anything, she continues.

"Since it was the first week of school, I decided not to assign you an essay but the first week is over with and I want to see where you are in writing."

She points to the white board behind her. "Your writing prompt is a quote from Romeo and Juliet. It's an old story about star crossed lovers which ends tragically but it's still a beautiful story written by William Shakespeare." She informs us.

"Your essay is on Act ll Scene Vl: These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph dies, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume."

I heard about Romeo and Juliet but I never fully understood it. I know I should've paid attention to my Junior English teacher when he went over the basic of old English.

"You're going to write what you think this quote means and then we'll go over it." She tells us. "These kind of quotes you don't want to over think it. If you over think it, you'll miss the big picture. Take it step by step, line by line, word by word."

She scans the room. "And no you may not look up the meaning on the Internet." She warns us. "I will know if you do so. This assignment is based on what you know not what the Internet knows."

Some of the students groans when Mrs. Garner ruins their plan. She talks about the essay a longer before she talks about the upcoming events and how she needs volunteers to help decorated.

The bell rings and we pile out the room as she reminds us once again our essay is due next week.

"Do you know what the quote means?" I ask Lily and Lucas.

Lily shakes her head. "Nope. I'm just gonna wing it and hope for the best."

"Same here" Lucas agrees.

Through out the morning, I hear nothing except the Halloween Bash and who's going to be nominated. I got sick of hearing it when lunch comes.

"You're sick are hearing about the bash, too" Lily says as she sits down with her food.

I look at her. "You already know." I tell her. "It's not even here yet and I already wish it was over with."

"I know the feeling." Daniella agrees. "But at least you didn't have to put up with for the past three years. Ava made it a living hell."

"That's one reason why we want someone else to perform at the bash" Laura says.

"Then why didn't you vote for someone else?" I ask.

"Believe me, we did" Lucas says. "But some how Ava managed to still end up on the stage."

"That's weird." Lily says.

"Yeah it is but you know what? Tomorrow we get nominate" Daniella says, smiling.

I roll my eyes. Tomorrow is going be a lot worse than today. Maybe I won't go to school.

Laura nudges me. "Millie if you nominated, which you are by the way, then show Ava what you can do. Don't hold back."

They really care about this bash. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do but I'm not going to embarrass myself just because Ava wants to be the performer again.

The day carries on and I walk into my last class.

Sophie sits beside me and we talk about the bash and I'm grateful when Mr. Dean walks onto the stage.

"Okay last week, we talked about your next assignment. It's a creativity one and also for a grade. I'm going to get you two weeks to work on because of homework and the audition is on Friday." He tells us. "But that doesn't mean to slack off because you get an extra week. Today we'll find out who your partner is and after that we need to come up with something for next month."

"I hope he pairs me up with you this time" Sophie says. "He knows I want to be your partner."

I smile. "Hopefully. Do you still want me to help you with your singing?"

"Yes. I actually have a song I want to work on."

I nod my head. "Okay. We'll work on it today before we go to dinner."

Mr. Dean begins calling out names and I didn't get Sophie but I did get Lucas. I look at him. We're going to have so much fun.

After Mr. Dean calls out the last partner, we talk about what we can do next month.

I raise my hand. "At my old school we use to do an event for cancer but specifically breast cancer." I say. "And since October is breast cancer awareness, I was thinking we could put on a performance for all the breast cancer victims."

Mr. Dean nods his head. "That's a wonderful idea, Millie but we're here because we want you guys to be safe."

"I know but we can bring guardians with us. It'll be amazing. You should see the look on their faces when we perform for them."

"That's actually is an amazing idea." Sophie says. "We could have the dancers and the musicians perform too."

"I see" Mr. Dean says. "I'll run it through with Mrs. Kovok and she'll have to talk to Abe about it."

"I can talk to Abe" I say. "He is my father after all."

"You can bring it up to him but he'll still have to run it by Mrs. Kovok."

Once the bell rings, Lucas starts talking about what we could do for our assignment. Ava bumps into me. Hayes is about to step in but I motion for him to stop. I want to hear what she has to say.

"Just so we're clear, there's no way in hell you're going to take my spot for the bash."

"I don't really care about the bash but since it means so much to you, I think I'll go ahead and take it."

She glares at me before walking away with her posse. Lucas looks at me.

"Still hope you don't get nominated?"