Chapter 4
Chapter Four
DANCE WITH ME
T he gymnasium of the school was crammed with other students. Oliver snuck my bags into one of the supply closets outside of the gym where no one would see them. I was forced to carry some of them around school with me, but while we were here tonight, I was going to try my hardest to fit in and be normal.
Different colored lights flashed around from the ceiling as the DJ played music by the stage area that they set up. The entire room had been transformed into something magical, like a fairytale. There were twinkling fairy lights and walls covered with delicate flowers in the softest pastel hues. It was like we had stepped into an enchanted forest.
Oliver held me close, his arm wrapped around my waist as he kept me tucked against his side. He walked me through various crowds of students and ignored his group of friends who were gathered around a table toward the center of the room. We moved straight over to the photo booth that they had set up over in the corner.
We stopped when we reached the line, and I glanced up at Ollie. “Didn’t we get enough pictures earlier?”
A laugh slipped from his plump lips. “Those were the most generic things ever. Plus, those were memories for our parents. These are memories for us to have.”
I smiled up at him as the line began to move and we followed behind until it was our turn. Oliver slid his hand from my waist, dropping it to my hand as he let me step into the booth first. His palm was warm against mine and his fingers held me close. My heart was in my stomach, and it was pounding with such force as we both stood in front of the camera.
We looked at the small basket of different props before looking at each other. The curtain was drawn shut behind us and it was just the two of us. All of the sudden, something began to count down and it pulled us both from the moment of our close proximity.
“Shit,” Oliver muttered, reaching for a fake mustache from the basket. He grabbed a crown and tossed it to me. “It’s going to take the picture without us being ready.”
Laughter bubbled from my lips as Oliver crammed in the small space against me to be able to fit into the screen for the picture. It flashed in front of our eyes before showing a preview of the image. We were caught mid-action—me attempting to hold the crown on my head as Oliver held the mustache to his neck since he couldn’t reach his nose in time.
We broke out in laughter together, and Oliver tossed the mustache back to the basket before repositioning the crown on my head. He straightened it as he wrapped his arm around the tops of my shoulders, pulling me flush against his side.
The camera flashed again, and we both looked over at the screen to see the preview. That one had my heart fluttering as my stomach did somersaults. In the picture, Oliver was staring down at me like I was the sun that shined through the clouds on the darkest days. I was looking up at him like he was the only thing I could ever see.
My heart soared as we both stared at it. I was too caught up in the moment, my mind barely registering the sound as it began to count down from three again. Oliver’s arm was still wrapped around me, and his breath was warm against my cheek as he let out a shallow exhale. He pressed his soft lips to my cheek and my eyelids fluttered shut as warmth flooded my body.
The camera flashed again, and his lips lingered before he pulled away. My eyelids lifted and my cheeks were burning hot from the mixture of feelings that flooded my body. In the years Oliver and I had been friends, we hugged, but we’d never kissed. Not even on the cheek like this.
I looked up at him for a moment and his green eyes met mine with a fire burning deep inside them. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight nervously as a smile pulled on the corners of his lips. We both turned our eyes back to the screen, and I swear that my heart was going to beat out of my chest as I looked at the picture of the two of us.
It was one I would be saving for the rest of my life. I was torn between the two. The one taken before was a sweet moment, but this—this was something I had never experienced in my life.
Oliver pulled his arm from my shoulders and slid his hand into mine. His fingers intertwined with mine and he led me out of the photo booth and back out into the real world. Prom was happening all around us and neither of us even realized while we were tucked away in our own little corner of the universe.
“Did you want anything to drink or eat?” Oliver asked me as we walked past some tables of food and drinks.
“I’ll just take a water,” I told him, and he grabbed two from the table before handing one to me. With my hand still in his, I didn’t want to pull it away to bother opening up my water, instead, I held onto him as he led me through the crowd that was gathered on the dance floor.
We walked over to the table where Oliver’s friends were seated. They were all guys from the football team, and they knew Oliver and I were best friends. They kind of embraced and accepted me like an extension of him. Although, I’m sure if it weren’t for him, none of us would really be friends. They had reached out when I was in the hospital different times, but no one ever reached out to hang out with me except for Vivi and Salem.
Two seats were saved for us at the table, and Oliver pulled his hand from mine as he moved my chair out for me to sit down. Setting down my clutch and water bottle, I tucked my hands around the backs of my thighs to fold my dress with my legs as I sat down. Oliver scooted my chair in before taking his seat.
“What’s up, man?” Dylan, one of Oliver’s friends slapped his hand and they did some little handshake thing.
The rest of the guys all greeted us, and Dylan and Oliver broke out into a conversation about college. They were both going to Dupree University, so they would be there together in the fall. Part of me was jealous. I wasn’t allowed to leave for college, so I was stuck attending the community college that was only twenty minutes from my house.
While I tuned the guys out, my eyes surveyed the gymnasium until I came across my two friends. Salem and Vivi were standing toward the left side of the room, talking to each other as they swayed their hips along to the music. I told them I would see them here, and I knew neither of them had dates, so I wanted to spend time with them, too.
Reaching out for Oliver, I wrapped my hand around his forearm to get his attention. He looked over at me, a wave of concern washing over his eyes as they bounced back and forth between mine.
“Is everything okay, Luna?”
I nodded, smiling at him. “I’m going to go see Vivi and Salem.” I paused, releasing his arm as I pointed over to where they were standing. “I’ll just be over there with them.”
Oliver smiled back and nodded. “Don’t disappear on me.”
“Never.” I winked at him as I rose from my seat.
Oliver watched me carefully, studying my movements as I pushed my chair back under the table. Even with the carefreeness between the two of us, Oliver was always cautious and careful. He entertained my off-the-wall ideas and wanted me to have my independence… but he never wandered too far away from me.
I left my bottle of water and clutch at the table and when I was halfway to the girls, I found myself wishing I would have brought my drink along with me. They both spotted me as I moved closer to them, their faces lighting up brightly.
“Luna!” Vivi exclaimed as she quickly embraced me. She moved away, her hands still on my shoulders as she looked me up and down. “Girl, you look amazing!”
Salem hugged me after Vivi released me. “Seriously, you’re stunning. I’m so glad that you came.”
“Where’s Oliver?” Vivi questioned me, looking over my shoulder as if she’d find him standing directly behind me. “You guys came together, right?”
I nodded, smiling at her. “He’s over with some of his friends. I saw you guys over here and wanted to come see you.”
“We weren’t sure if you were still coming, but we’re so glad you did!” Vivi practically yelled over the loud music. She stared at me for a moment, her gaze lingered longer than I liked. It wasn’t often I felt it from my friends, but every once and awhile, it was hard to ignore the concerned look in their eyes. “How are you feeling?”
There it was. That stupid question I loathed with a passion. Such a loaded question, at that.
“Good,” I smiled at her, brushing away the irritation I was feeling inside. “I’ve been feeling a lot better since I got out of the hospital.”
“That’s always good,” Salem interjected, saving me from Vivi’s stupid questions. “We’re just glad you came back for the last few weeks. Can you believe we’re graduating soon?”
I shook my head at the two of them as they stood in front of me. In a way, it felt like we were all growing further apart. They were my two best girlfriends, but they were also going to be leaving after summer was over. There had been some distance between the three of us recently, but I wouldn’t be the one to bring it up.
“Our last summer together,” Vivi said with a sadness in her voice as she pulled Salem and I in for a group hug. “We have to make sure we spend as much time as we can together since none of us will be at the same college.”
“Of course,” Salem agreed with her, hugging both of us tightly. “I’m going to miss the two of you so much.”
I nodded along but remained silent as their words floated around in my mind. I never really questioned our friendship until this moment. It had occurred to me before that we were all living separate lives, but neither of them knew what it was like to be in my shoes. To be tied down the way I was. I would never be able to experience life like they could.
I didn’t want to be the one who held them back from doing anything.
“I actually have a really busy summer, but we need to get together before you both go away,” I told them, not letting on to my lie. I didn’t have a busy summer, except for spending it with Oliver. He was the one person on the planet who didn’t look at me like I might shatter into a million pieces, even if he did express his concerns and proceeded with caution.
“Excuse me.” His voice broke through our little group hug. We all stepped away from one another, turning in his direction. Oliver was standing there with a bashful smile on his face. “May I steal my date from the two of you?”
Salem and Vivi both smiled at Oliver, completely captivated by his charm like the rest of the universe. I couldn’t blame them—there was something about him that was impossible to resist.
“Of course,” Vivi offered. “We’ll catch up with you later, Luna.”
The two of them disappeared into a crowd of people, leaving Oliver and I standing facing each other. The lights that flashed around the room mixed in his irises as his eyes bounced back and forth between mine. Suddenly, they began to dim, and the upbeat music switched into something slow and sensual.
Oliver held his hand out to me. “Dance with me.”
I swallowed hard over the emotions welling inside me and nodded, slipping my hand into his. Oliver laced his fingers with mine, his palm warm against mine. My heart was in my throat, and I was stepping into unknown territory. I had never danced with anyone before.
Oliver led me out onto the dance floor, and we found an open spot where we blended in with everyone else. He released my hand, our gazes colliding as he closed the distance between us. He slid his hands around my waist and laced them together against the small of my back.
My body was pressed flush against his and I lifted my arms, wrapping them around the back of his neck. He smelled like the ocean, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent. Turning my head to the side, I rested my cheek against his chest and listened to his heart as it hammered inside his chest.
I let him lead, swaying out bodies back and forth as we danced together to a John Legend song. I was careful to make sure I didn’t step on his feet, even though all we were doing was rocking back and forth while slowly spinning in a circle. This may have been my first time, but I watched enough romance movies that showed people dancing.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight, Luna,” he said softly, his chin resting against the top of my head. “You’re the only one I wanted to share this moment with.”
Lifting my head from his chest, I turned to look up at him. Oliver’s green eyes were filled with emotion and felt like they were burning holes through mine as he stared directly into my soul. “Thank you for bringing me, Oliver.”
“I meant what I said,” he murmured softly, his breath smelling like fruit punch. “I didn’t give a shit about anyone else who was waiting for me to ask them. You’re the only one I want to be here with.”
My heart crawled back into my throat, and it felt like I was starving for oxygen. Our surroundings completely dissipated, vanishing into the background. The only thing that mattered was Oliver’s hands around my waist and the way our bodies were moving together. That, and the way I was lost in the depths of his green irises.
“This was one of the things on my bucket list,” I admitted, my voice quiet and thick with emotion.
“Coming to prom?” he questioned me, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.
I shook my head and swallowed roughly. “Dancing with someone.”
Oliver fell silent and his eyebrows pulled together slightly as a mixture of emotions washed over his eyes. It wasn’t often his expression became unreadable, but in this moment, I wanted to see inside his mind. I wanted to read his thoughts.
“I’m glad I was your first.”
I stared back at him as I struggled to catch my breath.
“Me too.”