Chapter 17

       All the seniors in the high school had to go to the gymnasium for some type of senior event. Every year, the seniors have a lot of different events going on; games, field trips, movies, etc.... They've been doing it for years, I think even when Orchid's parents went to the school.

       Most of the time, they just did the same events every year so when we were waiting in the gym, I had an idea what the event was.

       "I swear, if this is what I think it is, they better not call me up," I said to Orchid. "I hate being in front of people."

       "Really?" Orchid asked. "You seem to do a lot of things that make you the center of attention."

       "True, but it's usually only to defend someone," I said. "Never for the intention of being the center of attention."

       "Yeah, I guess that's true," Orchid said. "So, what do you think the event is?"

       I was about to answer, but that was when the actual event started. The student council president was in the front of the gym, holding a microphone and asked for everyone's attention. A few other members of the student council was standing beside here.

       "Welcome, everyone, to the first senior event," she said. "So, this one is a really popular one and is requested almost every year, and since we have a lot of couples here, we decided that the couple's contest is going to be the first one."

       I sighed as a lot of people cheered. Why did people think couple's needed to compete against each other?

       I swear, if Orchid and I was chosen, I was going to drop out of school.

       Or brag to my dad about it so he could see that Orchid and I are such a good couple, that they chose us to compete in the contest.

       "Now, we don't have the couples chosen yet," she said. "But I am going to have my council members go around and each choose someone so there will be four couples."

       "Hey, I have this sudden urge to go to the washroom," I said to Orchid in a quiet whisper. "And I probably won't be back until they choose all the couples."

       Orchid rolled her eyes and I was about to get up to hide in the washroom, but when of the student council members walked over and chose me and Orchid. I sighed, but Orchid just grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Come on, it can't be that bad," Orchid said.

       I just scowled as she pulled me to the front of the gym where I saw four tables set up. I really didn't want to be part of this.

       Orchid and I sat at one of the tables and two more couples were chosen. It took a while for the third one to be chosen, mainly because one of the members was talking to Mrs. Goth before choosing the fourth.

       Nolan and Jerome.

       "What?" Orchid asked. "No, that's not fair. Jerome doesn't even go to this school."

       "Yes, but he is staying in here, so I think it's fair," Mrs. Goth said. "Besides, it's great to have a diversity of couples instead of just straight couples. This is the twenty-first century."

       "But they've done a couple challenge before and they've been dating for almost three years," Orchid said. "I don't want to compete against them."

       "We can take you two out of the competition," Mrs. Goth said.

       "Yes, please," I said.

       "On second thought, both pairs will stay," Mrs. Goth said.

       Great.

       Mrs. Goth hated me, it was official.

       While the student council president was explaining the rules, I leaned over to Orchid. "You don know we already lost, right?" I asked. "We've been dating for how long? Three weeks?"

       "Of course we lost with Nolan and his stupid boyfriend playing," Orchid said. "They do these all the time and never get a question wrong."

       I didn't really care, though. I didn't want to do this in the first place.

       "First question is for the boyfriends," the student council president said, so I grabbed the small whiteboard sitting on the table.

       "Uh, yeah, which boyfriend?" Jerome asked.

       "Ah, right," she said. "Let's say the older one out of you two." Jerome grabbed the whiteboard. "Alright, the first question is to name two of your girlfriend or boyfriend's family member's birthdays. So either their parents or their siblings, and say their name too."

       Ha, easy.

       I wrote Alan and Nolan's names, then beside each of their names I wrote December 26th.

       Yeah, I didn't know anyone else's. Too much to remember.

       When the time was up, the student council president started at the table on the far right to see if they got it right. The two couples before me and Orchid got it right before coming here.

       "So, Atticus, what did you say?" she asked.

       I turned the whiteboard around. "Alan and Nolan, both December 26th."

       I was so lucky Orchid was a triplet because I didn't know any other birthdays in her family.

       Orchid was right when she said Nolan and Jerome weren't going to get any wrong. All the other couples got at least two wrong. Jerome and Nolan? None.

       I swear, they were cheating.

       Well, not really, because they have been dating for almost three years, but still.

       The competition ended with Orchid and I in last place, but we didn't care. In fact, we laughed about it because whenever we didn't know an answer, we just wrote something random. Like, she got asked what my favourite movie was, so she said, "Any Barbie movie."

       "In last place, we have Atticus and Orchid," the student council president said. "With eight out of fifteen points."

       "Ouch," I said. 

       See? This is what happens when you date your dad's mortal enemy's daughter. We were rarely allowed to spend time together.

       The other couples gout eleven and twelve points.

       "And in first place we have Nolan and Jerome," the student council president said and a lot, and I do mean a lot, of people cheered and applauded. Glad most of the grade weren't homophobic pricks like someone. Cough, Felix, cough.

       While they were cheering and applauding, Orchid leaned over. "So, how's Wilder doing?" she asked.

       "Better," I said. "He's leaving the hospital tomorrow. Oh, and he's getting discharged when both his parents are at work, so I won't be at school tomorrow."

       "Oh, okay," Orchid said. "I'm glad he's leaving the hospital tomorrow. I was really worried about him when that incident happened."

       "Yeah, me too," I said in a soft voice. I had no idea what I would have done if Wilder got really hurt from that.

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Popson throwback. <3 Especially because Poppy was in a wheelchair when she and Grayson did this competition, and now Nolan is in a wheelchair when Jerlan is doing it. PARALLELISM.

I'm missing my Wilder cinnamon roll now. <3 At least he'll be in the next chapter. :D