"I have an idea of someone you could go with. I know you’ve been hanging out with Jordan, but I heard him say that he didn't want a date."
She slumps her shoulders, picks up one of my pillows, and hugs it. "I was hoping Tyrese would ask me, but he's been seeing that Macy chick."
"Yeah, he hasn't hung out or partied with us in a while. Dawson says he does that. He gets all into a girl and forgets about his friends."
"So you have an idea of someone I could go with?"
"What about Dallas?"
"He is so cute. Do you think he would want to go with me?"
“I know he thinks you’re cute."
Her face brightens. "Ohmigosh, really? He’s adorable. Can you talk to him?"
"Should I call him now?"
"Oh, I don't know." She smooths her hair down with her hand. "I look like a mess."
"He's not going to see you through the phone, silly. I’ll text him.”
Me: You gonna ask anyone to Homecoming?
Dallas: Probably go stag.
Me: What if you had a real date? Like with someone that has been crushing on you since school started.
Dallas: Katie???!!
Me: Yes, Katie. She was hanging with Jordan, but he says he doesn't want a date.
Dallas: Must be gay. Call me. Then make her talk to me.
Me: Uh, okay. What are you gonna say?
Dallas: First, I’m gonna ask if she wants to hang out tomorrow night. Then if she puts out, I’ll ask her to HC.
Me: DALLAS!!!!
Dallas: Cool your orange panties and call me. I won’t try anything but if she attacks me I will NOT resist.
I dial Dallas' number and hold the phone out to Katie. Her eyes get big then she sits up straighter and brushes her fingers through her hair. She nods at me and takes the phone.
She goes, "Uh, huh." Laughs. "Oh!" Giggles. "Well, I'm not wearing any right now." Major blushing and more giggling. "No, you don't have to. Yes, I'd love to."
She hands me back my phone and screams, "AHHHHH!!!!! I have a date for Homecoming!" Then she stands up and jumps up and down on my bed singing, "I have a date. I have a date!"
I think about how Gracie used to jump on my bed. It's weird how someone doing the simplest thing can bring tears to my eyes. How it can remind me of home.
She does one more bounce then lands with a thud.
"Did you tell him he didn't have to ask you in a cute way?"
"Yeah, I don't care about that. I just want a date. Plus, he kinda caught me off guard when he asked about my panties. He's really sexy. Like, he has a sexy voice. Had any other guy asked me that, I probably would've hung up on him. But he's just so damn cute. I gotta call Annie and Maggie and tell them!"
She bounds back over to her bed and calls Maggie.
Me: She’s screaming in joy.
Dallas: I’ll have her screaming in ecstasy ;)
Me: You are SO bad!
I read Dawson's text.
Dawson: I think we need to celebrate. Let's get some people together tonight and party.
Me: I thought our celebration was pretty damn good already but, you know me, I'm always up for a party.
Dawson: Bryce and Jake are up for it too. Meet me at 1, my sexy, hot, amazing girlfriend.
Me: Your girlfriend. I like that. <3
Hearting me.
1:30am
I'm sitting in Aiden's room.
Yes.
The place I said I was never going back to.
Lucky thing number one: Aiden is not here.
I'm happily sitting on Dawson's lap, drinking a Corona, and gabbing with Peyton.
Lucky thing number two: Whitney's not here.
I think tonight might just be my lucky night.
I've gotten lucky twice.
Well, three times if you count the lacrosse bleachers with Dawson.
And you most definitely should.
Jake walks in, grabs a beer, and tries to sit on my lap.
"My knee?" I half yell at him. I don't need him popping open my stitches. Although, I'm ready to. The things itch like crazy.
He hops up, picks Peyton's skinny ass up, sits in her chair, and sets her on his knee. "So I asked her," he announces.
"Asked who what?" Peyton asks.
"Whitney to Homecoming," Jake says matter-of-factly.
"But I thought you were doing my airplane idea?"
"Yeah, great idea. Big expense. Not doing it. So, I got creative. I wrapped a note around a certain body part. Told her she might want to find it."
"Ohmigawd, Jake! That's a horrible way to ask!" Peyton says as she hits him on the shoulder.
But I’m thinking just the opposite. A little treasure hunt around the body of a hot guy sounds like fun to me.
“I’d like a treasure hunt across your body,” I whisper into Dawson’s ear.
He squeezes me tight. “That sounds like fun.”
Jake responds to Peyton by tickling her sides. "Wow. You think so highly of me. I wrapped it around my ankle." He grins. "Fortunately, for me, her mind is in the gutter like yours. She didn't look there first."
"I was gonna guess your bicep," I tell him.
He gives me a high five. "That's what I like about you, Monroe. You're sweet, even though you're a bad liar. I swear, you can't lie about anything. When you try to fib, it's written all over your face."
I think about the lies I've told them. How I'm a better liar than anyone knows.
But I smile and shake my head like I'm a ditz and he has me all figured out.
"Did she apologize to you yet?" he asks me.
"No," I scoff.
"She's not going to," Peyton says.
"I know. And I was thinking . . ."
"Uh oh," Jake says. He must have been drinking earlier because he seems kinda tipsy. He puts his fingers into Peyton's sides again, which causes her to squirm around on his lap.
The look on Jake's face and his own squirming tells me he's enjoying it.
They seem oddly comfortable touching each other, and I can't help but wonder if they have some kind of history.
"What I was going to say is that Katie, Maggie, Annie, and me are going to start an underground Vote for Peyton campaign. I found out that 90% of the freshman class voted for me for student council. I want to make sure they all vote for you.”
"Better not let Whitney hear about that,” Jake says, as he bounces Peyton on his knee and leers at her. "But I agree. Peyton would look gorgeous in a crown. And don't drink too much tonight, Monroe. We have some kissing to do on stage tomorrow." He giggles, sticks out his tongue at Dawson, and then licks up the side of Peyton’s face.
She lets out a little screech, but Dawson frowns.
"Stop saying that! I will not be kissing anyone during tryouts. It's not part of the audition."
Luckily, Bryce walks in and hands Jake and Dawson a shot of something dark.
"Where are our shots?” Peyton asks, now totally flirting with Bryce. He rolls his eyes at her, so she says to me, "Keatyn, be a pal. Go across the hall and find us something yummy."
"Uh, okay," I say.
I walk across the hall. Bryce's door is slightly ajar and there is a little light glowing. I open the door slowly, hoping not to walk in on someone hooking up.
As my eyes adjust, I see Aiden's long body sprawled across Bryce's bed. His head is propped up on his arm and there are books spread out in front of him, but his eyes are closed and he appears to be asleep. I walk over, close his French textbook, and move it to the desk. As I do, a sheet of paper floats to the ground. I pick it up and hold it under the light. Random French words and scribbles are written across it like always. It seems to be how he studies. There’s a list of words he can't remember. Some doodles. But just as I set the paper down, a phrase written in English catches my eye.