“I don’t know how you ever convinced me to do this,” Abby
muttered.
Marty ignored her sister, mesmerized by the magical scene
before her. The swaying shadows, the flashes of colored
lights, the laughter and excited voices mingling over the
flood of pulsating melodies. It was more than magical, it
was thrilling.
Still, the laughter and music couldn’t drown out Abby’s
exasperated sigh.
Marty glanced at her oldest sister.
Abby stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Unrestrained disdain narrowed her eyes as she peered into
the room. She obviously didn’t see one ounce of
enchantment. But then again, Abby wouldn’t. She was far
too serious to enjoy something as silly as a school dance.
But Marty knew it wasn’t silly. Not this dance. Not this
night. This was a place where fantasies could come true. A
place where her fantasies were going to come true. She
knew it.
“You should have made Ellie come with you.” Abby stepped
away from the cafeteria’s double doors as if she planned
to walk back down the school hallway to the exit.
Abby knew full well that Marty had begged Ellie to come
with her. Their shy middle sister had been Marty’s first
choice because she believed in love at first sight and
fairy tales. But Ellie had adamantly refused. She was much
happier at home, lost in her romance novels, than in the
real world.
Marty glanced back at the crowd swaying slowly around and
around in tight circles and debated letting Abby leave.
She couldn’t. She couldn’t do this alone. She was too
nervous—too scared. Who knew facing happily ever after
could be so frightening?
“Just stay for a few minutes,” she pleaded. “If it’s
really that terrible, then we can go.”
Abby hesitated and nodded. “Okay, but I have no idea why
this is so important to you.”
And Marty had no intention of telling her, either. Abby
was just here for support. She didn’t need to know the
details. She wouldn’t approve of Marty coming to meet a
boy. But Nathaniel Peck was more than just a boy.
Nathaniel was perfect. He was kind. He was a junior and he
liked her.
Marty turned back to the school-cafeteria-turned disco,
took a deep breath, and stepped through the double doors.
She tried to appear confident as she strode across the
room. She didn’t even slouch like she normally did to try
and disguise her height. Since she was almost six feet
tall, it was futile anyway. But tonight, she didn’t feel
embarrassed about her unusual stature. Nathaniel didn’t
seem to mind, and he was the only one who really mattered.
She searched the room and easily located him. At 6' 4", he
stood out strikingly. Of course his good looks didn’t
hurt, either.
She watched him as he talked animatedly with a group of
his friends. Someone must have said something amusing,
because his beautiful, full lips parted into a wide smile.
Then, as though he could feel someone watching him, his
eyes scanned the room until he found her. Their eyes
locked for a moment, then he inclined his head just
slightly in acknowledgment.
Marty’s heart raced, but she felt a twinge of
disappointment. Why didn’t he come over? Was he as nervous
as she was? Was he worried about what his friends would
think about the two of them?
Marty continued to watch him, and as the minutes seemed to
turn to hours, she wondered if he’d changed his mind. How
could he? He was the one who’d been pursuing her. He’d
been the one to strike up a conversation and had continued
to do so every Tuesday and Thursday, fifth period, in the
back of Mr. Malia’s notoriously lax study hall.
But if that hadn’t been enough, Nathaniel also kept
showing up everywhere that she was. He always appeared in
the library when she was there doing her computer
assignments. He’d come to her art class to do extra work
on the project he was doing in his regular art class. And
one day, he’d even shown up outside her house when she’d
been taking Old Miss Strout’s ancient and stinky poodle
for a walk.
He’d shown her far too much interest to be uninterested
now. Hadn’t he?
“Ack, I can’t stand him,” Abby said with such a sudden
adamancy that Marty actually startled, thinking she was
talking about Nathaniel.
“Who?” Marty asked, her eyes wide.
“Lionel Ritchie. He is so sappy.” Abby shuddered.
“Oh,” Marty said, still a little unnerved. If she was this
worried about her sister’s reaction to Nathaniel, then
maybe he had a right to be nervous, too.
“I’m going to go get a drink of water. You going to stay
here?” Abby asked.
Marty nodded, relieved Abby was leaving her alone. Maybe
she should have come here by herself.
After Abby left, she turned back to Nathaniel, just in
time to see him crossing the dance floor, straight toward
her.
“Hi there,” he said, stopping directly in front of her.
It was a strange sensation to have to tilt her head up to
make eye contact.
“Hi,” she breathed, amazed as always by the beauty of his
eyes: pale amber like honey in sunlight.
“I’m glad you decided to come.” Although he sounded a
little stiff. He was nervous.
She smiled, putting all her feelings for him into that
smile. “Me, too.”
“Do you want to dance?”
Marty hesitated. “I don’t really know how to.”
“Ah, it’s easy.” His hand captured hers, and she was
amazed at how large his hand was.
He tugged her out into the middle of the dance floor, and
again, she was struck by how impersonal he seemed. Not at
all the guy who’d joked with her, flattered her.
He released her fingers, only to pull her firmly against
him, and they began moving in an awkward circle to the
pitchy voice of Cyndi Lauper.
After a couple of rotations, she chanced not concentrating
on her feet and glanced up at him. He wasn’t looking at
her, but focusing off the dance floor toward where all his
friends stood.
“Is everything okay?”
He blinked down at her as if he were surprised to see
her. “Sure. Just . . . thinking.”
“Are you worried about your friends? I mean, that they
will think it’s weird we’re hanging out?”
Nathaniel glanced back over at his friends. “No. They
understand the deal.”
Marty found his wording odd, as odd as his behavior. But
when she peeked over at his group of friends, they all
seemed to be watching them with pleased expressions on
their faces.
“I am going to kiss you now.” His statement was so sudden,
so unexpected that she halted to a standstill and gaped up
at him.
“You are?” she finally managed.
“Yes,” Nathaniel said with flat determination. He leaned
down, and Marty, even as shocked as she was, lifted her
face toward him.
This wasn’t how she had pictured their first kiss. She’d
thought they’d be alone, and it would just happen
naturally as they sat talking and laughing. This seemed
too quick, too public. But she wanted it. No matter where
or how, she wanted to kiss Nathaniel Peck.
As soon as their lips met, Marty expected fireworks or
bells, even a whistle—something. But instead, she only
noticed that Nathaniel’s lips felt nothing like she’d
imagined. They weren’t supple and warm, but taut and cool.
And he was almost rough.
She moaned, uncomfortable with his aggressiveness, and
pulled away.
“Nathaniel,” she breathed, regarding him with wide eyes.
He stared down at her, his eyes as hard and cold as his
mouth. That mouth was now turned up in a mocking smile.
She frowned, totally baffled by his behavior. “Nathaniel?”
He didn’t speak, that almost cruel grin frozen on his
face.
Then suddenly she heard them. The roars of laughter. The
hoots. The hateful comments.
When she looked around, she realized that they were now
surrounded by Nathaniel’s friends.
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