Chapter 172
A few days have passed, and it is already December 21st.
"Is everybody ready for tomorrow?" I asked.
A loud cheer erupted from the whole class.
"Don't forget, it's a costume party! Like Halloween. There'll be prizes for the best ones, voted by everyone. Just a spoiler—the 5th place prize is five tickets for both days of Tomorrowland."
The excitement in the room instantly doubled.
I walked over to my friends. Carly, Sam, Freddie, Cara, and Pippa were gathered together.
"This time, mama's gonna win," Sam declared.
"You're gonna need a way better costume than a hand sanitizer," Freddie mocked.
"Says the one who went as a doorman," Sam shot back.
"I picked a good one for him this time," Cara said with a smile.
"Thanks, babe," Freddie responded, giving Cara a quick peck.
Sam made a gesture like she was about to hang herself.
I turned to Pippa. "So, you're going as Enid, right?"
"Yes," Pippa confirmed with a smile. "But I don't think I'll win again with the same costume."
"You'll be with me. That's the best prize at the party," I boasted.
Pippa started nudging me while the others booed playfully.
"You really liked Pippa as Enid, huh Jake?" Cara teased, still holding Freddie's hand.
I was sitting at my desk with my arm around Pippa. "You bet I did! She was really cute," I admitted without shame.
Pippa, on the other hand, was becoming embarrassed.
"Don't tell me you made a costume party just to kiss Pippa dressed as Enid?" Cara teased, joking—but hitting right on the spot.
Freddie looked down, Carly glanced away.
"Nooo way..." Cara murmured, catching their reactions.
"Really, guys, can you be a little more discreet?" I complained.
"Did you really do that?" Pippa asked, turning toward me.
"Do I look like the kind of guy who would do that on a whim?" I countered.
"Yeah," came a chorus.
I gasped.
"Okay, I might have suggested it. But come on, you really were cute."
"You could've asked me," Pippa muttered
"You wouldn't come to a normal party dressed like that," I reasoned.
"You could've asked me when we were alone," she added, realizing too late what she'd admitted, and hid her face in my chest.
"She's digging her own hole…" Sam remarked.
---
The next day, as usual, Cher and Regina were the first to arrive, making sure everything was in place.
Later, Cara, Freddie, and Pippa showed up. We greeted each other.
"So, it's Freddie Flintstone and Wilma?" I asked, laughing at their costumes.
"Yeah, nice, right?" Freddie grinned.
"I think they look really cute together," Pippa said, smiling.
"I think so too," I agreed. "We might already have our lovey-dovey couple winner," I joked.
Seeing that I got no reaction, I murmured, "Aye, they are totally lost..."
Then I added, "Lovebirds, you can use that balcony. Pippa and I will take this one."
Pippa raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you told me to come early?"
"Of course," I answered like it was obvious. "And don't try to act like an innocent girl—you're not even wearing gloss or lipstick," I added like I'd just uncovered a mystery.
"That's because I know you," Pippa said, but now she was the one leading the way to the balcony.
---
After a good while kissing Pippa, she pulled back slightly and spoke, "I think we should go," glancing at the clock and already hearing the noise of a growing crowd.
"That was worth it, my cute Enid," I nodded with a smile.
Pippa smiled back, then said, "I'm going to the bathroom—finally putting on some lipstick."
I headed to the party.
I greeted a large number of people on the way. Later I spotted Missy arriving, accompanied by three others.
I could vaguely hear the brunette whispering "dibs" to the blonde one.
"Missy, glad you came," I greeted as I hugged her.
"No way I would miss this," she grinned, then gestured to her group. "These are my friends."
"Lilly Truscott," the blonde introduced herself.
"Miley Stewart," the brunette chimed in with a smile.
Huh. Destiny Cyrus. Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana. Miley Stewart. Too many names...
"Jackson Stewart," the guy said.
"Aren't you too old to be here? Like, thirty?" I jested.
"I'm a Junior (highschooler)," he said, sounding offended.
Miley and Lilly laughed.
Then, another girl appeared.
"What is she doing here?" Miley muttered to Lilly, visibly annoyed, and received a light elbow in response.
"Hey, nice to see you here," I welcomed the new arrival.
And I thought: does Miley/Hannah have some kind of rivalry with Mikayla?
"Wow, nice party!" Mikayla complimented. "Sam told me, but I thought she was bragging or exaggerating."
"So, what's your costume?" I asked, noticing she looked pretty casual.
"I'm a witch. Just like my character Alex Russo," she explained with a grin.
"She just needs to wear normal clothes to be a witch. Figures," Miley whispered mockingly to Lilly, earning another elbow.
Mikayla, standing a bit farther away, didn't seem to hear it.
Then Paige and Pippa joined us.
"Pippa, this is my friend Missy," I introduced. "And her friends Miley, Jackson, and Lilly. Mikayla you've already met at the studio."
Everyone gave polite greetings.
"Paige I think everyone already knows... not like you're missing much," I muttered the last part and immediately got a stomp on the foot from Paige.
She grabbed Pippa by the shoulders, pulled her closer to me, then moved her back and forth.
"What are you doing, Paige?" I asked, confused.
"I'm testing if you have some kind of magnet for cute girls," she joked, noticing the ever-growing number around me.
I pulled Pippa into a hug and answered, "That's called charm."
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