“Are you going to the stupid dance or what?”
“What dance? Oh…” I finally notice the signs promoting the winter formal in a few weeks. “…No. Dances are lame. Especially school ones.” I shrug as if I’m way too cool for such things. But deep down it bothers me that something as simple as attending a school dance is just one more thing I’ll never get to experience.
I start to fantasize about what it would be like to go with Kieron as my date. I’d get all dressed up in a pretty gown…maybe even one that isn’t black… and he’d pick me up wearing a tux that made him look like a movie star. He’d take me in his arms and together we’d waltz slowly under the starry sky…Everyone would be green with envy at how happy we are, how perfect we are together. All the girls would die from jealousy seeing how much he obviously loves me…
“Liora!” This time it’s Skye snapping impatiently.
“Huh?” I blink.
“Do you want to go to the bonfire Friday night? We can ditch the football game, and I can get us some beers. We can get wasted…”
I sigh. “Can’t. Sorry.”
Emme nudges Skye. “See? Told ya. You know…” Emme turns to me, “It’s kinda weird how you never want to hang out ever. I mean come on, we know your grandma is blind and all, but it’s not like she holds you prisoner...You leave her alone when you come to school, what’s stopping you from ditching the old bag for a few hours after she’s gone to sleep?”
I pick at the crust of my sandwich. “I just don’t want to. I hate leaving her alone, and during the day someone else is with her, but at night I’m all she’s got.”
“But still,” Emme presses, “It just seems like once in a while you’d be able to hang out…why would you want to stay home every night? It’s a Friday night…you should be out partying with everyone else, not staying home with someone five times your age….come on, live a little…”
“Can’t. Sorry.” I stand up and brush the crumbs off my legs. Corrine gives me a sympathetic smile, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. I make up some excuse about having to finish some homework and head off to the library for the remainder of lunch period.
Even though I should be used to it by now, Emme’s words cut deep, a stark reminder of all I’m missing. Even if getting drunk at a bonfire isn’t exactly my idea of a good time, at least it’s something. I’m actually surprised Skye even asked me to go. Maybe it was just so they could give me a hard time when I refused.
After what seems like an eternity, the final bell of the day rings. Freedom. I race to my locker, toss in my books and charge to the parking lot. I’m mid-stride when my body stops so suddenly anyone watching would think I had slammed into an invisible glass wall. I inhale sharply, staring .
He’s here.
I remind myself to breathe as Kieron starts his slow lope toward me. Although I’m happy to see him, at the same time I’m terrified by how much this happiness consumes me.
“Hey, Liora. So where should we do this?” he asks.
“Huh?”
“Are you still willing to help me with my assignments?”
I blink and will my mouth to work. “Uh, yeah, sure. I just assumed since you weren’t here all day…”
He laughs, and all I can think of is how I could listen to this sound for the rest of my life. “Yes, didn’t quite make it in today.” He pauses and glances behind him. “Something came up. If you’ve already made other plans I understand—”
“No,” I say quickly. “I was hoping to be with you today…” Oh no, that didn’t sound desperate at all.
He grins again and hitches his backpack over his shoulder. “Great.”
I glance around and motion to the octagonal building behind me. “You wanna go to the library? There are study rooms in there.” I look back at him and catch a faint grimace on his face. “Or we can go somewhere else,” I add.
He smiles, and I decide it must have been just my imagination. “No, the library is fine. After you, m’lady.”
******
With an exasperated sigh, I close my book and glare at the group of girls watching us. This is getting completely out of hand. What in the world is going on with these insane females? Kieron and I hadn’t been in the library for five minutes before they started gathering nearby, craning their necks to see what we were doing.
I lean my head toward him. “Why is everyone staring so much?” I whisper. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange? It’s not like you have two heads or something—”