Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally Page A

computer screen casts a blue glow on her face.
    “Will you go to dances this year?”
    She shrugs, looking uncomfortable. “Maybe I’ll go if they let me DJ.”
    I missed out on a lot because I was scared other kids would be drinking or doing drugs or having sex, and I didn’t want to be around that.
    And because no boys ever invited me.
    “No one would ask me to dance,” Claire mumbles, echoing my thoughts. She clicks around on iTunes.
    I sip my lemonade. “That’s not true. You’re really kind and pretty.”
    “You can say that again,” Matt says, striding up to our table. He says to Claire, “You’re gorgeous.”
    She giggles and plays with her earring.
    Matt has a mortified-looking boy in tow. He nudges him. “So, ladies, Jackson and I were wondering if you’d like to double date.”
    “Double date?” I ask with a laugh.
    “Right,” Matt says, looking at me. “Jackson wants to dance with Kate and I want to dance with Claire.”
    Claire’s mouth falls open.
    “But we’re DJing,” I say, gesturing at the computer.
    Matt looks around the streamer-covered pavilion. “Quincy! Get over here.” A tiny boy no older than nine comes sprinting over to Matt. “You know how to work iTunes?”
    Quincy’s head bobs up and down quickly.
    “Great, you’re DJing for a couple songs while Jackson and I take these lovely ladies on a date.” He stretches out an elbow to Claire, who takes his arm. I raise my eyebrows, smiling, and follow them out onto the dance floor with Jackson.
    Jackson sets his shaking hands on my waist and avoids my eyes. Sweat forms on his forehead and he rocks back and forth. I’m slow dancing with a penguin.
    I’ve gotta start living.
    I look over at Matt, who’s twirling a laughing Claire. Jackson keeps glancing at her. Almost as much as Megan keeps glancing at Eric, who is sitting on a picnic table, whittling yet another stick. Pretty soon this entire forest is gonna be out of sticks if he doesn’t stop whittling.
    “Do you think Claire’s pretty?” I ask Jackson.
    “Matt told me that if I dance with you first, he’ll get her to dance with me.”
    I’m laughing now. Matt smiles at me and I return the grin. “Do you want to dance?” I mouth at him.
    Matt raises his eyebrows and steers Claire toward us. He asks, “Hey, Claire, do you mind dancing with Jackson so I can dance with Kate?” Matt whispers to her.
    “Uhhh…” she says, glancing at Jackson.
    “For me?” Matt asks. “I really want to dance with Kate.”
    “Yeah, no problem,” Claire says, rolling her shoulders.
    I wrap my arms around Matt’s neck and he pulls me in close. Over his shoulder, Megan gives us a disapproving glare, and Andrea looks like she wants to stab me, but whatever.
    He’s the perfect height for me. Only a few inches taller. His body fits snuggly against my curves. This is the first time I’ve experienced his cologne. It’s woodsy. He smells like walking in a forest.
    “Your dress is pretty,” he whispers in my ear.
    “You dance well.”
    “You feel good.”
    He thinks I feel good?!
    “You do too,” I mumble, nearly choking on the words.
    “I love your hair,” he says, clutching a clump of it.
    “I love your invisible shoes.” We look down at his bare feet, and laughing, we look up at each other. He shakes the dirty blond hair out of his eyes and holds my gaze, pulling me closer. My heart pounds against his chest.
    I can barely think. All I can concentrate on are his skin and warmth and how I want to press my mouth to his. Like seven years ago. I want him to pull me behind the pavilion again.
    Megan appears behind Matt and clears her throat. “I need you two to chaperone the dance now, got it?”
    “It’s just one dance,” Matt says, letting me go. When he’s out of my arms, I feel like I’ve lost a limb.
    “This is a job,” she says under her breath, throwing me a dirty look. “You aren’t paid to socialize with each other.”
    So Andrea and Carlie are allowed to go