59 Epilogue - Part 1 (2/2)
”Yep yep. Hmm, I'd say… Even before you and her decided to pretend-date.”
Wait, huh?
”No, but… She said she hated me back then. She only did that because she was miserable and hated how happy I looked.”
”So she hated how happy you looked because it made her feel more lonely and miserable with herself, right?”
”Yeah, I think.”
”Then what makes you think that she didn't start talking to you so that you could share some of that happiness with her?”
”Uh, the part where she kept calling me names all the time.”
”Haaa… Chase, listen. I'm not saying she lied to you. It's just… she probably felt lonely.”
Lonely, huh?
”Of course she'd see you three having fun all the time and want to join in. It doesn't matter that Jennifer made her think that you guys were uncool. It wouldn't be surprising if she wanted to be a part of all the unfiltered fun you three were having. She probably just didn't want to admit it to herself. In fact, the real reason she brought you to Jennifer was probably so that you could save her.”
”…”
Is that true?
Did she really do that?
”The human mind is amazing. You can convince yourself that you want something for one reason, but there could always be some underlying motive that you yourself aren't even aware of. It's difficult to truly understand who you are as a person at that age.”
She's right.
I hadn't even realized that I wanted Scarlet to think I was cool until she told us those things in the nurse's office.
But eventually, I realized that it was the reason I kept saving her.
I didn't want to be a loser in her eyes.
I wanted to be someone she could praise.
”… You were really cool today, Chase.”
That was all I wanted to hear.
The election day will probably be one of the happiest moments of my life.
She finally complimented me…
Ehehe…
”…”
Rachael swallows another bite of her meal and turns back to face me.
”So? How are things?”
”Huh?”
”Your relationship with her, dummy. I wanna know how it's going.”
”Oh. Uhh. It's good, I guess.”
”You guess? That's all? Sounds like you aren't having too much fun. Guess she isn't putting out yet huh?”
”Of course she isn't!”
It's our first relationship! You think we're gonna go at it like rabbits the moment we start dating?!
”Haaa, really… It's only been two weeks so we haven't done as much as you'd think. Her mom has been picking Chloe, Chad and me up for school ever since we started dating, but other than that Nick and Sig are usually around…”
”Hmmm.”
I feel like I'm forgetting something though…
”Ah, right. The two of us did watch that Lion King movie last Friday on the projector Jennifer set up. Scarlet said she wants me to watch more movies with her so we kinda gave ourselves permission to use the classroom on Fridays.”
”Haven't done as much as I'd think, huh? Well, I think that's plenty for a new couple!”
”Y-yeah, I guess so.”
Yesterday was the first time we did that movie thing, though. To be honest, I was more than a little nervous, but I ended up enjoying myself in the end.
What a good afternoon that was. There's nothing quite like spending time alone with the person you love.
”She really is a sweet thing, isn't she? Well, it isn't just her. Your friends… The 'Fated Ones', I think? I'm glad that you all found each other.”
”You're glad?”
”Yeah. High School can be quite the experience. It's not weird to get peer pressured into cringing at your old hobbies and picking up new ones just to fit in. New music, new movies, new television shows, new games, sports, hangout spots… the list goes on and on. If your tastes aren't already mainstream then it kinda feels like your choices are either to fit in among the crowd or get isolated, right?”
I'd be lying if I said that wasn't the case. The amount of nerd bashing that's happened to me since I started hanging out with those two lines up with that way of thinking.
”But having a group of friends that you can be yourself around and share those things with, it makes high school a much better place for people who don't fit in with the popular crowd.”
Nick and Sig are lucky to have one another. Don't think I've ever seen two people that complement each other quite like that.
They're not as bad as everyone says. I finished that game Nick lent me before he got suspended and I have to say, it's easy to see how people could get absorbed in games like those. It's so simple, but it's amazing all the same.
”The 'Fated Ones' really is a good thing, isn't it? Hard to believe that I was lucky enough to find them.”
”It's not like you were the only lucky one.”
”Haha, guess not.”
I sip on my drink.
”Jennifer ended up joining the SF club, by the way.”
”Huh… and your friend Nicholas let it happen?”
”Well, he was suspended for a week so it's not like he could do anything about it. The decision was ultimately Chris's anyway.”
”Really… so how's she fairing?”
”Ahaha…”
Rachael didn't tell a joke, but I find myself laughing nervously while scratching my cheek.
”She managed to make up with Scarlet, but it looked surprisingly difficult for her. Her pride might have taken some serious damage there.”
”I'm surprised you were okay with it after all the things she did to her.”
”I'm still unsure of how I feel about it too, but… Scarlet still really likes her so I'll keep my head out of it for now.”
”Hmmm.”
”She ended up leaving the room about an hour into her first day though. She got upset when Nick and Sig started arguing about whether Peach or Daisy give better head.”
”Pfft! Oh my god, that's a riot. Miss feminist must have really enjoyed that one.”
”Yeah. She loved it so much that she couldn't help but call them both incels for a minute straight. I'm not sure what she was expecting, though. Did she think she'd fit in with them or something? They're pretty much everything she hates.”
”Well, I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you four. She's definitely up to something.”
”Yeah, we know. But it's not like we can't stop her, right?”
Somehow, the four of us managed to tie with her in the elections.
Through our combined efforts, we barely managed to keep up with Jennifer Swift.
This just makes me realize how much of a monster that girl really is.
But I think that if we put our heads together, we can stop her again if we need to.
”I think it's a good thing that she's doing, though. It's not easy to be an activist.”
”Really? Could've fooled me.”
”Haha, I'm serious, Chase. The moment you throw your views out in the open like she is, you're placing a big target on your back. Look at what happened to her when she told you why she was running for the seat. You felt like you couldn't let her win, right? Everything you loved was at stake, no?”
”…”
”I'm not sure how much she'd be willing to listen to you, but if you could help her pursue her goals in a more positive way, then maybe you'd be able to make the school into a better place. For all genders.”
”Is that even possible…? That girl's crazy.”
”Well she certainly sounds like it, but you never know until you try, right?”
”Guess not.”
Once she's finished with her meal, she wipes her mouth with a paper towel.
”Ahh, that hit the spot!”
Rachael stretches her arms out with a satisfied moan.
Once again, the old me would have probably been taken in by such a sight.
But now, as a guy with a girlfriend…
Ehehehe…
If Nick and Sig knew how happy I was about this they'd probably tell me to drop dead.
”I'm disappointed in you, Chase-dono…”
”A guy like you with a girlfriend… tch.”
Haaa, those two…
Oh, speaking of girlfriends.
”Hey Rachael, I forgot to mention. It's about Chloe and the boy she was interested in.”
”Right! I was wondering what happened with them. Did she strike out?”
”Haha, you'd think so, right? Nope, the two of them actually started dating yesterday.”
”What, seriously? How'd she pull that off? Even I didn't start dating 'til high school.”
”Guess Scarlet's advice came in handy. Honestly I have no idea either.”
”Scarlet's advice, huh? I guess that's why she's the one who got to you first.”
”Huh? First?”
Rachael pauses, then shoots me a confused glare.
What? Did I say something wrong?
”Wait. You didn't notice? The other girl who was into you?”
”Other… huh?”
”… You really didn't notice, huh? Ah geez. You might have really messed up on this one.”
”Messed up? Noticed? Rachael, what on earth are you talking about?!”
”No way. You're on your own on this one buddy. I'm heading home now. Say hi to Scarlet for me, though.”
I thought she was joking when she suddenly bid me farewell, but she really is heading outside right now.
Is this some kind of prank? What girl is she talking about?!
”Rachaeeeeel!!!! What did you meaaan?!”