Unrequited by Emily Shaffer

and spoke to Aimee and Ashton.
    “We will,” Aimee practically shouted and grabbed Ashton's arm in excitement.
    Will and Sarah walked to the dance floor.
    “Well, I can just absolutely die now. Dance with Will Leighton? This has got to be a dream. Way to go Sarah for making this happen!” Aimee was chattering excitedly. It wasn't every girl that got to dance with the best-looking teacher in school.
    Ashton was a little less than enthusiastic. If it had been just any guy, she wouldn’t care, but this was a dance with Will. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something real between them, even if neither of them could really say it out loud. The thought of dancing with Will made Ashton feel slightly dizzy. Excusing herself, she went outside to get some air.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    Will was enjoying himself. Sarah was a nice girl, and he had known she'd always had a crush on him. Teachers heard more gossip than students realized, and Will had heard more than once that all the girls at school had a crush on him. It was harmless, and he knew the crushes wouldn't last beyond graduation. So he would dance with a couple of them and give them something to giggle with their friends about. The unexpected turn in all of this was the thought that he would soon get to dance with Ashton. When he made the suggestion, she didn’t seem to shirk. Could she be ready to call a truce?
    Sarah's dance ended, and Aimee quickly ran to take her place. The music had picked up, and Will tried to match the moves of all the kids on the dance floor. Try as he might, he just couldn’t deal with modern dancing. With all the advances the world had made, dancing was the area Will felt had declined. In his day, dances had names and steps. Now it just seemed like a bunch of jumping and inappropriate wiggling.
    The music finally stopped, and Will thanked Aimee for the dance and sent her on her way. He stopped to greet a few students who were vying to be his next partner, but he politely moved past them in search of Ashton.
    She wasn't in the barn, so Will walked outside. There were small gatherings of students standing near the doorway, but Ashton wasn't part of any of them. Pausing, he lifted his face toward the sky and closed his eyes. He could feel her, just as he always could when she was near. Opening his eyes again, he headed for the path to the pond, knowing she would be at the end of it.
    Rounding the final bend in the path, he saw her. Ashton stood facing the pond. The only light was the moon as it reflected off the water. The music could still be heard in the distance. Will stopped a few feet from her and waited.
    Slowly, Ashton turned toward him. Her hair was down, and though he'd seen it before, it still took Will's breath away. Many times he'd dreamed of running his hands over the beautiful waves falling past her shoulders. Her skin was luminous in the moonlight, and her dress seemed to twinkle like the stars. In the barn, he had noticed it was the color of pink champagne, but out here it was more than that. The dress sparkled with magic.
    “Is it time for my dance?” Ashton asked quietly.
    Without a word, Will walked toward her. As if on cue, a slow song wafted from the barn and reached them. Will put one hand on Ashton's waist and with the other he took her hand in his. Slowly they swayed to the music. Neither of them spoke.
    Will felt as if he'd been waiting for this moment for a hundred years. This moment with this woman was all he would ever want in life. He said a silent prayer to the heavens, begging God to grant him this one wish. To grant him Ashton. In all the years since his change, Will had never made requests for himself, but tonight he did. Tonight he prayed with all his heart that Ashton would return his love, for he knew he truly loved her.
    He had known from the beginning he would love her, and in spite of her early actions, he had fallen in love with her still. Observing her for the past months, he felt like he was