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The woman waits for the crowd’s cheers to die down before she says, “Who was the first person to introduce the idea of Daylight Saving Time?”
The audience and I gasp as we look at Willow and Charlie. Ooh, this is a hard one. I have no idea what the answer is.
Willow tilts her head to the side as she thinks it over. Charlie’s trying to hide a smile. It’s so obvious she knows the answer, but she wants her daughter to have the chance to win.
“Take as long as you need,” the woman says, glancing at the meter above that displays how much money has been raised so far. If they answer the bonus question correctly, the total will amount to over a hundred thousand dollars.
“Okay, I got it,” Willow says before whispering in Charlie’s ear. Her mom nods with a proud smile. Willow faces the woman. “The first person to introduce the idea of Daylight Saving Time was Benjamin Franklin.”
With a huge smile, the woman presses a button and ten thousand dollars are added to the charity fund. The audience, including me, erupts in applause. Charlie and Willow fling their arms around each other, Charlie kissing the top of Willow’s head and telling her how proud she is of her. Asher whoops so loud he’s practically bursting my ears, and Mia jumps up and down near him, cheering so loud she might damage her voice.
“As the winners of the trivia game, you have won an Xbox!” The woman lifts the box off the table and hands it to Willow. With a thank you, Willow marches over to her little sister and hands it to her.
I can’t see Mia’s expression because of the mask, but I can definitely see that her eyes get huge. “For me?” she gasps.
Willow nods. “For you.”
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I thought I’d have to wait until my birthday to get a new one after WillowBot broke mine. Oh my gosh!” She hands the box to her dad before throwing her arms around her older sister. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Willow laughs as she strokes her hair. “Of course. You know I love you.”
My phone’s alarm goes off. When I glance at it, I realize it’s five to eight. Oh my gosh, it’s time to meet my secret admirer. I was so caught up in the excitement of the trivia game that I almost forgot.
My heart beats in my ears, making me grow dizzy and nauseous. I don’t know if I can do this.
“Chloe?” Willow removes her arms from around Mia and heads over to me. “You okay?”
“It’s almost eight.”
Willow places her hand on my shoulder. “Breathe. You can do this. Whatever happens, it will be okay.”
My eyes slowly lift to hers. “What do you mean, ‘Whatever happens’? Do you think something will go wrong? You think he won’t like me?”
Willow groans like she wants to kick herself. “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. Of course everything will be great. Just be honest about how you feel. And hopefully he’ll be honest, too, and everything will work out.”
I watch her for a few seconds before shaking my head. “Not the best pep talk, but I’ll take it. My brain is scrambling and my heart beats so fast I think it’s going to launch out of my chest.”
“Chloe?” Ava, Lily, and the guys have joined us. “We’ve come to wish you good luck and tell you that you have nothing to worry about because everything will work out and you’ll have your happily ever after.”
I take a deep breath and let it out, nodding. “I’m ready.”
They hug me and wish me good luck. I wave before making my way to the exit of the ballroom and to the hallway, where my secret admirer and I will meet in front of the large painting of a horse. There are a few people out here, some talking and some resting on the sofas. I find a spot in front of the painting and fold my arms over my chest. Why has it gotten so cold all of a sudden?
I lower my hands because I don’t want to seem too serious. Where should I put my arms? Letting them hang to the side makes me feel like I’m a soldier standing at attention. So where should I put them?
Oh my gosh, am I really freaking out about where to put my arms?
Breathe, Chloe. Just breathe.
It’s a minute to eight. He should be here any second.
Another minute passes. I hope he shows…
My eyes fixate on the entrance to the ballroom. But then I realize it’s possible he hasn’t arrived yet, so I stare at the entrance to the building. My eyes flit back and forth between both entrances, every part of me so wound up I think I need to…I don’t know, shake myself around or something. Do a silly dance until the nerves leave my body. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous before in my life.
Wait, I forgot about my mask. He’ll need to see my face to know it’s me. I take another breath and slowly let it seep out as I lift my mask to my forehead.
Another minute passes. Oh no. What if he stands me up? Or what if he has such bad anxiety that he’s scared to meet me? I hope he knows that I’m not scary and that he can approach me. I don’t care what he looks like—all that matters is if he’s my age and has a good, kind heart.
