wafted from the auditorium. Vincent gestured with his chin toward the school. “Sounds good. Who did they get?”
“Tommy and the Last Kisses,” Sofia said. “Britt’s dad knows their publicist and convinced them to stop here on their way cross-country from Philly.”
“I thought they sounded familiar.” Vincent looked down at me, checking for recognition. I had no clue. He shrugged. “First dance, Ash?” Brendan’s face fell. No one ever called me Ash besides him. But the way Vincent looked at me and reached for my hand…it didn’t sound too weird. Brendan certainly wasn’t trying, and that fact was quickly changing my attitude from sad to pissed off, and it looked like it could head into me not giving a damn. I smiled at him. “Sure.” Slipping my hand into his, we started walking toward the school. I looked back over my shoulder and called, “You guys coming?”
Ω
Like most everything else about Sadie, I hadn’t known a thing about the theme. We walked inside the school’s ballroom—yes, Mansfield Prep had a ballroom, for donor’s events—to see it decked out with chrome accents, pastel streamers, a huge jukebox framing the stage that held the band, and a make-your-own milkshake stand.
“Roadside Diner theme. Nice,” Vincent said.
“How did you figure that so quickly?” I asked, kind of impressed. It did look good, like the 50s sock hop scene had transported itself here.
“Oh, as soon as Sofia heard that they were doing a tolo, she got right on the decorations committee. She likes to be in charge of everything. Has a picture of what she wants, and she’ll do anything to make it happen.”
“Well, you’re twins. Are you the same that way?” I asked.
“Nah. I’d rather be surprised by finding something that’s already absolutely perfect for me.” He gazed down at me, his eyes falling on the same spot where he’d wiped the cherry topping from my chin. My heart quickened again. The strings of white lights reflected on every surface ten times more intensely than normal. Including those rich brown eyes of his, sparked with gold. They were so bright, were looking at me so warmly, the specks of gold like little flames, that if I looked into them for too long they’d melt me, too.
I suddenly found Aunt Kristin’s shoes desperately in need of a scuff check. I lifted one and examined it, brushing some mud from outside off the heel.
“Like this sorry situation, for instance,” he said. He gestured toward the room and its empty dance floor, and a bunch of kids gathered along the walls in circles of three or four, talking. Dozens waiting in line for malts or sodas. “I’m pretty happy with it, because I don’t care about any of those kids. I only care about you.”
My cheeks blazed red. Thank God the lighting was dim. I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t even know how I felt about that. “But Sofia…Sof won’t like this at all. I’m giving it about sixty seconds till she does something about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just watch. You’ll see what I mean.” He pointed at Sofia as she and her chestnut hair bounced across the dance floor. Even I had to admit that paisley collared shirt looked good on her. How it was possible for a girl in high school to have such long legs, such a tiny waist, and such big boobs was beyond me. I knew by the way at least a dozen other guys watched her that they were thinking the same thing. She was like a freaking Barbie doll, and consequently the wet dream of every guy here.
My gaze turned to Brendan standing in the doorway where she’d left him. The look on his face was different. His mouth hung open and he kind of slouch-swayed to the music like all the other guys, but the way his eyebrows drew together just a bit in the center gave it away. It was the same look he got whenever he was trying to figure something out.
Of course he thought she was hot—everyone did. But he was also totally confused.
Sofia stood on her
“Tommy and the Last Kisses,” Sofia said. “Britt’s dad knows their publicist and convinced them to stop here on their way cross-country from Philly.”
“I thought they sounded familiar.” Vincent looked down at me, checking for recognition. I had no clue. He shrugged. “First dance, Ash?” Brendan’s face fell. No one ever called me Ash besides him. But the way Vincent looked at me and reached for my hand…it didn’t sound too weird. Brendan certainly wasn’t trying, and that fact was quickly changing my attitude from sad to pissed off, and it looked like it could head into me not giving a damn. I smiled at him. “Sure.” Slipping my hand into his, we started walking toward the school. I looked back over my shoulder and called, “You guys coming?”
Ω
Like most everything else about Sadie, I hadn’t known a thing about the theme. We walked inside the school’s ballroom—yes, Mansfield Prep had a ballroom, for donor’s events—to see it decked out with chrome accents, pastel streamers, a huge jukebox framing the stage that held the band, and a make-your-own milkshake stand.
“Roadside Diner theme. Nice,” Vincent said.
“How did you figure that so quickly?” I asked, kind of impressed. It did look good, like the 50s sock hop scene had transported itself here.
“Oh, as soon as Sofia heard that they were doing a tolo, she got right on the decorations committee. She likes to be in charge of everything. Has a picture of what she wants, and she’ll do anything to make it happen.”
“Well, you’re twins. Are you the same that way?” I asked.
“Nah. I’d rather be surprised by finding something that’s already absolutely perfect for me.” He gazed down at me, his eyes falling on the same spot where he’d wiped the cherry topping from my chin. My heart quickened again. The strings of white lights reflected on every surface ten times more intensely than normal. Including those rich brown eyes of his, sparked with gold. They were so bright, were looking at me so warmly, the specks of gold like little flames, that if I looked into them for too long they’d melt me, too.
I suddenly found Aunt Kristin’s shoes desperately in need of a scuff check. I lifted one and examined it, brushing some mud from outside off the heel.
“Like this sorry situation, for instance,” he said. He gestured toward the room and its empty dance floor, and a bunch of kids gathered along the walls in circles of three or four, talking. Dozens waiting in line for malts or sodas. “I’m pretty happy with it, because I don’t care about any of those kids. I only care about you.”
My cheeks blazed red. Thank God the lighting was dim. I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t even know how I felt about that. “But Sofia…Sof won’t like this at all. I’m giving it about sixty seconds till she does something about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just watch. You’ll see what I mean.” He pointed at Sofia as she and her chestnut hair bounced across the dance floor. Even I had to admit that paisley collared shirt looked good on her. How it was possible for a girl in high school to have such long legs, such a tiny waist, and such big boobs was beyond me. I knew by the way at least a dozen other guys watched her that they were thinking the same thing. She was like a freaking Barbie doll, and consequently the wet dream of every guy here.
My gaze turned to Brendan standing in the doorway where she’d left him. The look on his face was different. His mouth hung open and he kind of slouch-swayed to the music like all the other guys, but the way his eyebrows drew together just a bit in the center gave it away. It was the same look he got whenever he was trying to figure something out.
Of course he thought she was hot—everyone did. But he was also totally confused.
Sofia stood on her
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