Page 96 of I Blame the Rival

I frown, staring at the paper in front of me. The dismantled parts had me confused but now I’m starting to see the connection. Erasing the curved surface of the so-called orange peels, I pull the corners up and connect the two halves to make a pair of smiling lips.

“That’s it! Now, draw a speech bubble and I’ll add the final part.”

Dutifully, I hand over my sketchbook and watch Lacey scribble a sentence down. By the time she passes it back, there’s a satisfied gleam in her eyes.

“Now you have a reminder too.”

I look down and read her handwriting.

I’m something special.

My heart starts to pound as I stare at the familiar slant of her calligraphy, the familiar sound of her words.

“You got me to draw myself.”

I stare at the mismatched circles that are supposed to be my eyes. Lacey’s description made them seem like two sides of the same coin, the opposition of each one bringing out the beauty in the other. The sharp circle is supposed to be the edges of myface, the hard lines of my cheekbones cutting through the page where a couple of orange slices smile back at me.

I look happy. I lookloved.

“Now you can see how I see you.” She nudges me gently, “A beautiful combination of pieces that make up the boy I love.”

A swell of emotions rush to the surface as my heart cracks right open. Blinking hard against the surge of tears, I can only stare as the image in front of me melts into an indistinguishable web of lines and pencil marks.

“I-I’m something special.”

Lacey reaches over and takes my hand. She squeezes my fingers with the same amount of love as the picture she got me to draw.

“That’s right, Skylar. And this time don’t forget it.”

Chapter 20

Lacey

NICO: If you don’t get your cute butt over here, I’m letting Wes pick the movie.

NICO: Which will mean another HSM marathon.

NICO: Don’t make me do it. There’s only so much Troy Bolton a man can handle.

I snort a laugh and quickly type a response. The weekly movie nights have been a nice addition to my weekly routine, although I do wish they didn’t fall on the same night as Skylar’s night shifts. Trip has started to join our movie nights as well which means Nico and I get to be the third and fourth wheel all night long.

Grabbing my residence access card from my desk, I snag an extra blanket and head out. My roommate’s bedroom door is open, the steady tap of her keyboard filling the otherwise silent dormitory.

I hesitate before walking past her room. Cecelia hasn’t been going out as much lately, and if the endless stream of profanity is anything to go by, I’d say midterm season is hitting her pretty hard. It hasn’t stopped the sex marathons she manages to squeeze into her schedule, but it does make me wonder whether her mental health is doing okay.

Of all people, I tend to be a little more cautious when it comes to keeping a healthy school-life balance. It helps me appreciate the time and effort that goes into assignments and classes, but it also ensures the stress level won’t bleed over into other aspects of my life as well.

Taking a courageous breath, I knock softly against her door. Muttered curses flow through the crack above the doorframe, the angry undertone making me nervous before she opens the door.

“What?”

Cecelia glares at me, her usual spunky hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her black tank top is stained and caught on the waistband of her grey sweatpants, officially confirming my theory.

As soon as exams hit, even the most fashion-oriented students succumb to the anxiety of midterm season. Freshmen and seniors alike have to re-organize their schedules and priorities to make sure a passing grade is reached.

Basically, we all look like shit from the moment exams start until the end of the semester.

“I was wondering if you would like to join a movie night with me and some friends?” I clear my throat, trying not to sound nervous, “There’s no pressure, of course. Just thought I would offer in case you needed a break from studying.”

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