Page 54 of As You Walk On

I’m in front of Christian now. The hint of a teasing smile is visible as he sips his drink. The pool’s artificial light gives him a charming alien glow. Random kids splash around in the water. The air’s warm and fresh. We gradually rock back on our heels to a song I don’t know but feels perfect.

When Christian lowers his cup, he stares my way like he’s waiting for me to speak first.

I scan the area. If I’m going to do this, I need...

There he is.

Jay is near the hot tub, within earshot of me and Christian. He’s drinking and chatting with a Black boy I can’t identify. Their conversation seems chill. Quiet enough that, if I project, he’ll hear me.

“Hey, uh,” I stammer. Great. All my hype evaporates in an exhale. “Sorry about being gone so long.”

“You got lost?” Christian asks.

“Something like that.”

“Let me guess,” he starts, swirling the contents of his cup. “The toilet clogged. You flooded the whole upstairs. You tried to clean it all up but there were no towels. Only toilet paper. And then—”

“Wow,” I interrupt. I don’t fight the smirk pulling at my lips. “Were you there watching instead of helping? That’s rude.”

His own lips twitch into a grin.

“Anyway.” I half laugh, feeling everything inside my belly go warm and soft. A star-filled sky gazes down on us. Christian’s full attention is on me. “Speaking of time going by pretty fast—prom’s coming up, you know.”

“I do. It’s gonna be fun.”

“Yup.” My lips tick higher. “Even more fun with a pretty cool, sweet, funny date.”

Way to go, Theo. Really using those SAT Word of the Day apps to their full potential.

Christian’s forehead wrinkles. “I hope so.”

I’m dizzy with adrenaline. The music’s turned to a low hum. The slosh of pool water like an undercurrent to our voices. I can sense Jay’s eyes on us. It feels like everyone’s staring.

“Theo...?”

Christian’s free hand carefully grabs my elbow. His wide eyes anchor me. Our surroundings stop spinning.

I clear my throat, raise my voice.

“I was thinking maybe you’d like to go to—”

“Hold on,” begs Christian. “Oh, shit.Stop.”

I freeze. My unsaid words lodge into my throat like a giant jawbreaker I forgot to let fully dissolve before swallowing.

The dead air between us makes my palms sweat.

“Er... did I read this wrong?” I say quietly.

Christian’s fingers drop away from my elbow. “Theo,” he begins, but then someone else joins us. The boy Jay was talking to wedges himself next to Christian’s side.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” he says, his voice a tad deep but jubilant. He extends a hand. “I heard you two talking. I’m Kenneth-David. You can call me KD.”

“Okay,” I say, dragging out the word.

Up close, he’s cute. Fawn-brown skin. We’re around the same height. He has short curls and wears those square hipster glasses everyone loves. His smile is lopsided, endearing.

“Nice to, uh, meet you... KD,” I say, taming the wariness in my voice. “I was kind of asking Christian something import—”

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