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Danika
The stadium goes dark, the glow from the scoreboard the only light on the field. I like the darkness. I can hide in it and avoid Gunner’s admission because love…so not ready to deal with that. Everyone around me, not so much. There’s a collective murmur of “what’s going on” and “is this supposed to happen” buzzing about.
Suddenly the stadium lights fade back on and AJ Mitchell’s song Slow Dance blasts through the speakers. As soon as the music starts, St. A’s players pair up and begin to literally slow dance on the field. People around us start laughing because it’s a sight to see, but the worst part hasn’t happened yet.
Gunner has a microphone in his hand and lifts it. He smirks, staring directly at me. “If you stay for a minute, girl I’ll never let you down.”
“What the fuck is this shit?” Coach Riley yells, throwing his clipboard to the ground.
I cover my face with my hands, peeking through my fingers. I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s so embarrassingly sweet I can’t help but smile. Gunner’s a good singer and has a whole routine, dancing like he’s in freaking High School Musical while serenading me. He takes a slow step toward me. I look over my shoulders as the girls around me begin to jump and scream like he’s a rock star. This is too much. Too ridiculously much.
By the end of the chorus, Gunner stands directly below me. The music stops and he gets down on one knee, earning another collective gasp from the stands. “Danika, I know it’s not prom, so this very well could be the first of three proposals, but will you go to homecoming with me next week?”
Hands touch my arms and shoulders. The girls around me lean closer, probably hoping to be the first to hear my answer. Homecoming is a big step in our kind-of-relationship and this is by far the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.
I nod and attempt to say yes but my voice has run away.
The girls around me scream in excitement and the song starts to play again. Coach Riley throws his hands in the air, frustrated, and storms off the field. The referee blows his whistle, calling the game and people file out of the stands. Gunner stays on the grass. Staring. Waiting.
When enough of the crowd has left, Gunner jumps the barrier between the field and the stands. He waits at the bottom of the steps, an infectious grin on his face, arms out wide. He pulls me into a hug, swinging me around in a circle. Setting me back on the ground, Gunner kisses me with a passion reserved for Nicholas Sparks movies.
As beautiful as this moment is, my stomach twists. Everything feels wrong. I should be melting into Gunner’s arms, soaring sky high with elation. Instead, my feet are weighted to the ground and I’m drowning in regret.
Every fiber in my body knows I should’ve said no.
16
Danika
“Rachel’s going with Jake, you’re going with Gunner, Melody’s going with some trust fund college freshman. I‘m going to be the loser all alone at the Homecoming dance tomorrow night,” Sarah whines sifting through a rack of dresses at a store I can’t even begin to afford. She pulls a short feathery blue one off the rack and holds it in front of her.
I shake my head. “You'll look like a peacock.”
“But I’ll be the best damn looking peacock at that dance,” she giggles, putting the gown back.
I pretend to sift through dresses. Even though Dad would probably let me splurge on a new one, things are still pretty tight. We’re living off his credit cards until his first check comes, which should be any day, but I don’t want to add any extra stress. My closet has a handful of fancy gowns no one on this coast has seen. I’ll wear one of those.
Sarah puts her hands on her hips and looks around, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Why does everything have to be so hideous?”
“Because you have unrealistic expectations for what this mall has to offer.” The tiny shopping complex is half empty, barely surviving with a few chain stores and a handful of small-business ones. It’s a miracle the building hasn’t gone bankrupt considering how many empty storefronts there are.
Sarah sighs with a chuckle. “You’re right. We should head down to West Palm. Their mall is way better than ours.”
“How far is it?”
She twists her cherry red lips, thinking. “Maybe forty-five minutes. If we hurry, we can probably make it back in time for tonight’s game.”
I won’t be buying anything there either, but what the hell. Tonight’s game is bound to be packed. No one will notice if I’m not there. “I can miss one game.”
“You don’t think Gunner will be mad? They’re doing the whole homecoming court thing tonight.”
I shrug. Gunner isn’t who I’d be worried about, it’s Logan. Even though we haven’t been on the best terms since I’ve been back, there is still an unspoken agreement that I’ll be at every game. But we aren’t close like we used to be and most days he acts like I don’t exist. Truthfully, I shouldn’t even be thinking about him, and yet here I am. “Does it matter? I’m not on the homecoming court.”
“Oh, before we leave, I want to check out Merlot’s. The new limited edition Louis Vuitton bag is due out any day and I’ve gotta have it,” Sarah says strutting over to the tiny store.
“Oh. My. God. Sarah? Is that you?” Melody's voice rings like nails on a chalkboard as soon as we walk inside. My insides cringe at the exaggerated show of excitement she’s putting on. I don’t understand why people have to be fake. The girls in California at my old school were the worst; friend to your face but foe to your back. Melody would have fit in perfectly there.
Sarah’s gaze flicks over to me. A look of “sorry” dances across her face before turning her attention back to Melody and Rachel. She adjusts the strap of her oversized bag on her shoulder and forces a smile. “Melody, what are you doing here?”
