Chapter 18: A suspicious notification.
Hannah walked out of the washroom, a sense of calm washing over her that hadn't been there in weeks. As she did, she sighted Andrew still adjusting the belt of his plush bathrobe, a soft smile playing on his lips. She gently toweled her damp black hair as she walked closer to where he sat on the edge of the oversized tub.
Andrew's smile widened as she approached. "How are you doing?"
Hannah settled down beside him, the lingering warmth of the bath radiating from his skin. "Much better, thank you. This whole high school thing is utterly ridiculous, and the thought of being done with it is the only thing keeping me sane."
Andrew scoffed, pushing his damp blue hair away from his forehead, the movement accentuating the sharp angles of his jawline. "I feel you," he said, his gaze meeting hers with a shared understanding of teenage absurdity. "So, what brilliant escapes are brewing in that sharp mind of yours after graduation?"
Hannah's lips curved into a small, genuine smile as she looked at him. "Yale, with the perhaps slightly masochistic follow-up of Harvard Law."
A surprised laugh escaped Andrew, and Hannah chuckled along with him.
He turned to her, a playful skepticism in his eyes. "That's a rather intense combination. You planning on ruling the world or just making it a slightly more terrifyingly organized place?"
One of Hannah's dark eyebrows arched, a hint of her usual sharp wit returning. "So, you're a socialist, then? Clearly believe in the gentle redistribution of academic torture?"
Andrew met her gaze, a knowing glint in his own. "All I'm saying is don't tie your inherent worth to some dusty, archaic yardstick of what 'the best' supposedly means. There are more valuable currencies in life than prestige."
Hannah simply looked at him, a flicker of something akin to respect in her eyes. Andrew's expression softened, becoming more serious. "Hey," he began, his voice dropping a register, "can I tell you something that might make you very uncomfortable?"
Hannah's smile softened. "Considering the morning we've both had, I'd say the discomfort threshold is pretty high. I guess you have to now."
Andrew inhaled deeply, the playful air dissipating. "I just want to say I'm genuinely sorry. About what happened with NK. It was… shitty, and you didn't deserve any of it."
Hannah adjusted her position, turning to face him more fully, her gaze steady. "Thank you." The words were soft, almost swallowed by the quiet of the room. She looked at him, a vulnerability in her blue eyes. "It really means a lot to hear you say that."
Andrew leaned closer, a silent understanding passing between them. He gently cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing a soft line along her jaw before his lips met hers in a tender kiss, a quiet offering of solace and connection. He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. Then he looked at her, his eyes searching hers with a gentle concern. "You good?"
Hannah nodded slowly, a small, genuine smile returning. He gently placed his hands on her back, drawing her closer as she leaned into him.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. The bright lights of the school hall illuminated a small stage where a banner was being unfurled. A man stood at a podium, his voice booming through the loudspeakers. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the visionary founder of the… Cis Hetero Men Championing Female Identifying Students League!"
Hannah, now dressed, stood near the back, a wry smile playing on her lips as she clutched her Stanley cup. The irony of the situation was almost comical.
The man on stage beamed. "Championing Female Identifying Students League! Give it up for… NK Brusard!"
A wave of enthusiastic applause erupted from the students, including Sage and her meticulously synchronized clique – Sofia, Clowe, and a noticeably subdued Stephen, who offered a perfunctory gesture of polite acknowledgement with their middle fingers touching.
Hannah gently placed her Stanley cup on a nearby table, a genuine, almost manic grin spreading across her face. This was it.
NK stepped forward, basking in the applause, flanked by two students proudly holding aloft the banner: "Cis Hetero Men Championing Female Identifying Students League." Below it, in slightly smaller letters, read: "First Annual Valentine's Self Love Palooza!"
Andrew, standing beside Hannah, watched the spectacle with a mixture of amusement and anticipation. "Thank you! Thank you all so much!" NK exclaimed as the cheers began to subside, his smile radiating self-satisfaction.
"So," NK continued, striking a thoughtful pose, "we in the league have been racking our brains, trying to figure out just how much you incredible ladies mean to us." Hannah took a slow sip from her Stanley cup, her eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. Andrew subtly shifted closer to her. "To devise a way to truly show all you amazing female-identifying students at this school just how much we respect you. How much we value you." Stephen, standing awkwardly with Sage's group, almost choked on the water she had just taken a sip of, her eyes wide with disbelief at NK's pronouncements.
"Come on, let's hear it one more time for supporting women!" Nick, standing slightly behind and to the side of NK, bellowed into his own microphone, gesturing emphatically. The applause swelled again. Andrew exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Hannah.
NK smiled magnanimously. "Now, as we all know, Valentine's Day… well, let's be honest, it's been historically… rather patriarchal. Heavily heteronormative. And, frankly, it can be kind of isolating if you don't happen to have that 'special someone' in your life to validate your existence." A few students murmured in agreement. Stephen's shock deepened.
"In fact," NK declared, his voice rising with conviction, "the most special someone in your life… is you!"
"Aww," a smattering of voices from the crowd responded.
"So… we thought," NK continued, gesturing expansively, "why don't we take back this day? Reclaim it! And make it all about celebrating… ourselves!"
Just then, a sharp, digital "Ding!" echoed through the hall as an alarm simultaneously blared from every student's phone. A wave of confusion rippled through the crowd as everyone instinctively reached for their devices. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as they opened their screens, their initial surprise quickly morphing into shock and disbelief as they looked at each other, a silent question hanging in the air.