The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance

by Chantal Gadoury

  RACHEL: Samantha is just one person, Charlie. Let her talk…

  RACHEL: Bring someone and have fun.

  RACHEL: Don’t let her stop you.

  RACHEL: Plus, I like the way you smile when he’s around.

  CHARLIE: Who? I don’t smile around Micah.

  RACHEL: Yes, you do ^_^ It’s a nice change.

  CHARLIE: I don’t really like him, you know that, right?

  CHARLIE: Sam is just saying I like him… It’s a lie.

  RACHEL: Whatever you have to tell yourself, Charlie. lol

  CHARLIE: I’m serious!

  RACHEL: I’ll see you and Micah at the dance on Friday. Nite!

  I lowered my phone and stared up at the ceiling. Who was I fooling? I did like Micah. Rachel saw it; Jennifer saw it. Did he? I lay there, contemplating. What if he was like this with other girls? What if he only wanted to spend time with me because of the project? What if he just felt bad for me…?

  Then I heard another ding from my phone. I held my breath as I hoped to see his name appear. Sure enough….

  MICAH: Whatcha doin’

  I smiled, swiping my finger along the touch screen, opening up the message to reply.

  CHARLIE: Sleeping. Like a normal human being.

  MICAH: Ur failing.

  MICAH: Ur replying to me.

  CHARLIE: What are you doing right now?

  MICAH: Just got off the phone w/ Paul.

  MICAH: He’s gonna start building 2morrow.

  CHARLIE: Oh wow! Great!

  MICAH: Guess we should start rehearsing.

  CHARLIE: HA! We have to get it approved by Mrs. Tenner first.

  MICAH: I already turned in a copy.

  MICAH: She gave it the OK.

  CHARLIE: When did you do that??

  MICAH: Uhhhhhh…? The other day?

  CHARLIE: Oh. You didn’t say anything.

  MICAH: Sorry. Just forgot.

  MICAH: So Paul and Marshall are having a bonfire on Friday.

  MICAH: Wanna tag along?

  I stared at the screen, frozen. Was Micah asking me out? But Rachel…? My gut twisted as I tried to think of how to phrase that I already had plans. I didn’t want him to think I was saying no.

  MICAH: Hello????? Did u fall asleep?

  CHARLIE: Rachel is having a dance to support the veterans on Friday.

  CHARLIE: I already said I’d go.

  MICAH: Gotcha.

  CHARLIE: Would you…want to go to that?

  CHARLIE: We could go to the bonfire afterwards?

  MICAH: R u asking me to go to a dance?

  CHARLIE: I’m asking if you’d like to hang out.

  MICAH: It’s all in the wording isn’t it? lol

  CHARLIE: Yes or no?

  MICAH: Ohhhhhhhhh, now ur pressuring me.

  CHARLIE: Forget it!

  My stomach churned and I looked away from the screen. For the first time, I had asked out a boy and he avoided the question. My phone dinged again, and I ignored it until it went off a second time.

  MICAH: Is this a date then?

  MICAH: Sure, I’ll go.

  I reread the texts. Was it a date? It didn’t have to be. Certainly not if he didn’t want it to be. I tried to think quickly, in the haze of sleepiness and exhilaration.

  CHARLIE: It’s doesn’t have to be a date.

  MICAH: I’ll pick you up at 7.

  MICAH: Night Charlie.

  I put my phone on my nightstand. I was going to a dance and a bonfire with Micah on Friday. Two different events with him in one night! I pulled the comforter over my head and tried to force myself to relax. I was just too excited and couldn’t seem to erase the smile from my face. I knew full well if I didn’t settle down and fall asleep soon, I’d be dragging in the morning.

  “Dangerously”

  Charlie Puth

  IT DIDN’T TAKE TOO MUCH to convince my parents to allow me to go to the dance with Rachel. But the bonfire took a little more work with my dad. He sat at the dinner table, fork in hand as he peered at me.

  “Will there be drinking?” He twirled the spaghetti noodles around his utensil.

  “I don’t think so.” Honestly, I had no idea what went on during a bonfire. I had never been to one. Most of the time, getting out of the house meant going to the movies, to Rachel’s youth group, or walking around the mall. A bonfire was something new to the list of Things-Charlie-Goes-Out-To-Do.

  “I remember when I was young, people drank at bonfires. I’m not really sure I want you going.”

  “I’ll just be hanging out with Micah,” I tried to explain. “We’re not even of legal drinking age, yet.”

  “Do you really think that matters?” Josh spoke up from the other side of the kitchen, cupping his can of soda.

  “No one asked you,” I snapped. “Dad, we’re gonna go to the dance with Rachel, and then we’re just meeting up with a few of his friends. They’re the ones who are going to build our sets.”

  “I don’t know, honey. I don’t think your mother would be okay with it either.”

  “I promise, if there’s alcohol, I won’t drink it.”

  “You’re not the one I’m worried about,” Dad said sternly. “What about Micah? If he’s driving you there, he’ll have to drive you home. I don’t want him to drink and drive.”

  “He won’t,” I insisted. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”

  Dad gave me a dubious look. “If you really insist, Charlie…you can go. But if he drinks, call home right away. You’re not getting in the car with him.”

  “He won’t, Dad,” I repeated. “But I promise, if I see anything, I’ll call home.”

  “You’d better.” He took a bite of spaghetti. Watching him, I hoped I could trust Micah to make the right choices. I hoped I hadn’t just lied to my dad.

  FRIDAY SEEMED TO ARRIVE ALL too quickly. Surprisingly, in my excitement, I kept the plans with Micah to myself. After school, I escaped into my room and took my time dressing for the night. All day, I had been thinking about the dance and what it would be like to go to the bonfire with him. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I hoped it would be fun.

  “See you at seven,” Micah had told me before I got off the bus, making my stomach leap in anticipation.

  As I stood in front of my mirror, looking at my reflection, I started to panic. Was this too much? Did I look too fancy? I had decided to wear my favorite black dress with pink and white flowers woven in the fabric, with a warm pair of leggings and boots. It wasn’t the normal clothing Micah usually saw me in. Maybe this could be a date. I was kind of treating it like one.

  “Look at you, trying to be all snazzy,” Josh said from my doorway.

  “Creep. Spying on me?”

  “Hardly,” he snorted and came to sit down on my bed. I moved over to my desk, where a few selections of eye shadows and mascara awaited me.

  “So you’re really going to this bonfire thing, huh? Are you and him a thing now?”

  “No way. We’re just friends.”

  “Right,” Josh said sarcastically. “Well, just be careful tonight.”

  “I know,” I replied. “I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt, though.”

  “He seems nice and all…but his friends are a little…” Josh made a face. “I don’t know, some of them are all right. But some of them….”

  “Paul doesn’t seem all that bad.” I turned to look at myself in the mirror.

  “I’m a guy and I know how guys think,” Josh reminded me. “You’re not an unattractive girl. You’d be surprised how many times I hear something about ‘your sister’ on the team.”

  At that, I wrinkled and my nose. Ew. Josh’s teammates were just gross.

  “TMI,” I muttered as I wrinkled my nose with disgust.

  “Imagine how I feel,” he grunted. “But it’s true. And I just want to look out for you. I don’t wan
t to have to punch someone in the face. Because I will. Whether it’s Micah or….”

  “Aw.” I came to sit down beside him. “Thanks for caring about me, Grumpy.”

  “Duh, of course I do,” Josh nudged me. “What sort of brother wouldn’t care? Dork.”

  “True. Though, I’ve been banking on the idea that you’re actually an alien, just pretending to be a human. It would explain your weirdness.”

  “You wish,” he chuckled.

  “I appreciate your caring,” I added sincerely.

  “Don’t get too used to it. I do have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Whatever that is.” I stood up.

  Josh pushed himself off the bed. “Whatever you do, just say no, all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, Dad,” I teased.

  “Hey, I look too good to be ancient history.” He coiffed his gleaming blond hair.

  “Maybe to a toothless, bar-hopping old lady.” I laughed. He tossed a pillow from my bed at me. “Go away, already!” I giggled.

  He retreated back to his room. Sometimes, I was grateful for him…sometimes.

  I emerged from my room. Mom’s eyes widened as she saw me, but she quickly refocused on the mail again, hiding her grin. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, opening the fridge for a water bottle.

  “Are you dressed up for the dance?”

  I nodded as I closed the fridge door.

  “That’s nice. I like that you’re getting out, Charlie. Dinner will be in a few minutes.”

  Thankfully, dinner was quick, despite everyone focusing on my appearance. I guess it had been a while since I was last seen wearing a dress. Before I knew it, seven o’clock rolled around and Micah pulled into our driveway in his black Grand Am.

  “No drinking,” Dad reinforced sternly. “I mean it. If he drinks, you call me. I’ll come and get you.”

  “It’ll be fine, Dad,” I reassured him. “He won’t.”

  “You say that,” Dad responded as I hugged him tightly and pressed a small kiss on his cheek, hoping that would bring him some comfort. I might have only been sixteen, but I certainly felt old enough to make responsible decisions.

  I bolted out the door before my dad changed his mind. Micah was getting out of the car just as I shut the front door behind me.

  “Oh, I was just coming to get you,” he said, pushing his hands into his pockets.

  “I’ll save you a trip,” I said, heading down the path to the passenger side of the car. He eyed me, and then opened the car door to get back in. As he sat down beside me, I took notice of his clothing. He was wearing jeans and a nice light blue shirt with rolled up sleeves, and he smelled good. Really good.

  “So, this dance,” Micah began as he pulled out of the driveway, “is this a whole school thing?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Rachel told me her youth group is hosting it to support veterans. Any money they raise tonight goes to them.”

  “It’s not going to be full of ‘I love Jesus’ music, is it?” He looked me over again, but didn’t make any comments about my appearance.

  “I don’t think we’ll be listening to Eminem, if that’s what you were hoping.” I smirked.

  “Damn,” he teased with a playful smile. “It’ll feel so empty without him!”

  It didn’t take long to get to the fire hall. The great thing about the size of Grand Lakes was that everything was nearby, only a few minutes away. The fire hall was already crowded as we pulled into the parking lot, and it took some time to finally find a free space. Micah sat for a moment, nervously wiping his hands on his knees.

  “You ready for this, C?” Micah glanced at me.

  “Are you scared?” I smiled. “It’s really not a big deal. It’s just a dance.”

  “Heck no, I’m not scared!” His body language said otherwise.

  “We don’t have to stay long, if you don’t want to. I just promised Rachel I’d—” I started, but Micah cut me off.

  “No, no. We’ll stay for a bit. It’ll be fun.” He turned off the ignition and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Let’s get in there. I can’t wait to see your moves.” Anxiety filled me and twisted in my stomach like a pretzel as we got out of the car and walked side by side into the building. I fought off the desire to hold his hand, the same way he had held mine as we left Samantha’s house. We paid the few dollars for admission at the front door, and were greeted by loud music coming from the adjoining rooms. I was pretty sure the song playing was by Fall Out Boy.

  Rachel was the first to wave at us from the dance floor. There were flashing lights everywhere, and a glittering disco ball was set in the middle of the ceiling. I was surprised at how cool everything looked. I had expected just a table with some fruit punch and someone manning an iHome. But the youth group had gone all-out with decorations, a DJ, and a photo booth.

  “It’s kinda busy in here, huh?” Micah shouted over the music to me.

  “Yeah! It’s great! I’m so glad Rachel’s group had such a good turnout!”

  “I’m just glad this didn’t turn out lame,” he replied with a grin. “You don’t really dance at these things, do you?” Micah looked worried.

  “Honestly, I hardly go to these things. Any dancing I do is usually in the privacy of my own room. And even that’s hard to do with an older brother down the hall. But,” I added coyly, “I guess it depends on if you’re asking me to….”

  I had been so apprehensive to go to this event with him, but now I just wanted to let loose and have fun with him. We were friends, hanging out at a social gathering—and that’s all it had to be.

  “I’m not.” He shook his head. “Go on and find someone else.”

  “Come on, spoil sport, I can guarantee I’m worse than you.” I yanked his wrist and pulled him to the area where everyone else was rocking out to the music. I usually avoided events like this at all costs, but this night was different. A new song began to play, “Cheap Thrills,” which had a Bollywood-like sound, with a steady, catchy rhythm.

  “Do you think you can keep up?” Micah teased as he fell into step with the music. I responded with a giggle. My heart began to pound nervously in my chest; it almost felt like it was beating in time to the song. My hands felt clammy as I flexed my fingers at my sides and watched as Micah took a step closer to me. I was interested to see Micah’s moves. Even more, I was anxious to be so close to him.

  “I can try!” I shouted over the loud music. But there would be no trying. I already knew I was the worst dancer in the entire room. Micah would be lucky to come out of the fire hall without bruises on his feet.

  “We’ll have to get a bit closer,” Micah said, as his hands fell to my waist. He pulled me against his warm body. I looked up into his dark, brown eyes and did my best not to melt under them. I tried to mimic his movements, but my efforts were terrible. He seemed to move so quickly and fluidly; he didn’t miss a beat. I could see the smile growing on his face as he watched me struggle. He tightened his grip on my waist, guiding me to find the rhythm.

  “You suck at this, Charlie,” he laughed.

  “I know it!” I shouted back, laughing, too. “I have two left feet.”

  “Clearly!” Micah pulled me closer against his hips. I had never been so close to a boy before in my life. I could feel my cheeks growing warm. Micah bit his lip, as if concentrating deeply on the music and the movement of his body.

  His brown-eyed stare met mine, and there was a sudden, unspoken something between us. I didn’t know what it was, but I could feel it. It was the same electrifying connection we had in his car when we first hung out. But now, I didn’t have the urge to run and hide. I was too consumed in the music and in Micah. His dark eyes challenged me to stay and face the unknown with him.

  My two left feet and I were relieved when the song faded. I started to pull away, but felt the tug of his hand on my
arm as a soft, slower melody began to play in the background.

  “Where are you going?” he asked with a small, breathless smile.

  “I thought you hated to dance?” I asked, panting softly.

  “It’s my job to keep you guessing, isn’t it?” He grinned. “You can’t go now, it’s a slow song. These will become valuable memories when you’re old.” His tone was teasing, and I rolled my eyes.

  “You’ll be this elderly, wrinkly lady and you’ll have that weird smell from having too many cats. And one day, you’ll hear this song playing on some oldies station and you’ll remember this handsome boy and his poor feet you stepped on during a youth group dance.”

  “I won’t be a stinky cat lady,” I informed him. “I don’t even like cats.”

  “Of course not.” He tugged on my hand again. “Come on, you got me out here. Dance with me.”

  I couldn’t resist. I had spent most of my previous dances wondering what it would be like to dance with a boy instead of sipping fruit punch with Jennifer. I wanted to get swept away in someone’s arms, moving to a beautiful song with all of my peers staring at us. Micah was right about one thing—songs could be kept like memories. I knew, no matter where I went in life, I could go back to this song and remember this moment. As if it were a special gift. As if he were saying, this is from me, to you.