Crushes

Chapter 15

"Are guys excited for tonight," Sky asks eagerly as we hand in our short story packets.

"I'm kind of being forced to go," Tyler says.

"We're all 'kind of being forced to go,'" Kate mocks as she opens her copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.

"I'm ready for tomorrow," I say.

"Definitely," Kate agrees with a smile.

"Oh my goodness, you two looked so cute yesterday and are going to look so cute tonight after the game," Sky says really loudly.

"Alright, we're going to get through two chapters today and then you guys will have some questions to answer afterwards," Mrs. Bell explains as she presses play for the audiobook.

In the middle of the chapter, Kate leaned over to me and whisperer, "don't bring your tuxedo, nobody dresses up for the homecoming dance."

~~~

We were in the middle of putting away our band uniforms after the game, "is Tessa upset that she can't come to the dance," Kate asks me as she pulls the hair-tie from her hair.

"Yeah, she really wanted to come and hang out with her cheer friends," I answer, throwing my hat into the box.

"I probably won't stay that late, we have to get up super early tomorrow," she gathers her stuff into one spot before taking her hoody from her cubby.

"Yeah," I say, putting my stuff away.

"Are you guys ready," Sky asks as she hops over to Kate and I.

"Yeah," Kate says as she pulls out a five dollar bill. The four of us walk to the gym and pay to get in where we were blasted with really loud music, "this is really a step up from last year," Kate yells over the music.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she looks around, "what happened to Sky and Tyler?"

I look around until I find Tyler's dark hair, "over there," I point to them.

"Wow," Kate walks over to the bleachers and takes a seat on the layer closest to the wall, "she really likes him."

"Seems like it," I say, "are you sure you just want to sit there?"

"It's what I usually do, I don't dance that much or that well."

I shrug, "can't be any worse than me."

"I find that really hard to believe," she says, moving to a dark corner where nobody could see her.

"Is that a bet?"

She smiles as she starts to dance completely out of rhythm, "told you."

I nearly fall to the ground laughing, holding my stomach, "you win, I can't believe you can march with a perfect beat, but you can't keep a beat with the music."

She joins in on my laughs, "they're two completely different types of music," she slides her hands into her pockets on her hoody and walks out of the gym, I follow her, "it's too loud in there."

"Yeah."

"Kate," I hear a voice yell, the next thing I know, she's surrounded by a group of other sophomores that I've seen around school, but haven't actually met.

"Hey," she says back.

"Where's Sky?"

"She's in the gym with Tyler."

"Thanks," the girls run off and into the gym.

"What was that about," I ask Kate.

"God, they were some of Sky's friends. I, personally, find them highly annoying."

"Seems like it," I say.

"Can I have a Pepsi," she asks the person at the concession stand, once she has her pop, she walks over to our usual lunch table and sits down. We sit in an awkward silence, "so?"

I look around and see that we're the only one's in here, except for the one's at the concession stand, "what do you like to do for fun?"

She looks at me and then laughs, "sorry, she says," she stops to think, "I draw a lot, write, work on stuff for school, what about you?"

"I hang out with Tess, play video games, watch movies," she finishes what's left of her pop and throws it away, "wanna go back up?"

She sighs, "not really, but if I don't show back up Sky will freak out."

Once we're back in the gym, we sit awkwardly on the bleachers. A few songs pass and then a slow song starts as everybody gets to their partner, leaving Kate and I by ourselves, "well," I say.

"Um..."

"You wanna dance," I ask awkwardly.

"I'm horrible at dancing."

"So am I," Kate smiles and stands up.

"Fine," she says with a laugh, she grabs my wrist and pulls me into the crowd.

I put my hands around her waist and she puts her arms on my shoulders, we move awkwardly with the music, "ready for tomorrow," I ask, trying to make it a little less awkward.

"I'm gonna be so tired," she says.

"You can sleep on the ride there it's like a four hour ride or something," I say.

"Yeah, but I'm going to have to get up super early."

"I can help you with your stuff if you want."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I realize that we are slowly stepping closer together, closing the space between us, we get so close that she rests her head on my chest, "are you going to sit next to Sky on the bus tomorrow?"

"No," she looks up at me, "she'll probably sit with Tyler."

"While I get our stuff loaded on the bus, do you want to get a seat for us?"

She smiles, red going to her cheeks, "yeah," could she like me?

"Remember that game we were playing with Tessa?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have a crush on someone?"

"Someone," she answers, "you?"

I smile, "someone."