months ago.”
“Oh, where are you from?”
“Chicago,” I replied. “But my grandparents are from here.”
“Who are they? Maybe I know them.”
“Maggie and Russell George.”
“Oh, you’re Megan’s daughter?”
“No, her older sister, Maddie is my mom. Megan doesn’t have any kids. She’s not married.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Forgive me, I got the two mixed up. All of the M names,” She laughed. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Sydney. I can’t wait to see how well you play for the rest of the year Spencer, and I will see you in baseball, too.” She smiled, before she and Adam walked away.
“She knew you,” Spencer said. “See, when you live in Shabbona, everyone knows everyone.” He chuckled. I smiled at him, watching the excitement from the game linger in his eyes.
“Stevenson!” Spencer’s coach called from the bench where all of the boys were huddling up for the after-game pep talk.
“I’ll see you in a little bit.” He kissed my cheek and ran towards his team.
“I’ll bet you will be seeing him get a lot of compliments for the next week or two.” Jacquie said, coming up to me. “Everyone’s going to remember that goal for a while. Jeremy’s happier than ever. Though he’s pissed he got taken out.”
“Will he be okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. Hopefully this pep talk will cool him down. It’s going to be a good one.”
“Hey,” Annie said, coming up to us. “Let’s go get ready for the dance.”
“I just want to wait a minute until the guys are done. I want to talk to Jeremy again before I leave,” Jacquie said.
“Alright.”
I stood and waited with Jacquie, talking to Annie until the pep talk was over.
“Hello,” Spencer came from behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
I turned and kissed him once softly.
“I’ll see you at five, right?,” he whispered. All of us were planning to drive up to DeKalb with our dates and eat out together before the dance.
“Yep, I have to go and let the living Barbie doll of the world dress me so that I’ll be beautiful enough to show my face in front of you tonight.”
He chuckled. “You’re always beautiful, and I can’t wait to see what Barbie is going to do because there is no possible way for you to brighten my life any more than you already have. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief thou her maid, art far more fair than she... ” Spencer quoted my favorite scene of my favorite play, act two scene two of Romeo and Juliet.
“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo, deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet,” I replied in harmony to his quote.
He looked into my eyes deeply, and I could see the fair truth in their color. Spencer loved me. I could tell more than anything.
“Hey, Sydney, let’s go!” Annie and Jacquie pulled me away from Spencer, and I sighed.
“See you later, Juliet!” Spencer called, chuckling. I smiled.
“Juliet?” Jacquie asked, confused. I shook my head.
“Don’t ask,” I replied.
We drove back to my house and picked up my dress. I was worried that my parents might be there, and I was right to worry. Jacquie and Annie waited out in the car, while I slowly walked past Michael, who was smoking on the deck. I got my dress out of my room, and then did not make eye contact with Michael as I walked back into the car.
“What’s up with your stepdad?” Jacquie asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe he and my mom are in a fight or something.” I shrugged, making it look like no big deal. I looked at him from my window once more before we headed over to Jacquie’s. They had the most fun time putting make-up on me and doing my hair. Annie and Jacquie’s dresses were so pretty. Annie’s was a midnight blue, strapless dress that went down to about her
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