Page 8 of Almost Him

He shrugs. “Had nothing better to do. Why is Tori sitting in the back? You two have a fight?” He flashes a grin. “Was it over me?”

“Get over yourself,” I laugh, shoving him. “She’s sitting with Jake. He asked her to the dance.”

“Ooh asked by an older man. Scandalous.”

All it takes is a few minutes of being around Alden and the butterflies in my stomach start fluttering. “Shut up. You’re the same age. Are you going?”

A small sliver of hope grows at the possibility he might ask me to be his date. It’s snuffed out by a snort.

“To the dance? No way.”

“Are you coming to the bonfire tonight? Or does that also not meet your entertainment standards?”

He smiles at me, and I feel it in my chest. “Why? Do you miss me?”

“God no.”

“Too bad. I’m coming. Now scoot over, you’re hogging the whole seat.” The bus ride home is only about ten minutes, but it’s nice to have the time to talk and joke with him again. Not that I’d admit it, but I have missed him. His stupid jokes and quick smile. I’m glad he’s coming to the bonfire. Maybe he’ll start hanging out again and stop being such a troublemaker.

Tori, Oliver, Alden, and I walk home from the bus stop as a group. Tori and I talk the whole way about what kind of dress she’s going to get for the dance until we all split up to go home and get ready. I’m just getting to my front door when Oliver calls my name.

He runs up my front porch steps. “Hey, Ella, um, I wanted to ask you if you might want to, um, be my date for the dance?”

My jaw drops. Oliver and I spend a lot of time together, even more so since Alden isn’t around as much. He’s never seemed interested in a date or anything like that. We’re just friends. Before I can answer, he continues.

“I thought, you know, since Tori’s going, you might want to. It could be fun.”

He’s so adorable right now with that shy smile. “I’d love to go with you.”

His face lights up. “Cool. I mean, great, yeah.”

“We can talk about it tonight, okay? I need to help my parents set some stuff up.”

“Of course! See you in a little while.” He bounds down the steps, then looks back when I call his name.

“Oliver, thanks for asking me. I can’t wait.”

Beaming from ear to ear, he nods, then rushes across the street.

Oh my god, I’m going to the eighth grade dance! I’m barely inside before I’m ringing Tori’s phone to tell her. After a few moments of squealing celebration, I hang up to see Mom and Dad behind me.

“Oh no, it’s starting,” Dad says, teasing me.

“Your first dance!” Mom exclaims. “We’ll have to go shopping. Who asked you to go?”

“Oliver.”

“And it’s one of the Stokes boys,” Dad groans. He slaps a hand to his head and walks out of the room.

Mom rolls her eyes at him. “You’ll have a great time. Now, come and help me set up for the bonfire party tonight.”

My head is in the clouds the entire time we get ready and through the first half of the party. A lot of people show up. Tori’s whole family is here, though her stepsister seems to be here under protest and has spent the entire time sulking in a lawn chair. The older couple from a few doors down, the Taylor’s, are enjoying themselves chatting with my mom while Sawyer’s Dads hang out with my dad at the grill. All the kids have just finished a game of manhunt—our combination of hide and seek and tag that’s fun to play at night when you can jump out and scare the crap out of each other—when I flop down into a chair beside one of the coolers. The cool night air dries the sweat on my skin, and I lean my head back to look at the stars.

Oliver grabs two soft drinks from the cooler and hands me one. “You look hot.”

The words are barely out of his mouth when his cheeks light up red. “I mean, you know, from running around. It’s warm out here.”

“Nah.” Alden seems to pop up out of nowhere. I was sure he wasn’t coming. “You had it right. Ella’s hot.” He winks at me while Oliver frowns.

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