AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Macie nodded. “She does this every time trivia night is pop culture themed.”
Penelope let her book fall shut and closed her eyes. “I just think it’s a waste of time. And for the record, I wasveryactive onGame of Thronesnight.”
“Exactly. That’s not an American show,” Marshall quipped.
I hated the way he looked at her.
“Okay, so you’re proving my point.” Penelope smiled back at him. I hated it just as much.
“What are the odds that Penelope finds some excuse not to come next week? She’d hate for us to see her lose.”
“IfI felt like going, I’d still beat the rest of you. I can easily brush up on all the crappy tv shows.”
“I’ll bet on that.” Marshall held his hand out to her.
She raised a brow at him. “And if I win, what do I get?”
“A date with me.” He smiled widely. My insides cringed. She rolled her eyes and went back to her book. “I’ll buy you lunch for a month,” he countered.
Her eyes brightened and she returned the handshake. “Okay.”
Marshall’s hand paused right before making contact and he added, “But, for every question you get wrong, you have to take a sip of your drink.” He was giving her that same sinful smile I’d seen before. She hesitated for a moment, and I was sure she would say no. She shook his hand anyway.
I glanced at Macie to find her matching my frown. She cleared her throat. “Carter, you should come with us.”
I glanced at Penelope, trying to see some sort of reaction on her face. Permission or denial. Marshall's face certainly spelt denial but I didn’t care. Penelope smiled softly again, the type of smile that existed just for me.
Only if you want to,she mouthed at me.
Ignoring Marshall’s eye roll, I turned to Macie and smiled. “Okay.”
? ? ?
By hour three of setting up, I was a sweaty mess. We’d succeeded in transforming the gym into a springtime wonderland, though. The DJ had been set up, and the catering had arrived, so the five of us all went home to shower and change. A handful of other teachers were helping to chaperone the dance itself. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mr. Collins was not among the other chaperones and that he'd handed the reins of the dance over entirely to Macie.
Once I arrived back at the school, the gym’s transformation had been completed. All the lights were off, the DJ was now playing, and kids were starting to pile in. I got back before anyone else, apart from Macie. Once I located her, I asked her where to station me. “I’m going to need you and Penelope to watch the drink table. I don’t want anything getting spiked.”
“You really think middle schoolers would spike the punch at a school dance?”
“Yes.” She said it in a way that made me question if it was something she’d experienced before. I held up my hands as if not to argue and marched over to the drink table.
I tinkered with the cups even though they were already lined up. I stirred the punch even though it didn’t need it and picked at the tablecloth. Growing boredom overcame me and I wondered where Penelope was. The dance had officially started, but she still hadn’t returned.
“Hi,” she said, finally reaching me. Her voice was a hollow echo. “Sorry I’m late.”
I glanced down at her. Her hair was slicked back into a tight bun that complimented the shape of her face and the sharp angles of her cheek bones. She had on a knee length black dress that fit snugly around her curves. Sheer, netted sleeves hung off her shoulders and down her arms, black polka-dots sprinkled among the sleeves. “You look beautiful,” I blurted. I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but I found the words rolling off my tongue anyway.
“Oh. Th– thank you,” she stuttered, glancing upward to meet my eyes.
Hers were a glowing green, rimmed with red, as if she may have been crying. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said too quickly. “Yes, I’m fine.”
I bowed my head. “Pep.”
“I just got my admission letter from Stanford. I was too afraid to open it. My parents tried to convince me to do it before I left but I was too scared. And now I know I’m going to be thinking about it all night.”
“Penelope, come on. Of course you’re going to get accepted,” I chuckled. Being that I didn’t go to college, I didn’t know a lot about the admissions process. But as far as I knew, Oxford wasthecollege. You couldn’t get any more prestigious than that. I would’ve thought that a degree from Oxford would’ve guaranteed admission to anywhere else.
