Deceptive Cadence by Katie Hamstead

good decisions. Just please, don’t be afraid to come to us. We love you so much.”
    His hand released the blanket. I flinched as he raised it toward me. He wrapped it around my head and pulled me into his chest. I relaxed into his embrace, breathing in his familiar scent and loving him more than ever.
    I wrapped my arms around Dad, wishing he’d never let me go, that I could tell him what would come in my life and that he didn’t need to worry. I wanted to tell him about how wonderful Austin would be, and how much he would love him. But I couldn’t, so I nuzzled into his chest and sighed, hoping he understood that I loved him too.
     

EIGHT
    The weather finally turned warm, and the last term of school had begun. Ninth grade was almost over . . . again. I climbed off the bus and plodded up toward the area where my group of friends hung out, pleased with how things had gone this time around. I still encountered dramas, but nowhere near as bad; far less people turned on me and ended up hating me for badly handling breakups and such.
    Geri waved from her vantage point standing atop the picnic table. She leaped down, sprinting right for me. The whole group watched as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.
    “Oh my gosh, Cadence! Come with me.”
    “Why?”
    She tugged my arm. “Trust me.”
    “Can I at least put my bag down?”
    “Sure, but hurry up!”
    I dumped my bag on the table and glanced at everyone watching me. “What?”
    The girls grinned and giggled and the boys turned away, pretending to be engrossed in conversations with each other. My eyes narrowed on them suspiciously.
    Geri grabbed my wrist and gave me a sharp tug as we headed to the lower quad area. She darted around, glancing behind the gym, and scanning the field.
    “What are you looking for?” I asked.
    “You’ll know when you see it.” She turned toward the art building and she gasped. “Right there!”
    I turned and saw Robbie and his friends huddled together with several groups of girls hovering nearby. “What am I looking at?”
    “Oh my gosh, Cadence. Open your eyes!”
    Robbie pushed off from the wall to grab one of the guys, and I saw it. I saw him . He was probably the hottest, sexiest guy I’d ever seen. He stood leaning against the wall, one leg bent up and his hands in his pockets. He wore the gray boys’ trousers, perfectly fitted, with the pale blue dress shirt bearing the school emblem . . . also perfectly fitted to show his sculpted arms and chest. He had his chestnut brown hair trimmed and styled neatly.
    “Who is that?”
    “Are you kidding me?” Geri exclaimed with exasperation. “That’s James !”
    “Huh?” I squinted, then my jaw dropped. “No!”
    She giggled and bounced up and down. “Yes! Rumor is that he heard the girl he likes thought he looked like a bum, so during the holidays, he got a haircut and pulled out his school uniform from the back of his closet.”
    I stared at her completely stunned as she yanked on my arm. “But . . . he’s not supposed to like me !”
    Her giggling intensified. “But he does! Cadence, this is incredible. Guys don’t normally do this.”
    Awestruck, I stared at him as he stood, calm and completely relaxed, listening to his friends talking.
    Geri shoved me. “Go talk to him.”
    I shook my head. “I can’t!”
    “Why not? He’s practically begging you!”
    His head turned and he saw me. We looked at each other for a split second, then he pushed off from the wall to face me.
    I gasped and tried to run, but Geri grabbed and held me. “No, Cadence!”
    “I can’t talk to him!”
    “Stop it!”
    We struggled against each other. When I saw him heading toward us, I pushed her off me and straightened. The groups of girls watched him, even gravitated after him as he crossed the quad, his gaze fixed on me. I held my breath as he paused in front of me, slowly looking me over.
    “Hello, Cadence.”
    “Hermnm ah . . .” Why am I acting like a love-struck idiot? I