Page 69 of Broken Secrets
“That happened one time.”
“This week.”
Derek laughs, slinging his goalkeeper bag over his shoulder as we head toward the school building. The afternoon has warmed up considerably, and other students are starting toemerge for lunch or afternoon activities. The normal rhythm of school life continues around us, reassuringly predictable.
I line up another shot, focusing on the placement rather than power. The ball curves perfectly into the upper corner of the net, just out of Derek’s reach despite his impressive dive.
“Show off,” he says, getting to his feet and brushing grass off his practice jersey.
“You’re just getting slow in your old age.”
“Old age? We’re the same age.”
“I’m three months younger, which makes you practically ancient.”
Derek jogs over to where I’m collecting balls, that easy grin on his face that makes my stomach flutter even after weeks of dating. “Speaking of normal,” Derek says as we reach the main hallway, “we should probably talk about winter formal.”
The mention of the dance makes me smile. After months of family drama and medical appointments and emotional revelations, the idea of a school dance feels wonderfully ordinary.
“What about it?”
“Well, it’s next month, and I was thinking we should coordinate colors. You know, so we don’t look like we accidentally ended up together in photos.” Derek stops at his locker, spinning the combination with practiced ease. “I may have been researching boutonniere and corsage combinations.”
“You’ve been researching floral arrangements?”
“I take formal events very seriously. Plus, Maya sent me a link to a Pinterest board titled ‘Olivia’s Dream Formal Look’ with about fifty different color schemes.”
I groan and lean against the lockers. “She made a Pinterest board? When?”
“Last week, apparently. According to her extensive research, navy blue is your best color, but emerald-green brings outyour eyes, and dusty rose is ‘romantically timeless.’ I have no idea what dusty rose actually looks like, but she included very detailed photos.”
“Maya is going to plan our entire formal experience if we’re not careful. She’ll probably have opinions about what kind of car we should arrive in and what restaurant we should go to afterward.”
“She already does. Apparently, Giuseppe’s is ‘too casual for such a momentous occasion,’ and we should consider the new French place downtown.”
“The one that requires reservations six weeks in advance?”
“That’s the one. She may have already called them.”
I stare at him. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish I were. She’s very invested in making sure our first formal together is ‘Pinterest-worthy and memory-making.’” Derek closes his locker and turns to face me. “So what do you actually want? Color-wise, I mean.”
We start walking toward the cafeteria, joining the stream of students heading to lunch. The hallways buzz with typical afternoon energy, locker doors slamming, friends calling out to each other, the general chaos of a few hundred teenagers trying to get somewhere in a limited amount of time.
“I’ve always liked that deep forest green,” I say, considering the options. “It’s sophisticated but not too serious. And it goes well with your coloring.”
“Forest green it is. I’ll find a tie to match.” Derek pauses, looking suddenly uncertain as we reach the cafeteria entrance. “This is kind of our first real formal event together. Are you nervous?”
“About formal? Or about us?”
“Both, I guess. I mean, it’s one thing to hang out and go on casual dates, but formal is… public. Official. Everyone will be watching to see how we are as a couple.”
I consider the question while we get in line for lunch. A month ago, I would have been nervous about everything, the dress, the dancing, whether Derek and I were ready for such a public display of being a couple. But after everything that’s happened with Jeremy and Emma, after learning to navigate complex family relationships and emotional revelations, a school dance feels wonderfully simple.
“I’m excited,” I say, surprised by how much I mean it. “It feels good to have something normal to look forward to. Something that’s just about us, not about family drama or medical appointments or any of the heavy stuff we’ve been dealing with.”
“Good. Because I may have already put a deposit down on a tux rental.”
