Page 68 of It's in the Contract
Just then, a spotlight turns on over the upper deck and Noah steps forward, microphone in hand. “Can I get everyone’s attention please?” He looks devastatingly gorgeous, and myheart drops for just a second. He’s wearing a navy blue suit, tight across his biceps and chest.
And I realize something. I used to think that Noah was like a chocolate chip cookie—rich and warm.
But he’s a twinkie. Golden and gorgeous, but so sickly sweet that you can’t help but realize that it’s fake.
“Brielle, babelicious, would you join me?” Noah extends a hand.
The DJ turns off the music, and the students go silent. The group in the middle that was dancing before stares at the couple, enraptured. Brielle leaves the dance floor and ascends the steps to her boyfriend. She looks radiant in a sparkling peach dress and blown out blonde hair.
Noah gets down on one knee, and the students around me sigh. This is bad. Fireworks light up the sky in green and white, our school colors. People gasp and clap.
I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Suzy with a worried expression.
Brielle looks up to the sky, her expression glowing, and then back to her boyfriend.
“Brielle Williams, I adore everything about you. Will you go to Homecoming with me?” Noah asks.
Suzy mimes gagging, and my stomach flips.
“Don’t do that right now,” I say. “I might actually throw up.”
“This is ridiculous,” Suzy says. “It’s not like they’re getting married.”
Emma is oblivious to everything, or maybe she just doesn’t care about drama like who dumped who and who’s going to Homecoming with who, because she stands at the back, rubbing Taylor’s back and handing him a cup of water.
Brielle takes Noah’s hand and squeals. “Yes!” He stands, and they kiss. Cameras flash. The group of entranced party-goers sigh and cheer.
“Sheesh,” Suzy mutters. “You’d think they were the center of the universe.”
“They act like they are.” I pull out my phone. My fingers hover over the quick link I have saved to take me to the voting website.
I shouldn’t do it. I shouldn’t look. Not right now. Not when Brielle’s had such a clear victory . . .
But I can’t stop myself. I tap on the link.
Brielle is ahead of me.
The party and the Homecoming proposal. Just those two things and that’s all it took for her to go back to demolishing me.
Brielle is up to nearly four hundred votes, and I’ve lost some of mine. I’m down to three hundred and twenty.
I tuck my phone into my purse, my heart sinking. “I don’t know if this is working, Suze.”
“GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!”
I whip my head around at the cry. It’s Shannon in her purple heels and Taylor, both fallen to the deck. Shannon is screaming and pushing Taylor off of her.
“He just tripped!” Emma shrieks. She and Tina—who must’ve finally emerged from the bathroom—try to help Taylor up and only get in each other’s way.
“He attacked me!” Shannon shouts as she gets to her feet and dusts off her dress.
Just then, I spot Nick stepping from the gangway onto the deck, soaking wet and furious.
“Okay, we’re leaving,” Emma says.
“Right behind you,” I say.
Twenty-Five
