11
SUTTON
END OF SENIOR YEAR
I’m standing in front of the punch bowl when he approaches. As soon as I see him, my heart starts to race. My palms begin to sweat. My mouth goes dry.
“Wanna dance?” Teddy asks, all casual.
“I’m on guard duty,” I tell him.
“Oh, yeah?” He glances past me, at Graham Klein, the captain of Brookfield’s subpar soccer team. “What’d he bring to spike it?”
“No idea.”
“You’re the accomplice, not the mastermind?”
“Yeah, something like that.” I’m struggling not to focus on him, not to take in the way his suit hugs his tall frame.
“You look beautiful, Sutton.”
The words are earnest. Something cracks in my chest in response.
I let myself look at him.Reallylook at him. His hands are shoved in his pockets, and there’s a hopeful expression on his face. He approached me, put himself out there, and it widens the chasm in my chest so wide that it feels like my heart is actually breaking in two pieces.
I glance back at my prom date. Graham is hastily shoving the flask he brought back into one pocket of his suit, glancing around to make certain none of the chaperones noticed him altering the punch.
You would think high schools would have learned to serve juice boxes at dances by now.
Graham swaggers his way over, looking mighty proud of himself. “Hey! Owens!”
“Hey, Klein,” Teddy replies.
“Grab some punch before it’s gone.”
“I’ll pass. I’m driving.”
“So?” Graham replies.
Rather than respond, Teddy gives me a look that roughly translates to,This guy?
I hold his gaze stubbornly. I’m at prom with Graham Klein because he asked—three times—and because showing up with him seemed more appealing than coming alone.
At least it did when he asked me for the third time at Macy Goodman’s party last weekend while Teddy was across the room, talking to Macy, and I’d had a couple of beers. Now, I’m not so sure.
“Yes,” I blurt.
Both boys look at me, silently questioning my outburst.
I look at Teddy. “Yes, I’ll dance with you. If the offer still stands.”
In answer, Teddy holds out a hand.
I take it, then glance at Graham. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Okay,” Graham replies, looking between me and Teddy like we’re a puzzle with missing pieces.
It’s probably poor etiquette to dance with a guy other than your date at prom, but that’s registering pretty low on the long list of reasons I shouldn’t dance with Teddy.