Page 104 of Rules, Roses, and Rivals
Every day—one or two at a time, tucked into my locker or resting carefully on my desk in AP Euro—wrapped in simple parchment paper, no glitter, no note. Just soft petals and thefaintest trace of scent, like the sender knew I couldn’t handle anything more right now.
Rachel thought it was adorable.
“I don’t care who it is,” she said Wednesday afternoon, plucking one from my backpack like she was inspecting a rare artifact. “This is emotional warfare. They’re winning.”
“I don’t think it’s supposed to be a war,” I said, though my cheeks burned.
Rachel shrugged. “Everything’s a war. This one just smells better.”
Mathieu hadn’t asked me to homecoming.
He hadn’t mentioned it, either.
Which—I told myself—wasfine. We weren’t labeling things. We were going slow. Casual. It didn’t have to be some dramatic thing.
Still, every time another flash mob broke into “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” I felt something sharp twist in my chest. Not jealousy, exactly. Just… something else. An ache.
I didn’t want a parade.
But I wouldn’t have hated aquestion.
By Friday morning, Coop had the look of a man on the brink of a carefully timed mission. He kept scribbling in a notebook during free period, tucking it away when anyone got too close. He’d stop mid-stride in the hallway and study the ceiling tiles like they were part of a secret map. It was kind of cute. Kind of terrifying.
Then, one by one, the unexpected started to happen.
Bubba tugged my arm after second period, drawing me away from the rush of kids heading to their next classes. He looked nervous.Bubba. The guy who once punched a hole in drywall because some jackass knocked me off my bike and I scraped up my arm. The move was way more Jake than Bubba, but he’d beenpissed. I didn’t think he evenhada nervous expression.
But there he was, scratching the back of his neck, not quite meeting my eyes.
“Hey, uh—Frankie?”
“Yeah?”
He exhaled through his nose. “I know it’s kinda last minute. And weird. And I totally get it if someone already—well. I just wanted to ask if maybe,ifyou’re not already going with someone else… you’d wanna go to the dance with me?”
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
“Bubba…”
“You don’t have to answer now!” he said quickly, voice low and awkward. “No pressure. I just figured, y’know, in case no one else?—"
“Hey.” I touched his arm lightly.
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m trying to be lowkey charming.”
“You’re doing great.”
“Remember, I did ask that you not limit yourself?”
“I do.”
“Then—think about it? If you want me to go bigger with the ask, just tell me. I’ll do it.” He blew out a breath and held up a hand. “I meant what I said, you don’t have to answer yet.”
That made my heart flip flop. “Okay.”
He nodded once, then bolted like I’d just handed him a live grenade instead of a compliment.
