Electoral Drum Roll Please

[Frozen Smoke]

Faith had accepted her inevitable loss in the dark hours of the early morning and turned over and gone to sleep. She had wanted to do more, but there was nothing to do but ruminate on what she'd not done, all the little things she'd dropped the ball on, and Faith had already stressed about that to the point where there was nothing left to do but conclude that everything she'd messed up would form into one big voltron of fuckups and smack her down. So she might as well hurry up and get ready to put a brave face on when dealing with it.

She'd reacted to the news in a state of near shock as it came over the speaker in an announcement. She'd tried to make sure she seemed confident, like she'd been sure of her win already when people asked her. She hadn't spoken to the people she'd planned to - the two she'd thought would win - Juliette & Claudeson, because for what felt like the first time in a while, she really didn't know what to say.

She was half expecting someone to tell her there had been a mistake in counting as the day inched by. She met the Vice-Principal briefly, and was told that there would be a briefing later in the week that'd help tell both her and Nathan what they were expected to do. That was good. Faith was beginning to realise she didn't actually know what went into the role at all. Her future felt shapeless because of that, an intangible concept that stretched out before her. It all felt impossibly distant. Like a mountain half glimpsed through the mists.

She'd shook Ms. Garcia's hand and responded in some shapeless, warm manner to what she'd said. She couldn't really remember the words right now, but it was something to the effect of looking forwards to working with her. Something about that brought a smile to her face, but it still felt unreal. Like something that could stop existing at any minute. She was walking on cloud nine, for sure, but she had the distinct feeling that physics was about to reassert itself any time now and she'd stop being able to walk on clouds.

What finally brought it home was what she encountered when she got home.

Specifically, a crushing bear hug from her Mom.

"You did it honey!" were the first words out of Terri's mouth as the hug was loosened, still holding Faith square by the shoulders as she pulled back to make eye contact. "I'm so proud of you!" was added on, and Faith couldn't help but smile sheepishly and look to the side. It felt nice to be congratulated and all, but it wasn't proper to lap it up. Plus, she was 18 now, it felt so much like her Mom didn't realise she'd grown up yet.

"Thanks Mom" she said bashfully, looking up to make eye contact with her again. "I knew I could do it." she lied.

Terri had grinned at that and replied with a simple "That's my girl!" that made Faith's smile just a little bit wider, before dropping a less than simple question on her. "You looking forwards to it?" Faith tried to think of a way to put a positive answer, but the hesitation showed well enough for Terri's smile to falter and her to ask a further one, voice softer now, and filled with concern. "You alright?"

Faith looked away for a moment and sighed. Things were feeling real now. Too real. She was beginning to realise just how much responsibility she'd taken on, and how much depended on her not fucking this up. If she fucked things up, this was all her friends were going to remember for years. What if she messed up the Prom? She could let the whole class down. Faith chewed the inside of her lip for a moment and she searched for an answer in silence. Her Mom waited patiently.

Maybe she should just resign the position before she fucked it up.

"I just..." She started, before she paused.

She wasn't sure what her Mom would think of this. She always acted with such surety, such confidence. She'd never put a foot wrong in her life. Faith had put her foot in a lot of wrong places over the years. Most of the people had deserved it, for sure, but she wasn't unaware of the way some people talked about her. She hoped most people knew that was just bullshit.

Well. If she was going to be open with anyone, it would probably be her Mom, right?

"I just don't..."

There was another urge to stop, to not talk. To wonder what her Mom would think of her.

Fuck it. Her Mom wasn't gonna judge her.

"I dunno if I can do this, Ma." she said, the words sounding strained as she looked back at her Mom, smile turned into a tense line on her face.

Her Mom's expression softened, and she was quickly wrapped up in a hug again. There was silence for a few moments as Faith closed her eyes and hugged her Mom back, feeling slightly guilty that she'd doubted her, before a voice interrupted her thoughts again.

"Faith. I know one thing about you, hun. You're going to try your best, right?"

Faith could help but respond with a quiet "Uhuh.", her voice sounding a little strained.

"Then I'm sure you'll do just fine, hun."

Faith didn't respond to that with words, but hugged her Mom a little tighter for a moment, before pulling away from her. She wiped her eyes with her hand quickly, trying to make it seem like she hadn't cried a little bit, and her Mom pretended not to notice.

"T- Thanks Mom." Faith said, her voice shaking a little bit still, despite her best effort. She exhaled loudly and deeply, and she felt like some of the stress she'd been feeling left with it, like she'd been holding something in this whole time and only just been able to get it out.

"No worries." Terri responded tenderly, finally dropping her hands from Faith's shoulders and smiling at her once again, the moment passing just as quickly as it had come. "Anyway, I won't keep you, I'm sure you have plenty of other people who want to talk to you."

Faith nodded at that, and silently thanked her Mom for giving her a less that awkward way to get out of the conversation. Facebook was going to be hectic tonight, she was sure of that. She'd just passed through the door frame to leave the living room and head up the stairs to her room, when her Mom's voice carried through the house to grab her attention again.

"And Faith!"

Faith poked her head back into the living room, a quizzical expression on her face as she looked back at her, wondering what else she had to say. Her Mom looked back at her with a cheeky grin that mirrored the one she used.

"Try not to rub it in too much when you see the losers tomorrow, alright?"

Faith's chuckling and promises to only lightly mock her opposition carried through the thin walls of the house as she stomped her way up the stairs.