Stuck with Mr. Popular ( COMPLETED)

chapter-9

"Dany!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with shock and disbelief.

Yes, Dany, the only idiotic best friend I ever had. We had known each other since our diaper days when we were neighbors. However, when we entered high school, Dany moved to New Jersey, leaving me behind. I despised him for abandoning me, especially knowing that I had no other friends besides him. We used to spend most of our vacations together, attending the same summer camp. As I turned fifteen, I began developing feelings for Dany, but I knew I would always remain just his best friend, nothing more. Back then, there were no such labels as "The Popular Gang" or "Typical Nerds" in school.

Despite Dany being a part of the popular gang, we still hung out together in school. However, if we were in high school, I'm certain we wouldn't be seen together anymore. Acumen High has a way of turning the populars into hot gossip topics, and Dany knew I suffered from scopophobia.

"Hey Kim! Nice to see you again. When did you start partying?" Dany greeted me, using the pet name he had given me when we were ten. He called me "Kimpossible girl" because he believed there was nothing I couldn't do, especially in studies and our backyard science experiments during holidays.

"Actually, never. Someone promised me when I was twelve that he would be the first one to introduce me to parties like this," I replied, feeling a tinge of disappointment. Dany continued to smile but despite his smiling facade, a veil of concealed coldness and underlying pain shrouded his gaze, perceptible to those with a discerning eye.

He shook his head in amazement and said, "You still remember?  Well, that's fancy," with a strange smile on his lips.

"So Kim, how did you end up at a party like this?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink before placing it on the bar counter.

"Well, you know Lavy. She forced me. She wanted to meet her boyfriend, and Mom wouldn't allow her to come alone. So here I am, sitting alone at the bar counter, trying to figure out why life always throws these surprises at me," I said sarcastically, though deep down, I knew I wasn't being sarcastic. This was my life, full of shocks instead of pleasant surprises.

Dany chuckled and remarked, "You're still the same Kim, always the same."

"I hope that's a good thing," I replied, flashing a forced smile. Daniel was my best friend, the person I turned to in the time of distress. Until one summer we were sitting in his room, watching "Thor: The Dark World," and something unexpected happened. We were so close to kissing when his cousin barged into the room, ruining the moment. After that, Daniel started acting strange, and eventually, he completely disappeared from my life. I remember the awkward hug we shared when he was leaving the town. But I assumed he would still be a part of my life. I was wrong. He completely vanished. No texts, no calls, no Instagram—just gone, like a magician's trick. It left me feeling empty, wondering what had happened but eventually I moved on and buried all those memories for good. 

"Well, I think it's awesome," Dany responded, taking another sip of his drink.

"So, what will you have?" he asked, noticing my empty hands. He must have assumed that I had started drinking since we met at a party where most people were intoxicated.

"As you said, Daniel, I'm still the same," I said, with a mocking smile on my face.

"Oh girl, you still don't drink," he expressed amazement, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Nope," I replied, popping the 'p'.

Dany had finally returned to town because his dad was starting a new business company here. We chatted for what seemed like hours, as he shared his experiences in New Jersey, focusing mostly on parties and how he became part of the popular crowd. It seemed that every high school had these two distinct categories, and unfortunately, the popular gang was often made up of bullies, as I had experienced.

We were talking like nothing ever happened. And maybe to him, it never really did. But what are you supposed to do when your long lost best friend comes back? Do you pretend that everything is back to normal? Because it isn't. It really hurt me when he left and never responded to my texts or calls. 

While engrossed in conversation, I spotted a familiar figure entering the party hall. He was too far away for me to recognize clearly, but I could make out his dirty blond hair, slightly messy yet perfectly suited him, and his tall, masculine physique. He wore a white polo t-shirt with blue jeans, and his skin appeared pale but with a hint of honey gold due to the party lights. By the time he settled at a seat near the counter, I knew exactly who he was—Raymond Reynolds, the Mr. Popular of Acumen High.

A broad smile spread across my face until it vanished when I noticed two girls sitting beside him. One of them was practically throwing herself at him, while the other whispered something in his ear, both giggling. Anger welled up inside me, and I found myself clenching my teeth at the sight. I wanted to march over there and confront him for his behavior. While both girls flirted with him, he sat there smiling, surrounded by the popular gang. Then he whispered something to the girl on his left, and she stood up, heading towards the backyard.

And then he did something that left me in a state of shock. He turned to the girl on his right and started kissing her. The girl who had already been throwing herself at him. I gritted my teeth and clenched my jaw. Did he even notice that I was here? I felt a mix of anger and betrayal, though I knew his actions shouldn't affect me.

"Why am I angry? It's his life, and he can do whatever he wants. I have no right to tell him," I thought to myself, trying to rationalize my emotions.

"Hey, Kim. Are you okay?" Dany asked, looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, definitely okay," I replied, nodding my head and turning towards Dany, deliberately avoiding looking at Raymond.

"Yeah, so I was telling you about that pool party..." Dany continued to talk, but I couldn't concentrate. My urge to observe what Raymond was doing only grew stronger. Eventually, I couldn't resist and tilted my head slightly to catch a glimpse of him. At one moment, he was laughing and enjoying his drink with his friends, and in the next, he was back to kissing the girl beside him, his arms wrapped around her waist.

Disappointed, I shifted my focus back to Dany, who was sharing details about his dad's business and how he planned to assist him this time. However, my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a muffled sound from our table.

THUD.

I looked up to see who had made the noise.

It was Lavy.

"WOW! DANY IS BACK! THAT IS SOOOO AMAZING!" Lavy exclaimed loudly, though her voice barely pierced through the loud music. She stumbled repeatedly, unable to maintain her balance. She hobbled around before returning to our table, still unsteady on her feet. 

Damn it, she's drunk.

What have you done, Sophie? You should have taken care of her. After all, you are her elder sister. You should have warned her, you idiot! Now, how are we going to get home?

I'm in so much trouble. Mom is going to kill me!

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Hey guys!

Another update. Although I'm still left with two exams but I had to write it out. Thank you guys for reading I love you guys so much. Yaayyiee we have 349 reads. I am sooo haapppyy!!!!Thank you guys for all this. I'll be writing Raymond's POV soon. Wish me luck. hah!

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