The Romance In Our Rivalry

4 | Get The Girl

Nova

Being around Nick was undoubtedly rewarding because I became popular within a week. People think me and Nick are together, and I would clear it up, but Maddie advised me not to. She said that being with Nick would be a great help to my senior year.

I told Maddie about my life, but I didn't get into my plan for this year. She knows my dad left and that I had a pretty traumatic childhood, but she doesn't know that I wanna be the friendlier version of Regina George, or that I hope to win prom queen.

"So," Maddie said, as she and I sat in the library, waiting for Nick and Matt to meet us. Matt was another popular boy and was also on the football team. Matt was Maddie's boyfriend, and they had been together since eighth grade. They're practically endgame at this point.

"So?" I asked, waiting for Maddie to finish whatever she was trying to say. She had a habit of saying one word to bring up a topic, then pausing until somebody addressed that she paused. It was funny, and one of these days I'm intentionally going to stay quiet when she does that, just to see how long she does it for. Maddie bobbed her head around as if she was a little nervous to say what she wanted to say.

"When are you and Nick gonna start going out?" she finally asked, causing me to blush. I chuckled, which sounded more like a quick second of heavy breathing, and shrugged.

"Nick hasn't asked me out yet," I said, not even thinking about what I was gonna respond with.

Nick was attractive, but I'd never had a sincere boyfriend before. Boys have liked me, yes, but they'd typically get bored of me, or cheat on me after I've made it clear that I'm not interested in sex at the moment. I feared that Nick may be the same way, although he has yet to talk about sex, intimacy, or any feelings of that nature.

It was weird, because Nick's friends made it obvious that Nick liked me, but Nick himself never said "Nova, I like you" or anything close to that. Still, everybody brings up Nick when speaking to me.

"How come I haven't seen you and Nick kiss?"
"Where is Nick? I didn't see him in class today!"

"So if Nick asks you out, you'll say yes?" Maddie asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah," I answered shyly, still a little unsure of what I truly wanted. "I honestly don't see why I wouldn't." Maddie couldn't possibly grin any wider.

Aubrey

"If you're intending on running for prom queen, you need to start getting your campaign shit together like now" Leigh, one of the original popular girls here, advised me. I say original because there are two newcomers in this group: me and Sophie. Sophie allegedly used to be fat but lost a ton of weight this past summer, and got hot. Now she's like, top tier.

"Yeah," Brynn added. "Prom is something you have to plan. Dedicate yourself. But to do that, you'll need the man. So, find someone. Now."

If this had been a week ago, I'd pick Makai without a doubt, but some things have changed. A kid named Jason, who I believe is friends with Nick, approached me sometime last week. I wanna say it was the third day of school or so. Jason was more attractive and seemed to have a higher status than Makai did. On top of that, if Jason and Nick are friends like I think they are, then I'll be able to keep tabs on Nova through Jason.

"Maybe we can recruit other popular, or almost popular, girls to help you and your campaign. They can shout you out and in return, be allowed in our friend group" May suggested, and I'm certain that I had a look of uncertainty on my face.

"Anyone in mind?" I asked, curious. May nodded.

"There's that new girl, Nova?" May replied, and I scrunched my face up fast.

"Hell no," I spat, "she's a try-hard. She wouldn't even be popular if Nick wasn't so far up her ass. She doesn't deserve that type of recognition."

Everybody looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was, but I didn't care. I felt at this point that Nova was sort of a rival to me, even though she didn't announce that she was running for anything.

"I've seen you eyeing Nova, but I didn't know it was serious. Did something happen between you two?" Brynn asked as Leigh, May, and Sophie looked on.

I shook my head, "nothing happened" I calmed down, "I just don't like her vibe. You know?"

***

Nick

"Don't you think it's a little too early to ask her out?" I asked Matt and Maddie, as I readjusted the driver seat of my car. Nova knows I have a car, she found that out after she had given me her number, but she won't let me give her rides unless we're going somewhere as a group. Maybe she thinks I'm trying to kidnap her or something.

"No," Maddie said, and Matt agreed with her.

"It's never too early" Matt added. "You two can always start dating and then catch up later."

"I guess" I replied, "but what's the rush? If that's the case then why can't I get to know her first?" Both Matt and Maddie seemed to not know what to say for a moment, until Maddie spoke.

"Well if you're planning on running for prom king, you need a partner" Maddie began. "And you don't know who else may be intending on running. If you get a girl right now, and everybody sees that, then you'll have more credibility come time for prom than if you wait until then to get a girl. If you wait, it'll look like you just got with Nova for prom's sake."

"That's true" I replied, "but people already think she and I are dating. So what would be the difference?"

"Well," Maddie began, then paused. I hated when she did this shit.

"Continue," I said sternly.

"You and Nova don't exactly seem like a couple. People will only believe you're together for so long before they wonder why you two haven't kissed or held hands" Maddie finished, and Matt agreed, as he was nodding rather ferociously.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at me from the back seat. "You two don't act like a high school couple, you're just together a lot!" I groaned.

"What if she rejects me, or we start dating, and she still doesn't wanna kiss me or anything like that?"

"The kissing one, I'm not too sure of," Maddie said, "but I am sure that she likes you. We talked about you earlier." I tried to hide my sprouting smile, but I couldn't contain myself.

"Okay," I gave in, "I'll ask her out tomorrow then. How should I do it? Should I just straight up ask?"

"Woah there cousin" Maddie replied, stopping me. "You can't just 'ask her out', it has to be sentimental. If you do some big cute thing, it'll make you guys a standout. People will think of you two first when they think of the top ten couples at Norwood." I completely forget that Maddie and I are related sometimes, and I haven't even told Nova that yet.

"What can I do?" I asked, "I'm bad at ideas." Matt looked like he was thinking, but didn't speak, so I did. "Matt?" I asked, "Do you have anything in mind?" Matt barely tilted his head from left to right, almost as if he was saying "so and so" or "kinda."

"I was thinking that maybe the football team could put something together," Matt said. "I mean, since the season is just weeks away, why not?"

"Good idea," Maddie said, "but don't worry about that Nick. Matt and I will figure something out tonight, and we'll tell you what you need to do tomorrow morning. We'll get any supplies if needed."

I smiled, "I appreciate you two."

Nova

I had lied to Nick, telling him that I was already home when in reality, I left last period a little early so that I wouldn't get caught walking home. I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't want Nick to see where I lived. I lived in this run-down complex with a park for children and another for dogs. It didn't look too bad but it screamed "poor," and I'm pretty sure Nick wasn't that. I just didn't wanna look significantly inferior to him, or ruin the possibility of him and I all because of my social status.