Janice's P.O.V.
What did I just hear?
I was just leaving the girls' washroom when I caught sight of Veronica chatting with Austin. Did I hear that right? Where did she find the courage to ask him out? My head was spinning.
I came to a sudden stop and slipped into a nearby corner to eavesdrop.
"Sorry about yesterday. What I mean is, I'd really like to go out with you and get to know you better," Veronica said, her tone coy yet determined as she locked eyes with Austin, eagerly awaiting his response.
"I'd really like that too," Austin replied enthusiastically, sounding completely smitten.
What the heck am I seeing? I couldn't make out the rest of their conversation as they strolled off towards the clinic for who knows what reason.
But the burning question remains, why is Austin having this conversation with Veronica when he should be having it with me? Well, I definitely won't be following in Veronica's footsteps by asking him out first, but still, it should be me.
Austin and I are like the king and queen of our high school's social scene. Everyone's rooting for us to take our friendship to the next level and become a real couple. What on earth is going on? How did they get so close? Have they been keeping this a secret all this time? Ugh, this is so frustrating. Can someone please explain to me how a mere geek could ever hope to compare to me, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, younger version of Margot Robbie?
The bell rang and jolted me back to reality. Students began spilling out of class, getting ready for the next one.
"Hey, where's your mind at right now?" Zach said calling my attention.
I glanced at him and flashed a flirtatious smile. Running into Zach low-key boosts my mood. He gives off that chill "boy next door" vibe that's just so comforting. Plus, he's definitely cute. Not on Austin's level, but still a total catch.
"Hey, Zach, where's Austin?" I casually inquired, playing it cool. I was curious to see if Zach had any intel on what's going on between Austin and Veronica.
"Sorry, no idea," he replied with a shrug as he headed off to his next class.
Well, what was I expecting? He wouldn't throw his buddy under the bus, right? The information I have is too juicy to keep to myself.
•••It's the Weekend!•••
Zach lounged by the shimmering pool in his backyard, the sun casting a golden glow on his bronzed skin. With his tousled hair and effortless style reminiscent of a certain Hollywood heartthrob, Zach could easily pass as a look-alike of Gen Z icon Timothée Chalamet.
As he sipped a trendy iced coffee and scrolled through Instagram, Zach couldn't help but ponder the dynamics of his elite high school, Orion High. The school was a hotbed of privilege, where designer backpacks and luxury cars were as commonplace as algebra classes and basketball games. The students, with their curated social media feeds and entitled attitudes, seemed to exist in a bubble of wealth and status that left Zach feeling disconnected and out of place.
Zach reached for his cellphone to check on Austin. Austin is the only person at school whom he can relate to, and he considers him a brother.
After three rings, Austin finally picked up on the other end.
"Hey, Austin, what happened last Friday?" Zach asked, curious about how his friend is holding up with Veronica.
"Zach, she said yes! We're actually going on a date tonight. I have no clue what made her change her mind, but she's agreed to go out with me. I'm totally pumped!" Austin exclaimed with excitement.
Zach's P.O.V.—I have to admit, I was pretty surprised by this turn of events. Just the other day, Veronica turned him down, and now she's suddenly agreed to go out with Austin. But, of course, I didn't let Austin see my doubt.
"That's great, man! Where's the date spot gonna be?" I probed, intrigued to see how Austin would handle the situation.
It's a switch-up 'cause usually, it's the girls making the moves on him, or they hang out and assume it's a date without him even asking.
"I'm taking her to Blitz," Austin said cheerfully.
He sounded pretty pleased, and I mean, who wouldn't be? You can't just waltz into Blitz without a reservation. It's like the go-to spot for the rich kids from Orion High. Austin's family being patrons there, well, it's no shocker he can score a spot on short notice.
"That's a solid date choice," I replied.
Even though I couldn't see him, I could picture his dumb nod, which made me chuckle.
"What's so funny?" he inquired.
"Nothing, I'm just stoked for you, man. I know you've had a thing for Veronica for a while. It's great to see you finally taking her out," I expressed, genuinely happy for my friend.
However, even though I'm happy for Austin, this weird vibe is sneaking in, like something sketchy is about to go down. I can't shake the feeling that it might involve Janice. Everyone knows she's been crushing on Austin forever. I just don't know how she's gonna handle all of this.
"Hey, Austin, has Janice got the 411 on this? Like, about you scoring that date with Veronica?" I asked nervously. The last thing I wanna do is kill the vibe right now.
"Uh, nope, I've only let you in on my crush on Veronica. And me and Janice? We're just friends. What's the deal? Did she say something?" he asked, curious about why I brought it up.
I was debating whether to clue him in that Janice has had a major crush on him for as long as he's been into Veronica. It's common knowledge at Orion High, except for him. Austin can be seriously clueless. I'm starting to wonder if my friend's an idiot when it comes to this kind of things.
"Ah, nothing, man. Just wondering if you've spilled the beans to her yet. Anyways, I gotta bounce. Time for a pool sesh. Good luck with your date!" I said, aiming to wrap up our chat on a positive note.
"Alright, man, don't drown," Austin said playfully before he hung up the phone.
Unbeknownst to them, a rumor swiftly circulated across Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram like wildfire. Veronica's alleged request for a date with Austin went viral, labeling her as a 'Pick-Me Girl' among her peers. Memes and emojis fueled the digital drama, with screenshots being shared and reshared, escalating the gossip to new heights.