Chapter 10
The day for Mr. Matthews' test finally arrived, and for the first time in a long while, Tate felt a bit of confidence. She had spent the entire weekend studying with Martha and had finally grasped concepts she never thought she could understand.
For once, she didn't feel like a complete failure.
Even her mom had noticed the change. "You seem happier and more confident lately," she had said that morning with a proud smile.
Tate had simply shrugged, but deep down, it felt nice to hear.
She was also relieved to be free from Damien. No more sitting beside him, no more feeling weirdly aware of his presence. But even though she tried to push it aside, one thing still lingered in her mind—her first kiss.
She still couldn't believe it had been with him.
All her life, she had imagined her first kiss happening in some special, magical moment—maybe under the stars, maybe at the perfect time with the perfect person. It was supposed to be full of fireworks, something she would cherish forever.
Not… in the middle of a crowded school hallway.
It didn't count, she told herself for the hundredth time. That could not be her first kiss.
Damien's new seat was on the left side of the class, two seats away from Martha's. Occasionally, their eyes would meet when she went to Martha's desk to borrow something or chat, but other than that, they barely interacted. And that was exactly how she wanted it.
After the test, Tate walked out of the classroom with a rare feeling of triumph. She had actually answered the questions well. She was sure she was going to do great, and that confidence made her feel lighter than she had in weeks.
By the time lunch break ended, she returned to the classroom, still riding the high of her victory—until Landon approached her.
"Tate, I want to tell you something, but you have to promise me you'll agree first," he said, standing in front of her desk.
Tate raised a brow. "I can't do that. I have to hear what you want to say first."
Landon groaned. "Just promise me, Tate."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine."
A grin spread across his face. "I'm planning to run for class governor."
Tate blinked. "Oh. That's nice, Landon. I'm rooting for you."
Landon hesitated, then said, "Well… you'll have to root for us."
Tate frowned. "What do you mean 'us'?"
Landon scratched the back of his neck, looking nervous. "I might have… or might not have… signed you up as my vice governor."
Tate's eyes widened. "You what?"
"I know you might be mad," he rushed to say, "but I did it for our own good."
Tate stared at him like he had lost his mind. "For our own good? Landon, why would you sign me up for something like this without even asking me?"
A normal person would probably be excited about this opportunity. It meant automatic popularity. Any other girl would be thrilled—Landon was one of the most well-known guys in school. Every girl he had ever dated or even been rumored to be involved with instantly became the center of attention.
But Tate wasn't comfortable with that kind of spotlight.
People would pick her apart, whisper about her, and judge her. She could already imagine the rumors spreading like wildfire.
Landon gave her a hopeful look. "So? What do you say about being my vice?"
"Absolutely not," Tate said flatly.
Landon groaned. "Tate, please. I don't want to look weak in front of everyone. I can't have people thinking my vice quit on me before we even started officially."
Tate scoffed. "Quit? You haven't even been voted in yet."
Landon hesitated. "Well… I might have left out an important detail."
Tate narrowed her eyes. "What detail?"
"I… don't actually have any opposition. So I've already been elected automatically."
Tate gaped at him. "Are you serious? And you're just now telling me this?"
"I swear I didn't know there wouldn't be any competition when I signed you up!" he defended. "Please, Tate. Don't quit on me. You don't even have to do anything. Just stand beside me during the campaign so I can show people I'm the perfect candidate. That's all."
Tate ran a hand through her hair, frustration building. "It's not that I don't want to help you, but Landon, every girl associated with you ends up with her entire life exposed to the whole school. People already think we're dating."
Landon looked genuinely surprised. "Really? I had no idea." Then he shrugged. "That's not a problem. I can always announce to everyone that we're strictly platonic."
Tate let out a deep sigh. This wasn't what she wanted at all, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice now.
"Fine," she finally said. "I'll do it. But the second this brings any negative attention my way, I'm out."
She already felt bad about herself most days—she didn't need the entire school pointing out her flaws too.
Landon's face lit up. "Really? Thank you, Tate! This means a lot to me."
Before she could react, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
Tate froze. What is it with people kissing me?
Landon pulled back, grinning. "You won't regret this."
Tate swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of the stares from nearby students.
Oh God. She was already regretting it.
As the final bell rang and the school day ended, Tate and Martha walked side by side toward the shuttle bus stop. The air was cooler now, filled with the soft chatter of students heading home.
"I heard you're our new vice class governor," Martha said with a small smile.
Tate blinked, surprised. "How did you know?"
"Landon told me," Martha replied, shrugging. "He wanted me to help with the campaign too, but I declined. Not really my scene."
Tate let out a small laugh but felt the anxiety creeping back in. The idea of standing in front of the whole school during a campaign made her stomach twist.
Martha glanced at her, as if sensing the discomfort bubbling beneath the surface. "I know you're worried," she said gently. "But don't be. You'll kill it. I believe in you."
Tate turned to look at her, touched by the sincerity in her voice. She smiled, feeling a warmth she hadn't expected.
Over time she and Martha had gotten closer—closer than she ever imagined they could be. Even her mom knew about Martha now.
At first, her plan had been to befriend Martha just to become more like her. But now, she barely even thought about that anymore. Martha had turned out to be one of the kindest, most genuine people she'd ever met.
Even though their friendship was still new, Tate was excited to see what it would grow into.
Maybe she didn't have to try so hard this year.