Hey Romeo, Don't You Think You're Just a Tad Overrated?
This is My Potential Breakup Song
Mess Hall
"Dammit, where's Aurelie? She was supposed to hand in the math team packet yesterday! Mr. Harbing said he never got it from her," Cam grumbled noisily at the lunch table.
"I heard she joined the committee crew for the Winter Formal," Tyson informed him. "Maybe you can find her there after lunch. We all have a free on Tuesdays."
"How do you know that?" Cam inquired.
Tyson shrugged. "Beth told me. I'm taking her to the dance by the way," he said, a smug look on his face.
"Congratulations," Cam said sarcastically. "Anyways, has anyone seen Max today? He wasn't at breakfast either."
All the boys mumbled and shook their heads.
______________________
Phillips Hall, Grand Foyer
"Hey, Aurelie," a familiar voice called. "What are you doing here?"
"Max," I smiled. "I'm meeting Alyssa in the auditorium for lunch. We're setting up the Winter Formal."
He nodded. "Hey, listen. Can I talk to you about something? In…private?" he asked lightly.
I didn't like the feel of where this was going. "I guess…" I started slowly.
"Good," Max said, pulling me along into an empty classroom.
"So…what do you wanna talk about?" I asked, playing with the rubber bracelet that read Make Love, Not War! that Will had gotten me as a joke.
"I wanted to talk about…" Max looked away, uncomfortable. "I wanted to talk about…us," he finally said.
My heart dropped into my stomach. "What about us?" I asked quietly.
Max looked up, his emerald eyes smoldering. His messy, dark blonde hair fell into his eyes, and he looked absolutely adorable at that moment. He reached for my hand. "Do you think that we could have another chance? Could you maybe…give me another chance?"
"Max, I thought you said you didn't even like me," I said heavily, looking down at our hands.
He stepped closer. "I was wrong! I was stupid. I do like you."
"How can you be sure?"
He reached out and enveloped me in his arms. "You know what they say," he whispered in my ear. "You never know how much you love someone until they're gone…"
I felt myself soften in his embrace. A mix of emotions was running through my head. What was I doing?
"Please? Can you give me another chance? Please…come to the Winter Formal with me and give us another chance," he buried his face into the crook between my neck and my shoulder.
I could feel his soft breath on my skin…his arms felt so warm and comforting around me… I forced myself to pull away. He looked surprised. "I can't," I mumbled incoherently. "I can't. No…"
"Why?" Max pleaded. "I promise I—"
"It's not you, it's me," I interrupted him. "I'm sorry, Max. Why don't you ask someone else? Like Brynne…or whatever. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic. Just…forget about me." I stepped away and looked up, which was obviously a mistake.
Max's green eyes were swimming in hurt, and he had the most forlorn look on his face. For a second, I almost wanted to just jumped back into his arms and promise him that I'd be with him again, but I didn't.
"I…have to go. Alyssa's waiting for me," I said lamely, reaching for the classroom door.
"Tell me, Aurelie," Max spoke up again, right before I could open the door. "Do you like Cam?" His question was so blunt and direct it surprised me.
I whirled around. "No!" I blurted out. "I…uh…um…"
"It's okay," Max said, opening the door for me. "Cam always wins everything," he muttered, striding down the hallway and disappearing around the corner, leaving me standing on the threshold of the classroom, feeling like the world's biggest jerk.
"Dammit, where's Aurelie? She was supposed to hand in the math team packet yesterday! Mr. Harbing said he never got it from her," Cam grumbled noisily at the lunch table.
"I heard she joined the committee crew for the Winter Formal," Tyson informed him. "Maybe you can find her there after lunch. We all have a free on Tuesdays."
"How do you know that?" Cam inquired.
Tyson shrugged. "Beth told me. I'm taking her to the dance by the way," he said, a smug look on his face.
"Congratulations," Cam said sarcastically. "Anyways, has anyone seen Max today? He wasn't at breakfast either."
All the boys mumbled and shook their heads.
______________________
Phillips Hall, Grand Foyer
"Hey, Aurelie," a familiar voice called. "What are you doing here?"
"Max," I smiled. "I'm meeting Alyssa in the auditorium for lunch. We're setting up the Winter Formal."
He nodded. "Hey, listen. Can I talk to you about something? In…private?" he asked lightly.
I didn't like the feel of where this was going. "I guess…" I started slowly.
"Good," Max said, pulling me along into an empty classroom.
"So…what do you wanna talk about?" I asked, playing with the rubber bracelet that read Make Love, Not War! that Will had gotten me as a joke.
"I wanted to talk about…" Max looked away, uncomfortable. "I wanted to talk about…us," he finally said.
My heart dropped into my stomach. "What about us?" I asked quietly.
Max looked up, his emerald eyes smoldering. His messy, dark blonde hair fell into his eyes, and he looked absolutely adorable at that moment. He reached for my hand. "Do you think that we could have another chance? Could you maybe…give me another chance?"
"Max, I thought you said you didn't even like me," I said heavily, looking down at our hands.
He stepped closer. "I was wrong! I was stupid. I do like you."
"How can you be sure?"
He reached out and enveloped me in his arms. "You know what they say," he whispered in my ear. "You never know how much you love someone until they're gone…"
I felt myself soften in his embrace. A mix of emotions was running through my head. What was I doing?
"Please? Can you give me another chance? Please…come to the Winter Formal with me and give us another chance," he buried his face into the crook between my neck and my shoulder.
I could feel his soft breath on my skin…his arms felt so warm and comforting around me… I forced myself to pull away. He looked surprised. "I can't," I mumbled incoherently. "I can't. No…"
"Why?" Max pleaded. "I promise I—"
"It's not you, it's me," I interrupted him. "I'm sorry, Max. Why don't you ask someone else? Like Brynne…or whatever. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic. Just…forget about me." I stepped away and looked up, which was obviously a mistake.
Max's green eyes were swimming in hurt, and he had the most forlorn look on his face. For a second, I almost wanted to just jumped back into his arms and promise him that I'd be with him again, but I didn't.
"I…have to go. Alyssa's waiting for me," I said lamely, reaching for the classroom door.
"Tell me, Aurelie," Max spoke up again, right before I could open the door. "Do you like Cam?" His question was so blunt and direct it surprised me.
I whirled around. "No!" I blurted out. "I…uh…um…"
"It's okay," Max said, opening the door for me. "Cam always wins everything," he muttered, striding down the hallway and disappearing around the corner, leaving me standing on the threshold of the classroom, feeling like the world's biggest jerk.