"I'm sure that I flunked that quiz," he sighed, resting his forehead against the cool surface of the wooden table. Thinking about the quiz, he had felt somewhat confident at first, but now, with next week's assignment in front of him, he felt like he knew nothing at all.
"C'mon, from what you showed on your practice assessments, I've seen you know what you're doing when you allow yourself to pay attention to your work," Wanda replied, reviewing her assignment. "Besides, this is a whole new topic. It's okay if you don't understand it right away."
He groaned dramatically and turned to face her. She didn't look back, merely focusing on her own paper. He pouted slightly, feeling a bit dejected by her lack of attention.
"I just feel like I finally learned this whole topic, and now there's a new one. I feel like I'll never get a real understanding of anything." He turned to her and gasped softly. Her gaze, which he feared would be filled with pity, held something different—something kinder.
"Or, you know, something. I dunno, I'm just stupid," Cosmo deflected, brushing it off as he sat back up.
She was momentarily silent, and he quickly grabbed his pencil before she could say anything.
"I don't think you're—" he quickly interjected before she could express any sympathy.
"So, which chapter should I read to understand this assignment better?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly.
She licked her lips and sighed. Part of him worried that she wouldn't let it go, but instead, she pulled out the textbook and skimmed through the pages until she found the relevant chapter. "Here it is. Come on, we can look through it together," she said, pointing to the section.
His face flushed slightly as he nodded and scooted closer to her to look down at the book. However, as he watched her hair gently fall into her face, he felt like he wouldn't be able to focus during this study session.
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She was deep in thought as she moved the couches to the side with a swipe of her wand. She pursed her lips. Hopefully, that made enough room for Carnellias' dance floor,' as she called it. Honestly, she wished she was here to tell her what she wanted.
"Wandy!" hollered Celine as she put up more streamers. "Do you think Carnellia wants more streamers?" she asked, glancing around the walls.
Wanda smiled softly. She was grateful that Celine had joined her after school, especially since everyone else had opted to get drinks for the party instead.
"I'm sure if she wants more, she'll tell me. But I think we've decorated it pretty well so far."
"Great because, like, I feel like I need a long break after helping you, Wandy."
She chuckled and nodded as she walked toward the kitchen to start setting up the food. Of course, she's the one who bought the food. The job was left to her since Carnellia had 'forgotten' to buy food for the party. Of course, she could have said no or something, but what if it had hurt Carnellias feelings, or if she thought Wanda thought she was too good to buy food for her friends?
"Oh wow, you bought so many snacks, Wandy," Celine said, snapping her attention back to reality.
"Oh well, I just got what was on Carnellias list," she said softly and nervously rubbed her neck.
Celine was silent momentarily, causing nerves to bubble in her stomach.
"Well, that's great. She's sure to forgive you now," Celine said, grinning and wrapping her arms around Wanda. "Yknow, I was like so worried she would like have to kick you out of the group, but I'm glad you made it up to her. It would suck without you, Wandy."
The words only made Wanda laugh nervously and pat Celine's shoulder. "yeah, I'm," she licked her lip as she hesitated. "I'm so lucky she is so forgiving."
"I know, right?" she exclaimed with giddiness. "now ima go relax on the couch after working so hard unless you need any help."
Wanda looked at all the unprepared food on the table and then back at Celine. "No, don't worry. I've got it. You go rest. You helped so much already."
"Thanks, Wandy," she beamed. She immediately turned on her heel and walked back to the couch.
Finally, her smile fell, and she gripped her skirt and bit her lip. She looked back at the food on the table and sighed. She removed her sweater and set it aside as she began preparing.
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He was slumped against Spirit's bed, tuning his guitar with practiced ease while watching Spirit and Viper bustle around, getting ready for the party. When suddenly, Spirit flung themselves onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh, making the mattress bounce. Cosmo looked up, raising an eyebrow at their dramatic display. Viper adjusted his shirt in the mirror and glanced over with a sigh while shaking his head.
"Yknow, Cozzie, I wish I was more like you," he made a soft noise of confusion. "Well, I wish I didn't care as much about my appearance as you."
His jaw hung open. "Huh," he said aloud, looking down at his outfit and then back at them. "I spent a good ten minutes getting ready."
"Yikes, Cosmo, don't go admitting that when we get to the party," Viper grimaced. "It's gonna be hard enough sneaking in with you tagging along already." He turned to face him, looking him over with a critical eye. "In fact, I think we need you to change into something cooler."
"Huh, but I like my Weezer t-shirt," Cosmo protested, pulling it out to look at the graphic. Suddenly, a poof of magic transformed his outfit. His t-shirt was replaced by a sleek black leather jacket adorned with silver studs and zippers. Underneath, he wore a white ruffled shirt, and even his jeans had turned into fitted black leather pants accented with a spiked belt and chains hanging from the loops.
"Omg, that's so cool, Spirit," Viper exclaimed as he looked Cosmo over. Spirt chuckled and stretched back up.
"I know, dressing up Cozzie actually inspired me for my own outfit. Thanks for the assist, Cozie Wozie." They laughed, then stood back up to look through their closet.
Cosmo laughed awkwardly. "No, thank you. Now I look great," he said, though he couldn't hide the cringe in his voice as he stood up. The leather pants clung tightly to him, feeling both restrictive and unfamiliar. He glanced down and sighed, missing the loose comfort of his old Weezer shirt. At least he didn't look like a loser.
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It was loud. The thumping bass from the speakers seemed to reverberate through her bones. Wanda cradled her cup of water, the only thing she could handle now, as the noise threatened to split her head open. She scanned the crowded room, searching for a familiar face, but her friends seemed to have vanished. She wasn't even sure if Juan had arrived yet. Part of her hoped he had just so she wouldn't be alone.
That's when she felt a buzz in her pocket. She quickly grabbed her phone, her heart racing as she hoped it was Juan letting her know he had arrived. Her hope dimmed when she saw it was a text from someone else, but as she read the message, a genuine smile slowly spread across her face. The message was a comforting surprise, and for a moment, it made the noise and chaos of the party seem a little more bearable.
'Hav u finishd the assiment?' she chuckled at the misspelling as She read cosmos text and bit her lip, deciding whether to answer. She looked around and saw no one familar, so she looked back at her phone.
She typed back, 'In all honesty, I haven't had the time to. What about you? Did you need help?' and hit send. Leaning against the wall, she fidgeted nervously, her mind racing with worry. Was that too forward? No, she reassured herself. It was just a tutor offering help, nothing more. Just a simple exchange between a tutor and a tutoree.
After a moment, a new text popped up: 'Nah, my frends took me out tonite. I just wanted to see if u had don it.' Wanda smiled slightly, relieved to see a friendly message. Before she could swipe out of the messages, another text showed that he was typing again. She watched intently as the dots danced on the screen, feeling the seconds tick by like minutes.
Finally, the message came through: 'So wyd that made u so busi?'
She almost laughed aloud at the length of time it took for his message to arrive but managed to stifle it with a cough as she sipped her water. After a moment of contemplation, she typed out her response:
"I helped a friend set something up, and now I'm just," she hesitated, cringing at the thought of admitting she was left alone in a corner. Deciding a little white lie was better, she continued, "hanging out with them."
His rapid response after the previous one's delay surprised her. 'Oh, I'm sorry you're busy with friends. I'll leave you alone.'
Wanda's eyes lingered on the misspelled "alone" for a moment. She felt a pang of sadness and didn't want to be left alone again, even if it was just a text conversation. So, she typed back, 'Nah, don't worry. They don't mind. Besides, you didn't tell me more about why you haven't finished the assignment.'
Wanda fidgeted nervously, shutting her eyes and hoping she didn't appear too desperate. It wasn't like her to act this way, but she felt so isolated, and everything seemed overwhelming except for a simple conversation with a kind boy. Her phone buzzed, and she jerked it back to her face, a smile of relief spreading across her lips as she read his message.
'Well lik i said my frends decited that we shoud hang out but now theyr drinking and i dont like the smell so now im waitn 4 them 2 stop'
Her smile faltered as she read his message, and she frowned, realizing she wasn't the only one having a rough time. She wasn't sure how to respond, but before she could try, another message bubbled up.
'I don't mind tho cuz I get 2 lisen 2 music and text u :).'
She hadn't realized she was smiling until she saw her reflection on the screen. She shut her phone off and took a large gulp of water before releasing a breath. She twirled her hair a bit, then shook her head. It wasn't like she was flirting, and neither was he. He was just being nice, and he was just lonely like her.
Wanda pushed her hair back and turned her phone again, a smile spreading across her face as she typed, "Thanks :). I'm glad we're texting too." She flushed immediately, her finger hovering over the send button. After a moment of hesitation, she finally pressed it and quickly shoved her phone into her pocket.
Hoping to distract herself from the fluttering feeling in her chest, she glanced around the room. Her eyes widened as she spotted Cosmo on the other side of the room, his outfit strikingly distinct from usual. He was engrossed in his phone, seemingly oblivious that they were in the same room.
She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, but she couldn't seem to move. Her eyes stayed fixed on Cosmo, who was now glancing around the room. When their gazes finally met, his mouth hung open in surprise before gradually curving into a warm smile.
It seemed like he was about to walk toward her, and her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. She was ready to take a step forward when Juan appeared beside her out of nowhere. Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her softly, his breath heavy with the scent of liquor. Wanda froze, her heart sinking as she felt the warmth of his kiss blend with a sharp sting of disappointment that tasted unmistakably like booze.
However, she was no longer alone and finally had the company she had wished for earlier. So what if she almost went to Cosmo? It didn't happen, and now she was with her boyfriend, with whom she belonged. She wrapped her arms awkwardly around his neck, shutting her eyes as she tried to focus on the familiarity of his embrace despite the lingering disappointment.
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Cosmo turned sharply the moment Wanda's arms wrapped around Juan's neck, a pang of frustration hitting him. He moved briskly toward the back door, bypassing the chaos of drunk teenagers stumbling around and making fools of themselves. The loud music thumping in the background only amplified his annoyance. Rolling his eyes, he approached the gate they had initially snuck in through. The promise of appearing cool to his friends felt hollow against the growing disgust of the scene around him. He was ready to escape the party and the uncomfortable feelings it stirred up.
"COZIEE!" Spirit shouted right in his ear, making Cosmo wince and topple onto the ground. He looked up to see Spirit and Viper stumbling around, leaning on each other and laughing loudly as they tried to keep their balance.
"Hey man, glad you caught up," Viper said, laughing as he clapped Cosmo on the back. "We're bailing. Spirit's starving, and all this food is way too fancy for us." He grimaced, mimicking a gagging motion. "Seriously, these cheerleaders are so... ugh." With that, he turned and started toward the gate. Cosmo grumbled, got up from where he'd fallen, and followed behind, annoyed but relieved to leave the stupid party.
As he climbed into the backseat of Viper's car, Cosmo cast a lingering glance at the house, his fingers nervously clutching his phone in his pocket. He shut his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. If only Juan hadn't shown up out of nowhere, they might have actually spent some time together, not just during a forced tutoring session.
Then, a troubling thought crossed his mind. Wanda had said she was with friends, but when he saw her, she was all alone. He hummed softly, wondering why she had lied and how long she had really been left in that corner. The questions swirled in his mind as the car pulled away.