ELLIOT

Two weeks later, I sat in the classroom, finishing my last chapter of a book we were assigned to read in English literature.

However, it was kind of hard to focus when a group of girls were excitingly talking about their dresses and dates to the school dance tomorrow evening.

I hated school dances. They were stupid. The fuss about buying dresses, tuxedoes, finding dates and dancing, it was all just a waste of time. People dramatically exaggerated over one stupid night. I'd rather stay in my dorm and read a book.

I swear if Rachel dragged me to it tomorrow, I would force her to study math all day and night.

Speaking of Rachel, my feelings for her were growing day by day and to my surprise, she seemed to happier day by day. Maybe, only maybe she would take her death wish back. I really hope she would. She didn't have to return my feelings. I could live with that. What I couldn't live with was going to the funeral of the only girl I had fallen in love with.

"That was the most boring book I've ever read," Will said, plopping down on the chair next to me.

"I think it was okay. Although the ending was just trash," Madelaine admitted, sitting down on the seat on my other side.

I glanced at her with a fake smile. "Thank you so much, Mads."

"Wait you're not finished with it yet?" She asked, brows raised of astonishment. When I didn't reply, both Madelaine and Will were deeply shocked.

"The Elliot Waters who always finishes his homework on time, the Elliot Waters who scores the highest on each and every test in every subject, the Elliot Waters who is adored by every teacher in this school, isn't finished reading a book we were assigned to read like four months ago?" Will asked, trying to look dramatically shocked with a hand on his chest.

"Okay! I get it, I get it," I muttered.

"So what happened?" Madelaine asked, looking at me inquiringly.

"I was going to finish it last week, but Rachel's math exam was today so we have literally been studying math nonstop every day," I replied.

"Anyway, what's up with you two? Why are you looking at me as if you want me to do something huge that I'll never agree on doing?" I asked.

"I need you to do a favor for us," Will said.

I glanced at them both one by one. "What kind of favor?"

Madelaine smiled innocently. "Well, it includes Rachel and a tuxedo."

I didn't like where this was going.

"Rachel isn't going to the dance tomorrow. So we were thinking you could somehow make a plan to convince or manipulate her to go with you," she suggested.

"I hate dances. With or without Rachel, I'm not attending some stupid dance. And anyway, I have a book to finish," I replied, flatly.

Exasperated, Madelaine groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on, Elliot. Rachel has been waiting for this school dance ever since we were freshmen. This dance is a tradition only for seniors to gather together and have a magical night before they graduate and leave this school. I can guarantee you that deep down she really wants to go, but her depression is preventing her from going. Trust me, she's been dreaming about this dance for so long."

Dreaming, huh? It must've been really important to her then. Well, if I could manipulate her to eat properly without throwing up while she was convinced that I was taking my medication, a school dance couldn't be that hard, right?

"So you guys want me to somehow convince or manipulate her to be my date to the dance," I assumed more than I asked, folding my arms across my chest as I leaned back in my chair.

They both nodded. I pursed my lips in thought. How the hell was I supposed to do that?

All I knew was that Rachel was my wish. I wanted her and I wanted her to stay. And I could go to any extent to make her happy. To make her stay. It was going to be hard, really hard, but had anything ever been easy in my life?

Nope. Never. I was used to struggling and to work hard to fulfill my wishes,  so I was always ready to do the same for Rachel. She was my wish. I just hoped my wish wouldn't turn into an imaginary dream.

~

An hour later after Spanish class ended, students rushed out of the classroom as soon as the bell rung. Violet, who was my friendly Spanish partner, and I were the only ones left, still gathering our books and sheets.

"Elliot? Can I ask you something?"

I looked up to meet Mia's blue eyes. She was a slim, short girl who could speak Spanish fluently because of her Spanish stepmother. She had pretty features, a heart shaped creamy skinned face with chubby cheeks and wavy honey brown hair falling to her chest.

I nodded and nervousness suddenly shadowed her face. "Um, would you like to be my date for the dance tomorrow?"

What?

Oh.

Shit.

Okay. I had three options. I could either say yes and go to the dance with a really good friend of mine who may or may not have a tiny crush on me, I could say no and tell her that I already had a date (Rachel) or I could simply faint. Me being a total shithead, I went for option two.

I started the rejection with an innocent smile. "Oh, um, I would love to, but," I paused and her bright smile fell, leading a guilty feeling to brood over my chest. "I already have a date."

Rachel is going to kill me.

"Oh, um, okay," she said, quietly. The disappointment echoed in her voice.
For a small moment, an awkward silence fell between us. Suddenly, she buried her face in her hands to hide the embarrassment. "God, this so embarrassing. I should go."

She quickly grabbed her books and was about to head towards the door, but I rapidly grabbed her arm. "Mia, hey, wait."

I grabbed her shoulders and turned her around so our eyes met. She was frowning so I put on a warm smiling, attempting to cheer her up. "If I wasn't going with my date, I would definitely have said yes to you. I promise. And I'm sure someone way better than me will be your date tomorrow evening. And if not, that's their loss, because you are an amazing girl."

For a few seconds, she stood still, letting my words process properly through her mind. And then her frown turned into a soft smile. "Thanks, Elliot. That means a lot."

"And even if we aren't each other's dates, we can still hang out and have a good time together," I assured, smiling.

She nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"So I'll see you tomorrow evening?"

"Yes."

She pulled me into a short hug and we exchanged a friendly smile before she waved goodbye and left the classroom.

As soon as she was gone, I sunk down in my chair and started to slowly bang my head against the table, murmuring only one thing for the next ten minutes. "Rachel's going to kill me, Rachel's going to kill me, Rachel's going to kill me...,"

Minutes later, I found Rachel in her dorm. She was peacefully lying on her back in her bed with her eyes closed. The window next to her study desk, our so-called "escape window" was fully open, the fresh, warm breeze dancing its way inside and tugging on Rachel's hair that was spread out on her pillow.

I gently lied down next to her, causing Rachel to chuckle as her eyes fluttered open. Our heads sharing a pillow, we both glanced at each other with a small smile stitched on our faces.

"Hey. How did the exam go?" I asked.

"Good. I think I'll at least get one or two right," she replied.

For a second, I had a small heart attack, but relief wiped the panic within me in a heartbeat when she burst out laughing, her arms automatically wrapping themselves around her torso.

God, why the hell did she have to be so cute and pretty and amazing?

As I found myself lost in her hazel eyes and her beautiful laugh, I completely forgot about my plan. The plan to convince Rachel to be my date to the dance. I knew I lied to Mia and I never meant to hurt her, but I could go that extra mile for Rachel.

"I have to tell you something," I said, causing Rachel's laugh to fade.

She frowned. "Are you okay?"

Shit. Did she really have to put on that adorably concerned expression? It made it it so hard to tell her.

"The thing is, Mia, my partner in Spanish, she asked me to be her date to the dance," I said.

Surprise, Rachel shifted her body so she was propped up on her elbow to have a better look at me. "Really?! That's awesome! I can't wait to see you in a tuxedo. You have to stop by my dorm before you go."

She looked so excited just because I was asked to be someone's date to the dance? Meanwhile she was planning to just lay in bed here the whole evening tomorrow, trapped in dreadfully, depressive thoughts and the demons creating a loud war in her head.

No way. I was never letting that happen. Never. If I had to personally tie Rachel up and drag her to that dance, then so be it.

Deciding to continue, I put on a very gentle smile. "Um, yeah...but the thing is...I kind of accidentally told her that I already have a date," I murmured.

"Excuse me, you what?!" She rapidly jumped up. Her jaw dropped, eyeballs so close to falling out of her face. "Are you crazy?! Why would you say that?!"

"I don't know, okay? I just got really nervous and I panicked. So the words just slipped out of my mouth," I lied as I sat up, trying to sound as innocent as possible. However, Rachel didn't buy my innocence. She looked furious like an actual redhead snake.

"Oh, so the words "I already have a date" slipped out of your mouth instead of a simple yes?!" She was literally roaring at me like a lion.

Admittedly, it was kind of funny and cute.

"I just...I hate school dances. All the fuss with buying a tuxedo, getting dates and exaggerating over one stupid one night, all of it is so meaningless. I didn't want to go and she's a really good friend of mine. I couldn't hurt her by saying no so instead I accidentally ended up telling her that I already have a date," I explained, trying to dip my shoulders of embarrassment.

"Elliot, you are a stupid shithead!" She hit me with a pillow and I frowned like an innocent child while rubbing my arm.

"So what now?" She asked, clearly frustrated.

"Well, now I have no choice but to go to the dance, but I can't go alone. If I go alone, she'll probably think that I rejected her on purpose. I'll make a complete fool of myself before her and I can't do that. She's a really good friend and I don't want to hurt her," I replied.

"So? Where are you taking this?" She looked at me with a questioning expression.

I smiled, almost apologetically. "I need a date."

As realization broke across her face, Rachel's eyes widened once more before she rapidly shook her head in protest. "No way! That's not happening."

"Come on, Rachel. You owe me," I said, almost pleading.

"I don't owe you anything," she snapped, firmly.

"Oh yeah? So tell me, who's the reason behind all those As you've been getting lately? Come on, tell me?" I inquired, arms folded across my chest.

That stilled her, just a little bit. She groaned and looked away. "You," she muttered quietly, the immense annoyance on her face mirroring in her tone.

I smirked. "Exactly."

When she continued to hesitate, I leaned closer and clasped my
palms together before her, begging as I brought out big puppy eyes and an irresistible pout. "Please. Rachel. Pleaseeee!"

For a moment, she silently looked at me with an unreadable expression. Just when she was about to open her mouth to reply, the amused glint with her hazel eyes was enough for me to pull her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you!" I whispered as she laughed while wrapping her arms around me. I held her a little longer than I was supposed to. Burying my face in her hair, I inhaled her scent of strawberries and a hint of cinnamon. My heartbeat rapidly increased, leaving goosebumps on my skin when she pressed her face against the space between my neck and shoulder.

"Elliot, I...I have a problem," she whispered.

Oh.

She exhaled a shaky breath before saying, "I bought my dress with Maddie last year in August. The scars. Everyone will see. And I've lost so much weight."

So that's what this was about? The dress? She was scared to show the school what depression had done to the flawless body of Kingstone academy's princess?

I reluctantly drew back to face her. Rachel's expression had saddened as she stared at her trembling hands resting in her lap, the black nail polish in contrast to her creamy white skin.

"Hey, you've started eating properly so I'm sure you've gained some weight. And as for your scars, you don't need to be afraid of people seeing them. Remember, you don't need to be perfect in front of the world. You have to be real. So it's okay," I assured, smiling warmly.

Tilting her head, she blinked up at me, looking like a child. I took her hands in mine, interlacing our fingers. "And this might sound super poetic, but you're beautiful. Just the way you are."

Rachel's expression softened, her cheeks red, she almost giggled. "I think I kind of like poetic."

We shared a soft laugh and I grinned by the sight of the brightness glimmering on her face.

"So," I said, clearing my throat as I got off the bed before offering my hand to her. "Would you, Rachel Adams, do the honor of being my date to the dance?"

She almost giggled and my heart skipped a beat when her reply reached my ears. "Okay, yes. I'd love to."

I flashed her a grin while she stood up and dragged me to the door. "Come on, let's go eat dinner."

"No!" I said without thought before quickly snapping in front of her to block her way.

Confusion clouded her face. "What?"

"I mean...you can't eat in the cafeteria," I said, trying to conceal the nervousness in my voice.

"Why not?" She questioned, her brows knitted together.

Because if you eat in the cafeteria, you'll find out that your meals are different from the meals the other students eat. Your meals are specially made by the lunch lady according to the doctor's orders so you won't throw up after eating. Instead, you will properly digest the food and you'll gain weight and your body will stay healthy. I'm doing this because I really care about you, but if you find out, you'll probably never talk to me again, let alone be my date to the school dance.

"Because....because I like...feeding you," I said, slowly, but bluntly. Okay, that was kind of true.

It took a moment for those words to properly process through her mind. "You what?"

"Yes. You heard me. I like feeding you. You never eat properly unless I feed you," I replied, stubbornly.

"Are you being serious or stupid right now?" She asked in disbelief.

"Serious," I cleared my throat. Grabbing her shoulders, I spun her around and led her back to her bed.

"Wait here, I'll go get your dinner, my cute little idiot." I grinned, patting her head.

Rachel shot me a deathly glare. And that was my cue to flee. So I did, my laugh and her cursing getting mixed together as it hanged in the air.

~
RACHEL

I had never been so motivated to punch a guy. Elliot Waters, that stupid little poetic shithead. How could a guy make you happy and annoyed at the same time? Was that even possible?

All I knew was that males were oddly mysterious creatures. But I guess we all humans were.

After Elliot fed me my dinner, he went to see his mom in her dorm. Lucy and Mr Louis liked each other. That was pretty amazing. Seeing people in love was the most fascinating thing in the world. I simply loved that.

After everything she had been through, Lucy deserved someone amazing who would take good care of her. Elliot deserved an amazing dad. Not some shitty rapist who didn't have any trace of humanity within him. If he ever stepped into Lucy and Elliot's life, their happiness, I'll never let him lay a hand on them.

"I'm so excited. Tomorrow night is going to be epic!" My thoughts were interrupted by some girls and boys talking about the school dance tomorrow while heading towards the dorms.

Tomorrow was the day I had been waiting impatiently for four years now. Madelaine and I were so excited, we bought our dresses last year in August. Dresses, dates, getting drunk under the stars, we had everything planned out. However, things were different now. I was different.

I stepped out side the school and walked on the campus, the fresh breeze running through my hair. I sat down on the grass with my knees drawn up to my chest and my face tipped to the sky where the sun about to go down.

"Hey." My eyes eyes fell drift on the sky and landed on Will who stood before me with a small smile plastered on his face.

"Hey," I said, returning the smile. He sat down next to me and I suddenly didn't feel that lonely anymore. Will would always have a special effect on me. Always.

"How are you doing?"

"Good. What about you?"

His face mirrored mine. "Same here."

"So I heard you're going to dance after all?" He put on his dazzling smile.

I chuckled nodding. "Yeah. Elliot, that idiot didn't want to go to the dance and accidentally told the girl who asked him that he already had a date, which turned out to be me."

"Oh, did he?" Will smirked. "He's pretty special."

I nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, extremely special to be specific."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Oh, okay. What is it?" I questioned, suddenly feeling concern tingle within my chest.

Will blushed, shyly. "I think I have a crush on Tori."

For a few seconds, I sat still, simply staring at him. And then I burst out laughing so hard that tears dwelled up in my eyes and my stomach tickled wildly.

"Will, that's not a secret, you idiot!" I laughed, punching his arm playfully.

"Wait. You know?" He asked, completely puzzled.

"Of course! I've known you for three years now. I can read you like an open book. Way better than you can read me," I said, chuckling.

"Oh, shit. You're right," he said, running a hand through his hair, eyes widened of realization.

"Are...are you okay...with that?" He asked, gently. I could see the worry reigning on his face.

Sighing, I turned so we sat facing each other with our legs crossed. I took his hands mine and smiled softly. "Listen to me, we aren't dating anymore. So you don't have to ask for my permission to like someone. I know that you really, really regret the day you walked out on me, but I don't want our relationship to be your last relationship with someone just because of that one mistake. It would make me so incredibly happy if you got another chance in love. Especially with Vici. I love you, Will. You are an important person in my life and I want you to be happy. I want you to fall in love, be someone else's first kiss, get married, have kids and lead a beautiful life. I know we were supposed to do that together, but it doesn't matter if we don't do it together. As long as you do all of this with someone you love with all of your heart and who you'll stay happy with, then I'm happy for you. I promise."

By the time I was finished, tears started to roll down from Will's beautiful sky blue eyes. I chuckled as I wiped his tears, but it didn't take long for me to burst into tears as well. His face mirrored my emotions. He pulled me in to his embrace, my face pressed against his chest with his arms locked tightly around my back.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for breaking your heart. I'm so sorry," he sobbed, sadness echoing in his tone.

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I punched you and I'm sorry I slapped you in the hospital that day. I'm so sorry," I whispered, gently stroking his back as he did the same with me.

"I forgive you," we both said at the same time. And just like that's all we needed for the permanent guilt within us to thaw and finally be vanished for good.

We stayed like this for a long time, just enjoying each other's comfort. Will's heart beat to a tune I was so familiar with. I remember I listened to it during our first hug, after our first kiss and the first time we made love. I'd never forget this beautiful tune.

Will was the first to pull away to cup my wet cheeks in his palms. "I...I had so much to tell you on our ending date, but I just couldn't say it. You were still so heartbroken that day. Even if your words didn't say so, I could see the pain in your eyes. This guilt has been eating me up from inside."

"I'm glad you finally told me everything. That ending date was our last date together, but I think this is the actual end of us. I...I cried a lot after you left my dorm that night after our ending date. And...And this time I won't, because you just put my broken h-heart back together," I tried to sound strong, but the words still trembled.

I could literally see the guilt that had been bothering him for almost 10 months slowly vanish. It put my heart and mind to ease. I wiped his tears and he wiped mine while we both chuckled.

"You're amazing and I'll always love you too," he confessed, wholeheartedly. Pressing out a genuine smile, I nodded and he kissed my forehead.

"Ask Vici to the dance," I said as he withdrew his hands from my face.

His eyes widened. "What? No, I can't. I mean I want to, but she might say no."

I grinned. "And she might say yes."

Will hesitated a little, but eventually nodded, putting on a confident smile. "Okay. I'll ask her."

"Okay then, let's go."

His confident smile instantly dropped. "Wait. Now?"

"Yes, now!" I laughed as I climbed to my feet and dragged him with me towards the building that consisted of the dorms to all the students.

"You can climb up to her window and break in. She'll be so surprised," I suggested, excitingly.

"What? I mean, are you sure?" He asked, slightly anxious.

I turned around and smiled. Will bit his bottom lip while nervously fidgeting with his fingers. I had never seen him so nervous to talk to a girl before. He really did like her and I knew there was nobody else in this world who could take better care of Vici than Will after I would be gone in less than two months.

"Yes. I'm super sure. Come, climb up this tree," I nodded at the tall tree by Vici's window.

Inhaling a deep breath, he nodded and started to climb.

I smiled. "Good luck! I'm sure she'll say yes!" I yelled as he climbed higher up the tree.

Smiling happily, I turned around to head towards the school entrance, but was only able to take a few steps before Will's voice stopped me. "Rachel!"

I spun on my heel and tipped my head up to the tree where Will had reached Vici's window. He put on a wide grin. "Even though we are not each other's dates tomorrow, I'm still having one dance with you!"

Grinning, I nodded in agreement. Maybe yesterday wouldn't be so bad. Madelaine and Skylar were going together. Vici and Will were going together. Elliot and I were going together. All of us were going together and just their presence was all that qualified for a perfectly magical evening. 

*********

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