Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,75

all the beautiful ladies out there!” Matt yelled into the microphone.

“See,” I said, but my voice was so weak I doubted Kennedy heard it. Had he really moved on that quickly? Hadn’t I? I swallowed hard. I hadn’t. That was the whole problem.

“Just kidding,” Matt said. “This one’s for my girl. Brooklyn Sanders in the house!”

Oh my God. He really is going to sing to me.

Kennedy nudged me with her elbow.

“This isn’t happening,” I said as students had already started looking back and forth between me and the float.

“Oh, it’s happening,” Kennedy said with a laugh as the music got louder.

“I know what I’ve done wrong,” Matt sung. If you could even call it singing, because it was way off key. “I’ve known it all along. I’ve tried to come clean a time or two. But I won’t steal any more time from you.”

I stared at him in horror. He was changing the lyrics to be about…us. I think? “What the hell is he doing?”

Kennedy grabbed my hand. “It’s a grand romantic gesture. He’s winning you back!”

I could feel my face turning bright red.

“What am I doing?” Kennedy said and pulled her hand out of mine. “I need pictures of this.” She lifted up her camera and started snapping away.

“Tell me you haven’t thrown me away,” Matt sung. “Because I’m done playing games with you, babe.”

His football friends leaned into the mic and added an out of tune, “Done playing games, babe.”

I wanted to run away from all the prying eyes. But my ass was firmly glued to the cold metal bench. Had he lost his freaking mind?

“Everyone needs to know about us,” Matt sung. “Brooklyn you’re not a dirty little secret.”

“No dirty little secret,” his football friends sang.

“I’ll tell everyone because you are not a regret.” Matt and his backup football dancers did a weird little spin maneuver. “Not a regret, hope you can believe that. You are not a dirty little secret, everyone needs to know.” He pointed up at me and did a weird hip thrust.

“We all know,” the football chorus sang and did matching hip thrusts.

It felt like everyone left in the stadium was turning my direction. Except for someone in a suit who looked beyond pissed who was running up to the float. Oh my God, it’s the principal. Coach Carter, my gym teacher and the football coach, ran up to the float too. He was waving his hands in the air in clear agitation.

Matt ignored both of them. “Apart we live fragile lives. But together is the best way to survive.”

“Best way to survive,” the other boys sang.

“Get off the float!” Coach Carter yelled. “Right now.”

“I’ve been around a time or two.” Matt winked at me, not seeming to care at all about the fact that he was in serious trouble.

I laughed because I didn’t know what else to do. At least he wasn’t lying anymore. He’d definitely been around a time or two.

“Stop this right now!” hissed the principal.

“I’ve never wasted a second on you!” Matt sang as Coach Carter lunged for one of his legs. “Shit,” Matt said as he ran into one of his backup dancers.

I was pretty sure he mumbled it, but it was into a microphone so it was really freaking loud.

I started laughing harder than I had in a really long time. This was freaking amazing.

The principal climbed onto the float and demanded for Matt to hand over the mic. Instead of complying, Matt jumped off the float. Coach Carter and the principal started chasing him.

“Tell me you haven’t thrown me away!” Matt sang as he ran across the field, picking up his pace. “You’re not a game and I’m sorry. You are the only one. I love you, Brooklyn.” He chucked the mic on the field and sprinted toward the gym, Coach Carter hot on his trail. The principal had stopped at the 30 yard line, panting hard, his hands on his knees.

The stadium erupted in cheers that were just as loud as when the Eagles had scored a touchdown.

“If that’s not an apology I don’t know what is,” Kennedy said.

It was a grand gesture, just like she’d said. Matt was not a good singer. Or dancer. And he’d just done both in front of the biggest crowd I could imagine, despite the fact that the principal was pissed. What was more public than that? I wasn’t his dirty little secret anymore. He wanted me back. I wasn’t sure if he had up until this point, but