Anonymously Yours

Chapter 9

The first day of Homecoming Week was a complete clown fest. The theme was clowns. It felt like stepping into a real-life nightmare.

As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and discomfort. While the students didn't go all out with head-to-toe clown costumes, they did incorporate clown elements over their school uniforms.

Multicolored wigs, red noses, and oversized shoes were scattered throughout the crowd.

I, on the other hand, opted for a more minimalist approach. Dressing up wasn't my thing, so I simply wrote "clown" on a piece of paper and stuck it to my chest. It was my way of participating without fully committing to it.

Kai, however, barely noticed my half-hearted attempt at team spirit. His excitement for the day was palpable.

Kai didn't exactly dress up either, but he asked me to put clown makeup on his face, insisting on a look similar to the Joker. He and Zara were aiming for the Joker and Harley Quinn duo.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. It's cute if you ignore the toxicity of the relationship those two make-believe characters had, I thought, shaking my head.

As I gathered my books for homeroom, Stephanie and Zara chatted nearby. Stephanie's hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the stack of notebooks she was carrying, her anxiety evident.

"You excited for your recital today?" Zara asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. Stephanie responded with a nervous smile, "Yeah, I'm always excited for a recital. Hopefully, this is the one that gets me spotted by ballet studios."

I shut my locker with a soft click and joined the conversation. "They'd be crazy not to take you," I said, trying to inject some confidence into her.

Zara nodded in agreement. "Definitely," she added, her tone reassuring.

A small vibration in my blazer pocket distracted me. I pulled out my phone, sighing in disappointment at the app notification.

Ever since I introduced myself to Adrián as Gwen, we'd been texting non-stop. Each message was a rush of adrenaline, making it hard to hide my smile whenever my phone buzzed.

Loud chatter and footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Adrián and his friends were walking down the hallway.

My eyes instantly found him. Unlike his friends, who were fully immersed in the spirit theme with clown wigs and vests, Adrián hadn't participated. Our eyes met briefly, and a flicker of recognition crossed his face, making my heart skip a beat.

I tried to appear nonchalant, holding his gaze. His expression remained unreadable before he turned back to his friends, who were seemingly unaware of our silent exchange.

My friends, however, were not oblivious. Zara and Stephanie's eyes widened, their jaws slightly slack.

Zara's fingers hovered over her coffee cup, and Stephanie's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why'd you look at Adrián like that?" Stephanie asked her tone a mix of curiosity and accusation.

I frowned. "Look at Adrián like what?"

Zara arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Like he did you dirty or something. That was not a nice look."

A flush crept up my neck. "Really?" I thought we'd had a moment.

Zara and Stephanie nodded, and the lie slipped out before I could stop it. "I didn't even realize. I dazed off there for a second."

"Well, now Adrián probably thinks you hate him," Zara said. "And you guys haven't even gotten to know each other yet."

"I'm sure he didn't even notice," Stephanie added.