OUTCAST: A Stepbrother Romance (22 page)

T
here was only
one reason why they would not cheer for Jaynie Martell. Just one possible reason...

T
hey have found a new queen
.

“
A
nd this year’s
Homecoming Queen is...” Principal Hendricks started to announce.

A
nd the unthinkable happened
.

T
he students started to chant
.

A
name with three syllables
.

M
y name
.

P
rincipal Hendricks was flabbergasted
as he looked around the gymnasium in obvious incredulity. He was expecting them to shout another’s name... the more familiar choice... the surest winner up until two days ago. Amidst their cries, he opened the envelope and drew out the paper that contained the result. He started to read, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Is this correct?” he asked the teachers behind him, forgetting that he was still holding the microphone and that the entire gymnasium could hear what he was saying. “The numbers... they’re not even close...”

T
wo of the
teachers approached him and double checked the piece of paper. They studied it quickly, then nodded at him. Principal Hendricks shrugged and proceeded with his announcement.

“
V
ery well
,” he said, “as determined by your votes... this year’s Homecoming Queen is...”

O
h please
, no... please, please...

“
M
s. Andrea Higgins
!”

O
h fuck
...

E
veryone screamed in jubilation
. Hands from out of nowhere raced to pat my back, to rub my arm, to caress my hand... to touch me.

J
ust like with
Finn’s ascent, the crowd parted to form a path towards the stage. But my feet were frozen, as were the rest of my body.

“
W
oohoo
! Let’s go Andrea!”

“
W
e love you
, Andrea!”

“
A
ndrea
, your victory is our victory!”

T
heir words
of encouragement weren’t enough to yank me out of my daze. I still stood where I was, unable to move.

T
hen someone pushed
me from behind. It was a gentle shove... like soft hands setting a paper boat adrift. I didn’t have to look behind me to know who she was. Her squeaky voice gave her away. It was Martha May.

“
W
ell go on
, sugar,” she said. “Everyone’s waiting for their queen.”

I
didn’t want
the walk towards the platform to seem like forever. The sooner I would get there, the sooner it would be done. Besides, trudging towards the stage would just be misconstrued as me basking in the glory of the moment. So I ran -
I literally ran
- to where Finn and the teachers were.

I
was huffing
and puffing when I got there, but they didn’t give me the chance to catch my breath. A teacher placed the sash around me. On its surface read
All Hail The Homecoming Queen 2015
. Principal Hendricks awarded me a scepter, which was different from Finn’s. Mine was shorter, but shinier. It was gold, while Finn’s was silver.

T
hen Jaynie approached me
. She was holding a crown... a beautiful diadem of bright silver studded with stones that looked like diamonds. Of course, they weren’t real diamonds. The school wouldn’t be able to afford that. But it looked really, really nice, nevertheless.

J
aynie was smiling
as she placed the crown on my head. She was careful enough not to mess my hair, and she took her time pinning the sides of the crown so that it wouldn’t fall off.

“
C
ongratulations
, Andrea!” she said, yelling so that I could hear her in the midst of the loud cheers from the crowd. “You deserve this... you really do!”

S
he squeezed
my arm and pecked my cheek. Then she arranged my bangs, sweeping my hair towards my temple. She grabbed my arms once more and gave me an enthusiastic joggle. She was excited for me, that much I could tell. I smiled at her.

“
T
hanks
, Jaynie,” I uttered.

“
A
ll hail the queen
!” she delightedly remarked before going back to the row behind me.

F
inn joined me in front
. He held my hand. With our fingers clutched together, he raised his arm with mine and everyone bellowed their approval.

“
L
adies and gentlemen
, I give to you... your Homecoming King and Queen for this year!” Principal Hendricks announced once more. “Mr. Delfin Henshaw and Ms. Andrea Higgins!”

T
hen I felt it
... a sensation I have long denied... a sensation I never wanted to acknowledge. But at that moment, when I was being adored by the community I belonged to... a part of me started to embrace it.

I
t was pride
.

I
was
proud to be there, in front of them, savoring their exaltation, appreciating the homage they have bestowed upon me.

I
t felt good
.

I
t felt really
, really good.

T
he band began
to play David Pomeranz’s King and Queen of Hearts. It was a hokey choice, but I guess they found it apt considering the situation. It was a slow song... a romantic one... that invited a sweet dance.

A
nd that was exactly
what the crowd asked for. They hooted for us to lead the dance, as was the custom. Finn looked at me. He wanted to know what we should do. I just shrugged. Then, with his hand still holding mine, he led me down to the floor and the audience spread out, forming an empty circle in the middle...

F
inn held
my hips and he started to sway. From left to right, he swung... awkwardly, though... it was more like he was wobbling. I swayed with him. The audience applauded.

P
air after pair
after pair of students joined us. Soon enough, there were more than a dozen people partnered up, dancing with us.

“
I
missed this
,” Finn suddenly remarked.

“
M
iss this
?” I asked, confused. “It’s the first time for you... for us... to be king and queen.”

“
N
o
, not that,” he began to explain. “I miss this... you and me... being this close... us... being together... as if nothing else matters...”

I
fell silent
. I didn’t know how to respond.

I
missed that
, too, perhaps just as much as he did. He has been a part of my life... a big part. There have been a lot of wonderful memories between us. Memories which I will forever remember... and after some time... memories that I will cherish once again.

B
ut it’s over now
.

I
’m with Nash
, though informally so.

A
nd I’m pregnant
.

D
amn
!

I
’m pregnant
!

I
n the next few months
, my tummy will begin to bloat, and everyone would know. If I would keep my mouth shut, they would start to speculate... and speculation is often worse than the truth.

S
hould I tell them
? At least the people I know? Most especially Finn?

I
n due time
, perhaps.

I
n due time
.

I
just
... I just wanted to enjoy that moment, underneath the disco ball and the light that bounced off its surface, dispersing throughout the floor in a variety of colors, all of which were enchanting. I just wanted to enjoy the love of the students, who have surrounded us to express their admiration and adoration. I just wanted to enjoy the feeling... of being important, for once... of being regarded... of being looked up to.

E
ven that little
dance I was having with Finn... I wanted to enjoy that, too. It was the last, as well as the first, dance we’ll ever have.

I
just
... wanted to enjoy everything.

M
aybe my personal
concerns can wait... at least until the night was over... until I will have to get back to reality.

E
veryone started complaining
and cursing when the music suddenly stopped. The band was still playing, its members puzzled by what just happened. It seemed like the speakers were turned off. The vocalist stopped singing. The guitarists stopped strumming. The drummer stopped hitting the toms. Everyone, including the crowd, were looking around the place, wondering about what was going on.

T
hen
, a video played on the giant screen hanging over the stage.

T
here were
a lot of
oooohhhhsss
and
aahhhhhsss
from the crowd, as they believed that they were about to witness something grand and phenomenal.

T
he video started
with a shot of the floor. There was nothing special about it. The camera was shaky. It looked like it was filmed using a phone cam.

B
ut what happened
next flooded me with dread.

A
hand
. A female hand. It appeared onscreen. It was holding a small, narrow, white box that I was very familiar with.

I
t was a pregnancy test stick
.

T
he camera zoomed
in to the top of the stick, to where an indentation was.

T
here were
two red lines there.

I
t was
the stick that I lost.

T
he crowd was stunned
into silence. There were mutterings of curses, because of shock more than anything else.

I
felt
my chest contract and I found it difficult to breathe. Absolute terror was devouring me, and I didn’t know what to do.

T
he video faded to black
. Words flashed on the screen.

T
he video cut
to another scene... outside the ladies restroom... the same place where I thought I lost the pregnancy stick. Whoever was taking the video was doing so in secret. The camera kept going in and out of a wall a few feet away from the door of the restroom.

T
he view
of the closed door along the empty hallway played for few more seconds.

T
hen
, I went out, frantically searching every inch of the floor, rummaging through the trashcan just outside the room, checking my bag to see if I just didn’t find it the first time around.

A
deafening silence
filled the gymnasium. I didn’t look at anybody. I couldn’t. But I felt their eyes staring at me... judging me... condemning me... some of them may even be mocking me...

M
e
...

T
heir queen
...

T
he royalty
who has ascended to and fallen from grace in a span of five short minutes.

T
he screen faded
to black once again, and more words flashed...

D
amning words
...

“
O
kay
, cut that thing!” Principal Hendricks screamed and a couple of teachers scampered towards the control desk to find the device that was playing it.

I
didn’t wait
for the video to end.

I
fought
off my tears as much as I could, then I started to walk away.