Spin The Bottle

47 | Anxious

Chapter Forty Seven: Anxious

A MONTH LATER...

Things have happened and things have changed in the last month. Steph can vividly remember how two weeks into senior year, Brooke had said it was boring and she had agreed. Well, this past two or three months have been anything but boring. And senior year isn't even over. They're on winter break now and Steph can only imagine how crazy things would be when school's back on in the new year.

They had winter formal after their finals and it was quite something.
The thing is that both Luke and Chris asked her to go with them as 'friends.' Chris had asked first and she agreed. Then about two days later, Luke did. He kept emphasizing that they'll be going as friends and the look on his face was so pleading that she found herself saying yes, against her reasoning. It was only until Luke exhaled in relief that she realised she had already said yes to Chris; hence, finding herself in a sticky situation.

She wished she could have gone with both Luke and Chris without either of them knowing but that doesn't work in real life. It doesn't quite work out in movies either. She knew she had to do something about it. She contemplated not going to the formal but she knew her mother wouldn't have her do that.  So one day after school, Chris drove her home and she turned him down.

"I can't go to the winter formal with you, Christopher." She had informed him from the passenger's seat.

"What? Why? We're just going as friends--"

"I know," Steph cut him off before he began to ramble. He had this terrifyingly sad look on his face that made Steph feel bad.

"It has nothing to do with you. You did absolutely nothing wrong," she asserted.

Chris had an incredulous look on his face that showed he didn't believe her, even for a second.
"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes. Honestly, you did nothing wrong. It's just that," she paused for a second before continuing. "Well, Luke asked that we go as friends and ---"

Chris cut in. "Seriously? It's because of Luke? This is unbelievable."

"Chris, chill. Let me finish, okay?"
Chris nodded.

"Luke asked me after you did but I just couldn't say no to him with the look he had on his face," Steph explained, as if that was supposed to make Chris feel better.

Chris laughed humorlessly and looked out the window before facing her back.
"So if Luke has that look on his face as he asks you to murder someone. You'd agree, huh?" Chris asked and Steph was quick to reply.

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. I don't like him like that anymore. Believe me." She says with a pleading look on her face.

"You're a tough guy, Chris. You'll be able to handle yourself better if I don't go with you; more than Luke would. Just understand please."

Chris sighed. "Fine. Go with Luke. I'll get some other girl to go with me."

Steph felt a twinge somewhere inside her when he said that. She knew she wasn't supposed to feel like that since she was the one that chose to go with Luke; but she did.