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“But what’s she like?” Des asked, like I was leaving out crucial information.
And maybe I was. Because it was hard to describe April to someone who didn’t already know her. “She’s... complicated.” I said at last.
“And here I thought you’d want a low-maintenance kind of girl.”
“I wouldn’t call her high maintenance.”
“No?”
I took a breath, knowing I was flubbing this up. I changed out of my shorts and into slacks, knowing Des had seen it all a thousand times before, and then I sat on my desk chair, meeting my sister’s gaze.
“She’s the kind of rain you get after months of a drought. Refreshing, harsh, all-consuming. Different.”
My sister’s lips quirked at the corners. “Sounds like my kind of girl.”
While I finished changing and styling my hair, Des and I caught up. She had driven into town to see me off before my last homecoming and would be flying out of LA the next morning to do another performance with Jude. There were talks of an international tour in the works, and I could just picture Des performing in Paris, Rome, Prague. All the destinations she’d been bold enough to dream of.
When we went upstairs, Dad was home from work. He told me I looked good, and Mom fussed over my curls before giving up. Adelita and Marisol gave me hugs, Mateo seemed unimpressed, and we all posed for a siblings picture while Mom took way too many shots, “just in case.”
“Are you going to pick her up?” Des asked.
I shook my head. “I’m meeting her and her friend at the dance.”
“Have fun,” she said, echoed by my parents. The younger three had already disappeared, probably back to their video game. I hugged my parents and big sister, then got in my car, driving toward the school.
Nerves had my hands tapping on the steering wheel as I drove. This was my first big date with April. The first time we’d dress up together. The first time I’d get to hold her close and spin her around the dance floor. I couldn’t imagine anything better.
So, when I parked my car at the school, where we’d be having the dance in the gymnasium, I didn’t waste any time in my car. I took the corsage out of the package and went to the front bench, waiting for her and Sadie as other couples went into the school.
Unlike prom, anyone could go to homecoming, and as a few freshmen walked past me, it struck me how young they looked.
Only three years ago, I’d been in their place—hanging out with my friends, going to my first homecoming dance. But tonight was my last, and I wanted it to be one to remember.
A fancy limo pulled up, and I wondered who at school would have rented a limo for homecoming. That was until I saw the quarterback from Brentwood Academy get out of the limo and hold Kenzie’s hand as she followed.
She looked pretty in a red dress, and the quarterback couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Deena and another guy I recognized from Brentwood followed them out.
“Hey, Kenz, Deena!” I said, drawing their attention as they got closer. “You two look great.”
“Thanks,” Kenzie said, grinning from ear to ear. I hadn’t seen her this happy in so long. “This is Baxter, and his friend Pierre came along to go with Deena.”
I waved at the guys, and they nodded my way. “Hope you all have a good time.”
“We will,” Kenzie said, sending a smile my way. “Save me a dance if you can peel yourself away from April.”
“Unlikely,” I retorted with a grin before they went into the building.
And as soon as I saw April walking toward me, I knew it would be more than unlikely. It would be impossible.
She wore this beautifulmauvedress with gauzy fabric that wrapped around her curves and swayed around her legs as she walked. Her heels gave her hips an extra swing, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely mesmerized.
Even better was her smile. She wore dark lipstick that made her full lips the center of attention, followed by her eyes. All wide and blue and pretty.
“You look amazing,” I breathed when she got close enough to hear me.
Her cheeks got that adorable pink tinge to them. “You look good too, Diego.”
I almost didn’t realize that Sadie was walking beside her until she said, “I’ll see you two inside.” She gave us a knowing smile before walking toward the school, the sun catching on the sequins of her black dress and the buckles of her black chunky boots.
