to the restroom—”
“Sure, man, it’s right over there.” Nick pointed uselessly and gave Tristan a push in the general direction of the bathroom, which was in the corner of the cafeteria. He yelled at his back, “Maybe I’ll give ya a call when I have another party! Maybe at the lake!” He looked down at me. “You goin’ to the lake?”
I frowned. “What lake?”
“Wind Song. It’s up in Wisconsin,” he explained. “If you’re with Trist, I’m sure you’ll come up to the Edmunds’ cabin.”
“ Nick, she’s his assistant .”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “Well, whatever. See ya.”
“Bye.” I rolled my eyes as the couple headed back toward the dance floor.
Looking around the room, I realized, to put it bluntly, that Clarence was short on attractive guys. No wonder so many girls had wanted to date Tristan. First of all, there were only about twenty-five guys in the entire class and, second of all—well, there really wasn’t a second of all, but they were probably rich, if that helped. In fact, one of the few handsome guys was walking toward me. I laughed to myself. He probably wasn’t walking toward me ; he was probably walking toward the imported Italian soda at the table behind me.
“Hello. Amy Turner, correct?”
Or not.
I choked, “Hi,” and numbly shook his hand.
He was tall, with thick black hair and endless brown eyes. All of his features were dark and very Mediterranean, very nice. Not that I noticed. He smiled an immaculately white smile, saying, “Joseph Eccles. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Joseph Eccles, Joseph Eccles—why did that name sound familiar? Oh, yeah. “Congrats on being Valedictorian. Great speech, by the way.”
Joseph bowed his head and said formally, “Thank you. And I enjoyed your...demonstration. Tristan deserved to graduate, no matter the circumstance.”
So, I was right; the Clarencites had refused to clap because of the bribery. I nodded.
Suddenly, he offered his hand and asked, “Would you care to dance?”
I glanced uncertainly toward the bathroom door. Oh well, one dance. I smiled and took his hand. “Yeah, sure.”
He led me onto the floor just as the music switched to a slow song—not just any slow song, a sappy slow song. Honestly. Songs with clichéd hooks and tenors trying to be impressive with their vibratos make me sick. Holding my right hand, Joseph smiled and stepped toward me. I placed my other hand on his shoulder as we began to slowly turn in a circle. I startled when he spoke in my ear, “You may rest your head, if you like.”
Yes, I was quite aware of the option, but I was currently watching the men’s bathroom door, watching for Tristan. I had to continually shift my head while we moved to keep it in my sight.
The moment Tristan emerged from the bathroom, Kristy approached him. He shook his head when she spoke to him and allowed her to lead him back to the table. I imagined that he asked where I was because she pointed toward the dance floor while she talked. Joseph and I again spun away and I had to practically twist my head completely around to see. From Tristan’s body language, I knew that he knew where I was. And, unexpectedly, the realization was like a knife wound to my gut.
This wasn’t right; I couldn’t just abandon him.
I pulled away from the Valedictorian, apologizing over my shoulder, “I’m sorry. I have to go,” as I rushed toward the table. When I reached Tristan, Kristy bristled in her seat next to him. I said breathlessly, “Hi.”
He turned his head to the side questioningly. “The song isn’t over.”
“I know.”
A smile flashed across Tristan’s face and Kristy glared. She said, “You weren’t much help to him on the dance floor, were you?”
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and said, “You’re right, I should have—”
“Danced with me,” Tristan finished, surprising both me and Kristy, by the look on her face. He rose to his feet and my stomach squirmed.
“Sure, man, it’s right over there.” Nick pointed uselessly and gave Tristan a push in the general direction of the bathroom, which was in the corner of the cafeteria. He yelled at his back, “Maybe I’ll give ya a call when I have another party! Maybe at the lake!” He looked down at me. “You goin’ to the lake?”
I frowned. “What lake?”
“Wind Song. It’s up in Wisconsin,” he explained. “If you’re with Trist, I’m sure you’ll come up to the Edmunds’ cabin.”
“ Nick, she’s his assistant .”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “Well, whatever. See ya.”
“Bye.” I rolled my eyes as the couple headed back toward the dance floor.
Looking around the room, I realized, to put it bluntly, that Clarence was short on attractive guys. No wonder so many girls had wanted to date Tristan. First of all, there were only about twenty-five guys in the entire class and, second of all—well, there really wasn’t a second of all, but they were probably rich, if that helped. In fact, one of the few handsome guys was walking toward me. I laughed to myself. He probably wasn’t walking toward me ; he was probably walking toward the imported Italian soda at the table behind me.
“Hello. Amy Turner, correct?”
Or not.
I choked, “Hi,” and numbly shook his hand.
He was tall, with thick black hair and endless brown eyes. All of his features were dark and very Mediterranean, very nice. Not that I noticed. He smiled an immaculately white smile, saying, “Joseph Eccles. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Joseph Eccles, Joseph Eccles—why did that name sound familiar? Oh, yeah. “Congrats on being Valedictorian. Great speech, by the way.”
Joseph bowed his head and said formally, “Thank you. And I enjoyed your...demonstration. Tristan deserved to graduate, no matter the circumstance.”
So, I was right; the Clarencites had refused to clap because of the bribery. I nodded.
Suddenly, he offered his hand and asked, “Would you care to dance?”
I glanced uncertainly toward the bathroom door. Oh well, one dance. I smiled and took his hand. “Yeah, sure.”
He led me onto the floor just as the music switched to a slow song—not just any slow song, a sappy slow song. Honestly. Songs with clichéd hooks and tenors trying to be impressive with their vibratos make me sick. Holding my right hand, Joseph smiled and stepped toward me. I placed my other hand on his shoulder as we began to slowly turn in a circle. I startled when he spoke in my ear, “You may rest your head, if you like.”
Yes, I was quite aware of the option, but I was currently watching the men’s bathroom door, watching for Tristan. I had to continually shift my head while we moved to keep it in my sight.
The moment Tristan emerged from the bathroom, Kristy approached him. He shook his head when she spoke to him and allowed her to lead him back to the table. I imagined that he asked where I was because she pointed toward the dance floor while she talked. Joseph and I again spun away and I had to practically twist my head completely around to see. From Tristan’s body language, I knew that he knew where I was. And, unexpectedly, the realization was like a knife wound to my gut.
This wasn’t right; I couldn’t just abandon him.
I pulled away from the Valedictorian, apologizing over my shoulder, “I’m sorry. I have to go,” as I rushed toward the table. When I reached Tristan, Kristy bristled in her seat next to him. I said breathlessly, “Hi.”
He turned his head to the side questioningly. “The song isn’t over.”
“I know.”
A smile flashed across Tristan’s face and Kristy glared. She said, “You weren’t much help to him on the dance floor, were you?”
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and said, “You’re right, I should have—”
“Danced with me,” Tristan finished, surprising both me and Kristy, by the look on her face. He rose to his feet and my stomach squirmed.
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