We scramble away as soon as we can and I stop by the drink table to grab Noah and I another glass of punch. As I pour our drinks, I can’t help but notice Monica standing on the opposite side of the table looking completely deflated.
Usually, I wouldn’t give a shit but my incredible mood has me desperate for everyone else to be enjoying their night too. “What’s your problem?” I question, trying to make it sound as though I really don’t give a shit.
Monica’s eyes pop up and as she notices me standing on the opposite side of the table and her eyes bulge out of her head. She takes all of two seconds to pull herself together before gently shaking her head. “Nothing,” she says. “I just thought I’d enjoy this night a shitload more than what I am.”
“Why?”
Her eyes narrow. “Why do you care?”
“I don’t,” I mutter. “Tell me or don’t tell me. Makes no difference to me.”
Monica studies me for a moment before letting out a sigh. “You’re probably going to think this is really stupid but it’s because of the whole prom queen thing.”
“What? You’re pissed that I got it?”
“No, I’m pissed that I didn’t.”
“Huh?” I grunt, looking at her in confusion. “Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but since the whole fake pregnancy thing and the blackmail everybody you fucking know thing, you sort of took yourself out of the running.”
“Yeah, thanks for the reminder, but I worked that out a long time ago,” she grumbles. “It’s more because it’s something I’d always dreamed about since I was a little girl. You know, the beautiful, popular girl was always crowned queen and for a while, I thought that was me. I had the hot boyfriend, I was the head cheerleader, I was that girl. But in the blink of an eye, it all disappeared.”
“Prom Queen really meant that much to you?” I ask. “It’s just some ridiculous title.”
“Not to me it’s not; at least, it wasn’t. For some of us, high school is all we’ve got. We’re not all going places like you are, but I guess in the end, maybe I was lucky to have someone like you knock me down a few steps.”
“A few?” I chuckle. “More like a whole flight.”
Monica huffs but continues. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m thankful for the shit that went down between us because I think I’ve come out the other end a better person. I don’t care about all that material bullshit anymore and I’ve had to learn how to do things for myself. I’m not handed shit anymore and it means when I do get something, I can be proud of it. I guess seeing you being crowned queen beside the guy I always imagined being crowned beside just reminded me of all the things I used to want.”
“It’s just a ridiculous high school title,” I remind her.
“Yeah, but it’s also confirmation that you were top of your game. You were it. The popular girl, the one all the others wanted to be friends with. You had it all and you managed to make it to the end without fucking it all up.”
“You really did fuck it all up, didn’t you?”
“I wouldn’t of fucked it all up if you never stole Noah’s attention.”
“Hey,” I argue. “He had already broken up with you. The only reason he talked to me that day was because he was trying to get away from your crazy ass.”
She lets out a deep sigh and holds out her hand. “Can we just call it a truce and agree to never have anything to do with one another ever again?”
“Agreed,” I tell her, but instead of taking her hand, I pluck the crown from the top of my head and hand it over. “Here,” I say. “It clearly means a shitload more to you than it does to me. I don’t need this piece of plastic as a reminder that I’ve made it.” I turn and point out my group of friends all laughing and having the best night of their lives. “That right there is all I’ll ever need. So, take it, it’s all yours. It means absolutely nothing to me.”
Monica hesitates for a short while before taking the gold plastic from my hands. “Thank you,” she murmurs softly before staring down at the crown with a cloud of emotions taking over her.
I take the opportunity to finish pouring mine and Noah’s drinks before bowing out. I’ve done my good deed for the night, now it’s time to really party.
I grab the glasses off the table and as I make my way towards my group of friends, I can’t help but watch as Noah walks away, only his eyes are too heavily focused on the guy heading into the male bathrooms in front of him.