I looked down at my foot. “I’m not supposed to run on it yet. I’m really afraid of messing it up when I’m so close to getting cleared to start practice again.”
“Oh, I’m not saying you should run yet. Just come join in on the camaraderie. You can stretch with us and do your work out in the grass near the track. It’s conditioning day, so we’ll all be pretty close to the football field today.”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip. It was so tempting to say yes, but I would feel silly doing crunches and pushups while everyone else did more intense routines.
“Come, on.”
I thought of the spare running outfit I had in my locker. “Fine. I’ll be out in a few.”
When I finished and made my way out to the track, I was surprised by the welcome I received. Neal jogged over to me as soon as he spotted me coming that way. “Hey, Babe.”
Babe?
He wrapped his arm over my shoulder, just as he did earlier, but this time he planted a kiss on my cheek. It was in full view of everyone, and I blushed furiously.
Amy had a wide smile on her face, Victoria scowled, and I even managed to catch how Chase’s jaw ticked before he turned to Coach. I didn’t know what to think about the different reactions, but if I had to judge being out there with the team as a whole, I’d say it felt amazing. I hadn’t been skipping practice that long but being out here with everyone made me realize just how much I’d missed (almost) everyone.
A minute later Coach was walking over to me. “Andrews, what are you doing out here? You aren’t cleared for activity until next week.”
“Neal and I thought it might be nice to practice with the team. I promise I won’t do anything to compromise my recovery. I just want to be near everyone.”
He eyed me from behind the ever-present clipboard. “Okay.” He nodded. “You stick with the exercises your doctor approved and only those.”
“Yes, sir,” I said with a touch of sarcasm in my voice.
“It’s good to have you back.” He walked over to where most of the team stood. “What are you all looking at? Run a mile and come back for the burn.”
There were some giggles from Amy and Cassidy as everyone started their run. Coach went inside the school building for whatever reason, leaving me and Chase together in the clearing.
“You’re not going to run with everyone?” I asked as he approached me.
“I should probably stick around. Assistant coach and all.” His voice was quiet, and he refused to make eye contact with me.
“Yeah, well I’m pretty sure I can handle a couple minutes on the field without supervision.”
“So, you and Neal, huh?” He looked up at me.
I let out a breath that was a sad excuse for a laugh. “I guess? I have no idea. I mean, we’re going to Homecoming, and then he started calling me Babe?”
Chase shook his head slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“Nothing. Just remember what I said, okay? Neal is used to a certain kind of girl, and you aren’t it.”
He walked away just in time for Neal to come around the corner. I was happy he didn’t catch me talking to Chase. With that last comment, I was so over him. He’d insulted me for the last time. I kept thinking it was some kind of contest between Neal and Chase. But I had been wrong.
I chose Neal, and that was that.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I can’t believe you’re going to Homecoming with Neal,” Amy squealed as she helped me finish my hair. It was a mess—my curls refusing to cooperate—but Amy was determined. She was currently fixing the ringlets that framed my face. The rest of my hair was in a French twist, complete with flower bobby pins decorating my hair.
My dress was simple—light pink, with spaghetti straps and a matching shawl.
The matching boutonniere was sitting on my desk. I’d gotten it from Petal Pushers, the fancy florist downtown, and the ribbon matched my dress almost perfectly.
I looked at Amy through the mirror’s reflection as she concentrated on the defiant strand of hair. “I still can’t believe you’re not going.”
“Oh, whatever. I got the crown last year. How could I top that?” Her voice was flippant, but I knew she was still bothered.
“You could come dance with me? Keep me company?”
She giggled. “I’m sure Neal will keep you plenty company.”
I felt my face heat up, and sure enough, when I looked up at myself in the mirror, I could see my cheeks were red. “We’re going as friends.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Fine! I don’t know what’s going on between Neal and me, but we haven’t used boyfriend and girlfriend yet. For all I know, maybe we are friends.”
“But you want to date him?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “I’ve decided boys are stupid, but they can be fun sometimes.”
“Boys meaning Chase?” Amy set the curling iron on my desk and lifted her eyebrows at me.
“Boys meaning all boys. Chase, Neal, Josh, all of them.”
“Wait,” Amy put her hands up. “What happened with Josh?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you mentioning him?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Because he’s a hot boy, and therefore grouped in with the rest of the stupid, hot guys that roam around Rosemark. Or used to…” I said the last part under my breath, thinking specifically about Chase and his stupid blond hair, and his stupid blue eyes, and the way his stupid mouth felt against mine.
“Mmm hmm,” Amy repeated.
“Will you stop doing that?”
“Not until you admit you are the belle of the ball.”
I laughed. “What are you, my eighty-year-old grandma? Stop with the mmm hmm and the belle of the ball talk. Be seventeen with me and tell me how amazing I look.”
“Fine, sweetie.” She reached out and grabbed my cheeks. “You are the most amazing wittle girl there is, all dressed up for her special night.”
I smacked her hand away but started laughing. Her old lady impression helped take some of the nervousness I felt away. Because if I was willing to admit it, I was nervous. This was my first date ever, and I might have my second kiss ever, with a completely different guy than the first time. My experience was growing exponentially, and while I wasn’t a prude compared to some of my classmates, it felt like everything was moving faster than I was ready for.
“Thank you,” I whispered as I hugged Amy tightly. “You’re the best friend a girl could hope for.”
“You’re welcome,” she answered, her voice cut off by the doorbell.
Neal was here. My eyes widened. “What do I do?”
Amy’s grin was mischievous. “You sit right here like you aren’t finished getting ready. You let Neal wait for a little while downstairs talking to your parents. I’ll go down, and let your mom know you need a few more minutes.”
I looked down at my dress and back up. “But I’m ready.”
“Sit,” she ordered. “I’ll come back when you’re allowed to come downstairs.”
I stayed seated on my bed for precisely .03 seconds before I was up and pacing around my room. I wondered what Neal looked like. Did he get a corsage that matched my dress? What if he didn’t get one at all and I was forced to show up without one? Should I just be happy to have a date? What if he was getting mad at being forced to wait?
My breath started coming quickly, and my palms were sweating.
So, so attractive, Nicole.
I bet Neal would be so thrilled he waited so long on a hyperventilating sweat factory. I was about to go against Amy’s orders and march my happy butt downstairs when my computer dinged, letting me know someone was sending me a message on AIM.
ChasingPerfection03: Are you excited about tonight?
I’d never seen the screen name before, but it was so obviously Chase, I didn’t have to ask. Perfect was certainly one way to describe the guy.
NotNicole1123: How did you get my screen
name?
I hit enter and reread what I wrote. I sounded aggressive, and defensive rolled up in one. But seriously, how did he get it?
ChasingPerfection03: Start of the season sign-ups.
Oh, right.
ChasingPerfection03: I bet you look beautiful.
NotNicole1123: YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THIS!
I pounded each key as I typed my response. He wanted to kiss me and deny it. Give me lovesick looks, and then tell me we couldn’t be together because of responsibility. When he told me, I wasn’t good enough for Neal, that was the final straw. I was over it.
ChasingPerfection03: You’re right. Just be careful tonight.
ChasingPerfection03: With Neal.
NotNicole1123: Okay, Dad.
I was angry when I typed the words but reading them on my screen reminded me of when I said the same thing to him just a couple weeks ago. I still remembered the way his hair felt between my fingers when I messed it up.
Stop it, Nicole, I scolded myself. You literally have another boy downstairs waiting to take you on your first date. Do not start thinking about Chase and his stupid face, that wasn’t so stupid after all.
He didn’t sign off but didn’t type anything else. I didn’t either. I was angry with his hot and cold attitude, but at least it was good for something. I no longer was a ball of nerves about to throw up in her bedroom.
Which was perfect, because soon Amy was knocking lightly on my bedroom door and walking in. “I think the poor guy has waited long enough. You should come downstairs.”
I started to walk toward my door, but Amy stopped me. “And be forewarned, your mom is ready with the camera.”
I’d expected no less.
My mom spent twenty minutes taking pictures before Neal, and I were allowed to leave the house. By the time she was done, we were racing to see who could get out the door the quickest.
She had insisted on a picture of me standing on the stairs. Another of Neal putting the corsage on my wrist, and of course, one of me pinning the boutonnière to his suit jacket.
The two of us.
Just me.
Then just Neal.
The woman probably had at least a hundred pictures of this evening, enough to fill an entire scrapbook. I thought of the bookshelf filled with all of my mother’s Creative Memories albums. Yep. There would definitely be an addition to the shelf soon. She was probably already going through the catalog that showed all the different types of stickers she could use to commemorate the evening.
I shivered at the thought as I sat in the passenger seat of Neal’s car. It was a clunker and a five-speed. Every time he switched gears, I found my head whipping forward and immediately back against the seat. I tried to hold my upper body stiff so that my hair wouldn’t get messed up against the headrest.
“Cold?” Neal asked from beside me as he shifted into fourth.
“What?” I looked up trying to figure out why he’d think that. The heater was on full blast, and I could already feel the makeup Amy had expertly applied wanting to melt off.
Neal looked at me like I was an idiot, though not entirely unkindly. “You shivered,” he said simply.
“Oh, right.” I chuckled to myself. “I was just thinking of the field day my mom is going to have with all those pictures she took of us.”
“She was definitely a little crazy. What kind of person goes that wild over Homecoming?”
“Not cool,” I turned to look at him. “I’m allowed to make fun of her. She’s my mom. You’re supposed to say something like, ‘It was adorable’ or something.”
“Sorry. You’re right. It’s just you’d think it was your first date or something.”
I didn’t answer.
“Wait. Is this dance your first date?” I nodded, and a wicked smile filled Neal's face.
“It’s not a big deal,” I muttered under my breath.
Neal didn’t answer right away, and I wasn’t sure how that made me feel.
Homecoming was everything, and nothing like, I expected it to be.
As Neal and I walked into the gym, I was amazed by how great it looked. The dance committee might not be my thing, but I could totally appreciate all the hard work that had gone into decorating. The vast space was completely transformed.
This year’s theme was Under the Sea. There were different colored blue streamers hanging from all the walls, complete with the blue balloon arch. Even the area for pictures was decked out in a terrible reproduction of The Little Mermaid. There was a small stool inside a giant peach clamshell.
“Wow,” I breathed. “Where did they get all this stuff?” I was still in awe of how much everything looked like something from one of my favorite movies.
“The nerds over at the theater department donated props.” When I looked at him question, he added, “That’s what I heard anyway.”
“Let’s go get a picture together!”
He tilted his head. “You really want to get a picture in that thing?” I followed his gaze toward the clamshell prop. “It looks like it’s going to fall over at any second.”
“Well, then we better do it now.”
“I’m sure your mom has enough pictures of us.” His eyes scanned the room.
“Come on.” I pulled on his hand. “Don’t forget this is my first time doing all this. I want to experience everything.”
His face lit up. “Then I’ll make sure you don’t miss out on a thing.”
The photographer, who looked like she might be a retired Glamor Shots employee, had me sit on the stool that was in the middle of the shell. Neal was placed behind me and put one hand on my shoulder.
Three bright flashes later, I got a ticket to pick up pictures in an hour. I wasn’t sure where they were developing the film, but I couldn’t wait to see how Neal and I looked. I just hoped my pink dress didn’t blend into the peach shell too much.
“Thirty bucks?” Neal asked grabbing the ticket. “Yeesh, Andrews. That’s highway robbery.”
“Oh, whatever.” I snatched it back and put it in the small bead purse I carried. “You don’t have to buy it, but I want the memento.”
Neal bit his bottom lip and shook his head. “Like I’ve said, you’re something else.”
I decided to take it as a compliment this time and followed Neal further into the gym. The closer we got to the center of the room, the louder the music got. Several loudspeakers were strategically placed around the dance floor. The DJ was currently playing a punk-pop song by Good Charlotte, and I enjoyed watching everyone trying their best to follow the beat. It was one of my favorite songs, but it wasn’t exactly made for dancing.
The “dancing” consisted of a bunch of head bobbing and jerky movements, but they looked like they were having a blast. Nobody was staring, except for maybe me, and no one was pointing and laughing.
I always assumed the popular kids would shame anyone who wasn’t one of them for dancing on the dance floor, but it didn’t seem to be that way at all.
I couldn’t wait for a song I liked to play. I planned to go out there with or without Neal and go to town. I’d been living my life too afraid to actually live. All of that was going to change.
Tonight.
Song after song played, but when Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake came on, I knew my time had come to shake my booty. Neal didn’t argue as I drug him out to the small crowd in the middle of the room. I knew he was a talented runner but had no idea that his gifts also included dancing.
He moved perfectly with the rhythm of the song with moves that rivaled the singer himself. No, that wasn’t true. No one could compete with JT, but we were in Marlowe Junction, not Hollywood. Neal was the best guy here.
While other guys held their hands stiffly at their sides like awkward robots, Neal was moving his hips in a way that made him look like a pro.
I thought not for the first time that night, how lucky I was he had asked me to the dance. Almost any girl would be thrilled to go to Homecoming with Neal, and yet, I was the
one on his arm. Nelly’s Hot in Here came on next, and we stayed on the floor dancing. He got a little handsy during that song, but a quick glance around the room told me that was just how guys danced. I tried to ignore how nervous I felt when his hands found my hips and started moving them back and forth with his.
By the time Beautiful by Christina Aguilera came on, I was grateful for the break. I fanned my face dramatically and yelled over the music that I was going to grab some water. Neal pointed to one of the tables that lined the outside of the gym, and I assumed that meant he would meet me there.
I grabbed some water and bumped into Cassidy at the refreshment table. She looked gorgeous in a pale blue number with a million crystals sewn on the bodice. “You look amazing!’ she yelled over the music.” Someone had stuck a speaker near the table, even though it wasn’t next to the area where everyone danced.
I waved my hands at Cassidy. “So, do you!”
She pulled me into a hug, even though we’d never done so before. I embraced her back, thankful to have another friend at the dance. I missed Amy but didn’t feel as alone as I thought I would.
I cupped my hands over my mouth into a makeshift microphone. “I’m going to go find Neal!”
“Okay!” she answered. “Have a fun night!”
I waved at her as I left and started walking to the table Neal had pointed out earlier when I stopped to watch the dance floor again. I couldn’t help it. I was so fascinated by everyone who occupied the space. There were chaperones walking around, making sure no one got too close during the slow-dances. There wasn’t a three-foot rule or anything, but some couples were getting a little too cozy.
I also watched as a couple of girls, who presumably went without dates, danced dramatically together. They had their arms on each other’s shoulders and swung back and forth wildly, occasionally bumping into fellow classmates.
I found Neal just in time for another fast song to come on. We went out to the dance floor and danced to a few more tunes. Thankfully, Neal was much more careful about his hand placement this time around. He twirled me like a ballerina and showed me some of his sweet moves. He even did the Electric Slide when it came on.
Chasing Love (Mountain Creek Drive Book 3) Page 13