Lacey: I’m home sick. Missing out on one of the biggest moments of my high school career, and now, I find out that you’re taking Dani Diamond to the dance?
I don’t bother replying. This deserves a call.
“Hey,” I say when she answers.
“Chase, really?” she says, her voice sounding like she’s been crying.
“Where in the world did you hear that?” I ask her.
“Does it matter?” she snaps back.
“I guess not.”
“So, you aren’t exactly denying it?”
“As you know, last year’s queen comes back to crown this year’s king.”
“Yep,” she says.
I’m starting to get one-word answers, which is never good.
“I was thinking of bailing on the whole thing since you weren’t going to be there. I thought I would surprise you, bring you dinner and your corsage, and only go to the dance for the court part.”
“You were going to do that?” she asks, sounding a little brighter.
“Yeah, Lacey. I know it has to suck, missing everything.”
“It does. That’s really sweet, Chase.”
“Well, when I asked Pace’s dad—he’s a pediatrician—if I could be around you since I already had the chicken pox, he said no, that I could get it again. And I just can’t risk that. I’ve already been searching my body every day, looking for spots.”
“I think you’re good. I didn’t see you the few days I was probably most contagious. We were too busy getting the float ready for the parade. I’m praying none of the girls on the squad get it.”
“Anyway, I was telling Dani I was thinking of not going, and she said that it wasn’t just about the date part; it’s about the memories I’ll make with my friends. And my sister. I told her if she really felt that way, she needed to come, too. Like, in the limo with us.” I’m telling the truth—that’s exactly what I said. But I also know that I’m downplaying it because I do kind of see it as a date. This whole friends-with-benefits thing, which is supposed to make things easier for us, is actually surprisingly complicated.
“So, you’re just all going together?”
“Yeah.”
“Everyone is going to think it’s a date.”
“You know I don’t care what everyone thinks, Lacey.”
I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “I know.” She lets out a pathetic-sounding sigh and then says, “Congrats on a great game, Chase. I’ll talk to you later.”
Snuggle up.
Devaney
The cheer-teaching, story-reading, putting-Weston-to-sleep process takes much longer than I expected, and it’s nearly one thirty before I’m finally ready to go over to Chase’s.
I run back in my room, change into something cute but comfy, and wash my face.
I grab my phone and check it, expecting to see a message from him, wondering where I am. There isn’t one, but I head over there anyway.
When I sneak into his room, I find him fast asleep. The tent is up in the corner, and although I definitely want to be with him in that way, it’s not all I want. So, I slip under the covers and snuggle up next to him. He rolls over, wraps me in his arms, puts his lips on my shoulder, and murmurs my name before going back to sleep.
You’re here now.
Chase
I wake up sometime in the middle of the night, tangled up with Dani. And it’s the absolute best feeling. I move her hair and sprinkle kisses across her neck and shoulder.
She responds by rolling over and kissing me. “You were crashed when I got here. I’d said I’d put Weston to bed, and I hadn’t expected it to take so long. I’m sorry.”
“You’re here now,” I say, sliding my hand down between her thighs. “That’s all that matters.”
And in the scheme of my life, it really is.
Saturday, October 19th
Incredibly sweet.
Devaney
I snuck back home early this morning, and it was a good thing that I did, because in what seemed like five minutes—but was really a couple of hours—later, my little sisters come barreling in my room.
“Dani, Dani!” Weston yells. “Pancakes!”
Easton crawls up into bed with me while I hear Weston screaming down the hall.
“Day-Day! Pancakes!”
“I sleepy,” Easton says to me.
“I feel ya, girl,” I say to her, pulling her under the blankets with me.
She puts her thumb in her mouth and closes her eyes.
But sleep is not to be had.
“No sleep!” Weston screams when she comes back into my room. She gets on the bed and starts jumping. “No sleep! No sleep! Mama makes pancakes because Dani home from college! We eat! We eat pancakes. With smiley faces! And blueberries!”
I squint my eyes open. “Maybe you should lie down with Easton and me. You look tired,” I say, hoping I can convince her while at the same time knowing it will do no good. Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no changing it.
Damon walks down the hall. His hair is sticking up, he’s shirtless, and he doesn’t look too thrilled about being up either, but he sees the girls on my bed, gets a naughty gleam in his eyes, and takes off running toward us.
“Better watch out!” I tell Weston, who screeches with delight when Damon flies onto the bed and gently tackles and then tickles her.
“What’s all this noise about?” he asks as Weston giggles.
Easton peeks her head up and says, “I tired.”
“We’re all tired,” Damon says, ruffling her hair. “But I bet you’re hungry.”
She nods her head in agreement.
Damon then says, “Westie, do you know what’s for breakfast?”
She gives him a playful swat and says, “You’re silly. I just told you.”
“I was asleep,” he says.
She rolls her eyes and starts screaming again, “Pancakes! Bacon! And blueberries!”
“What if I’m not hungry?” he asks, snatching her off the bed and carrying her upside down.
“Ahh!” she yells. “You’re always hungry.”
He looks at me and grins. “Guess it’s time to go eat.”
“So, you’re going in the limo with everyone?” Jennifer asks me at breakfast.
“Uh, how did you know that?”
“Everyone knows that.”
“Well, maybe. Chase asked if I wanted to go, and it sounds like fun, but I wanted to ask Damon and Haley if they were cool with it.”
“Of course we’re cool with it,” Damon says, shoving another bite of pancakes dripping with maple syrup in his mouth. “It will be fun.”
“I just don’t want anyone to think it’s, like, a date, you know. Chase feels bad for Lacey getting the chicken pox.”
“Yeah, that sucks,” Damon says. “But Chase was trying to back out, and if you go, he’ll go. And he needs to go. It’s our senior year! The limo is half the fun.”