Mom took some pictures of me on the stairs, and we quickly called Carol so she could see me in the dress she and Felix had picked out. Dad dropped me off, giving me a short pep talk about being nice and working hard but remembering to have fun. He said I deserved some fun.
I kissed Dad’s cheek and got out of the car to see Nate waiting for me under the entrance canopy in a black suit with a gold tie. I could see his deep, blue eyes from here and his perfectly styled hair. I bent down to look away and knocked on the window. Dad rolled it down.
“I think I might throw up, Dad,” I joked, but I was halfway serious.
“You’re called Avery Brave for a reason. Remember who you are.”
And with that, he pulled away, leaving me standing in the parking lot with Nate leaning against a pillar, staring at me, holding his crutches in his hands.
Was he thinking how much he couldn’t stand me? Was he making jokes about me in his head? Was he wishing he was anywhere else in the world except for here with me?
I pushed a stray curl back and decided that he probably wasn’t going to leave the support of the pillar, and I would have to walk toward him. This was the most uncomfortable I’d been in a long time. I remember the feeling I’d had at the dress shop and tried to conjure it up again. I do look good. Really good. Felix had told me to give him hell. But I silently scolded myself as I neared him, No. You have to be nice. Play it cool, like you don’t know anything.
Nate finally pushed off the pillar with his shoulder and tucked his crutches under his arms.
“Hey, Avery.”
“Hey,” I said, touching my neck and feeling flushed as he said my name, even though he never said it right, and I never seemed to have the courage to correct him. Even though I did to everyone else.
“I got you this,” he said. He handed me a corsage that made my Father’s pale in comparison. “But I can see you already have one.”
He acted like he was rethinking giving it to me, but I took it before he could pull it back. “This one is from my Dad,” I said. “He wasn’t sure if you were my date or not, so he didn’t want me to be without a corsage.”
“I should have picked you up. Sorry I can’t drive right now. If I would have picked you up, he wouldn’t have questioned it.”
“It’s okay. They know it’s an assignment,” I said, then immediately regretted the way I’d phrased that. I was always undoing what he was trying to say. I didn’t know if this was a date, and I wasn’t sure he knew either. But after what Sylvie had said, I just couldn’t believe that he would actually ask me to a dance or anywhere else, for that matter, if it wasn’t an assignment. And I needed to keep my guard up.
He raised his eyebrows, and his blue eyes narrowed at me like he was scolding me. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it.
I slid the second corsage on. “I suppose a girl can never have too many flowers.” I shrugged, dodging whatever was happening. “Shall we go?”
“Sure.” His voice changed back to an aloofness that I was accustomed to.
We went through the entrance, which was filled with glittery stars, moons, and a traditional balloon archway that Carol always made fun of. We walked side by side until we reached the entrance of the picture backdrop. He grabbed my hand and tugged it softly toward the backdrop. We were next in line. I protested with my eyes and shook my head.
“No?”
“Umm…I am just surprised that you…”
“Well, I figured you’d want to experience the whole dance if we were supposed to report on it.”
“Oh,” I said. His logic was always there, but his motive always eluded me.
The photographer posed us in a traditional dance pose, which Carol and I always made fun of. Nate was behind me with his arms around my waist. For two people who had never so much as touched before, I could feel the awkwardness bleeding out of every pore. I wriggled out of his arms and stood as his side. He looked down at me with questioning eyes, and I saw the photographer’s look of concern.
“Just put your hands in your pockets. It’s casual,” I whispered up at Nate. He did so, and I looped an arm through his, holding my own hand and showing off my two corsages. Then, I nodded at the photographer, who shrugged and got behind his camera.
“Better, right?” I whispered again through a camera-ready smile.
“Much,” Nate said before looking stoically at the camera.
As we walked into the dance, Nate said “thanks” nonchalantly where only I could hear. I wanted to mutter something back about being forced to touch someone you couldn’t stand, but I didn’t; I simply nodded.
For most of the evening, we walked around the dance, observing and occasionally commenting to each other things we noticed. Dress styles were drastically different from last year and slightly more revealing, based on what I’d seen in the yearbook and basic pop culture knowledge. Boys’ suits were more tailored and more casual. Song choices were edgy and not what we expected, but we knew “Christian school” didn’t mean all things Christian. All the teachers seemed to be present but kept to the fringe of the room and talked amongst themselves.
We stood an arms’ length apart and only looked at each other when it was absolutely necessary, which, apparently, it rarely was. Finally, about nine o’clock, I was exhausted of being around him and needed a moment alone. I wanted to call Felix or Carol. I told him I had to go to the bathroom, but on my way, I ducked past the bathroom and went down the west hallway. It was dark and considerably less pungent away from all the sweaty dancing teens. The cool air wafted down from the vents, and I stood directly under one for a moment, letting the air cool me until I got a shiver that shook my spine.
“Why are you calling me when you are with the most eligible running back in school at the homecoming dance?” Carol squeaked.
I ran my hand along the lockers. “I don’t know. I just escaped into the hall and needed a friendly voice.”
“Is he just the worst? I bet he looks ugly tonight, doesn’t he? And he didn’t shower? And he’s being a complete jerk. I feel so awful for you, dear. You’re really taking one for the team here,” she said, her tone turning sarcastic.
I giggled a little. “I look terrible too. I should just go home, huh.”
“Totally. It’s a wash. Never show your face again.”
We laughed, and I felt better.
I told her how Nate called me Avery and how I’d been too chicken to correct him. She asked about how the dance was decorated, and she laughed at the balloon arch.
But I stopped mid-sentence as I was telling her about the two corsages when I heard footsteps.
“Gotta go, Carol.”
I hung up the call, tucking myself along the wall at the end of the row of lockers, which coincidentally matched my dress, before anyone could see or hear me. I realized as I listened that the footsteps were followed by the sound of crutches. The footsteps slowed, and so did my breathing.
“Avery?” A male voice said my name loud enough to echo down the hall but not so loud that anyone at the dance would have heard. I stilled and was quiet. My heart beat out of my chest, and I was sure that he could hear it.
“Avery?”
I didn’t respond, but it was the second time that he called out my name that I recognized Nate’s voice. He never called me by my full name.
Why was he looking for me? How had he known I’d ducked the bathroom? For someone who couldn’t stand me, he was acting a lot like a date. Not that I’d been on many.
“Avery?” He called out my name again, and I found myself stepping out of my hiding place—not that he could see me. The whole hallway was dark save the emergency lights that blinked every once in a while.
“Yeah?”
“Where are you? I called your name like three times.” He sounded concerned.
“I’m over here. Behind the lockers,” I whispered harshly, just wishing he would shut up.
I heard his crutches coming my way, and I saw his gold tie reflect the e
mergency lights as they blinked.
“What are you doing hiding in the hallway?” He stood too close to me, but I know he probably couldn’t judge the distance that well in the dark.
“I just—I thought we could both use a—” Deciding not to finish that statement, I opted just to say, “I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong? Did I do something?”
I sighed. “No, I just know that you can’t—” I knew I couldn’t finish that sentence either without having to explain how I knew that he couldn’t stand me. But why am I so nervous to tell him?
“Look, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot,” he said honestly in the dark.
“Back in the second grade?” I said more bitingly than I meant to.
“Probably.” He laughed a little.
He cares that we got off on the wrong foot? That’s not someone who can’t stand me.
But as I was about to take a breath and say something else, we heard voices coming our way. I grabbed his jacket sleeve and pulled him around the corner into a classroom. His crutches were in one hand, and he hobbled on his good foot, bumping into me awkwardly. We stumbled over each other’s feet until he steadied us with his back against the wall.
How is this real?! This can’t be happening! I have to get away from him and out of here!
I moved to the side so that we would not be touching, but he put hands on my shoulders and kept me in my place, probably so I couldn’t make noise. But my whole body fought against the fact that we were so closely touching.
As the voices grew closer, I recognized Sylvie’s voice and let out a small gasp—we both tried to cover my mouth. His large hand was clamped over my mouth first—practically my whole face—and my hand was over his.
I will never recover from this. I have to get out of here. I panicked. I’ll never be able to look him in the eye again. God, please help me. How to get myself in such tight spots?
I pulled Nate’s hand down from my mouth, conscious that his hand had touched my lips, wishing I had never come, never worn this blasted dress, and never come down this hallway.
His hand rested on my bare shoulder now and didn’t let go. I wanted to escape it somehow or signal him not to touch me, but I dared not move or make a noise. I even begged my heart to quiet down. We both listened intently, though. I could feel his heart beating as fast as mine, and it was distracting.
“Are you kidding me, Ace?! Now is not the time. We are at a dance.”
“But I saw you were talking to him. And I think that you are in over your head! It’s time to come forward.”
Ace? Ace and Sylvie? If Ace was, in fact, blackmailing Sylvie, then who else had Sylvie been talking to? It couldn’t have been Nate; he’s right here with me.
“I don’t know that I really believe he did that stuff,” Sylvie argued. “How do I know you didn’t just make it all up?”
“You know exactly why, Sylvie.”
There was a scuffle of feet, and Sylvie squealed.
“Why would I ever make something up like that?” Ace growled in a way that made my breath catch, and it was then that I realized Nate had an arm around my waist, because his grip tightened.
“Let go…,” Sylvie yelped and then cried, “So people would quit talking what you did!”
She let it hang in the darkness, and I knew what she what talking about. Nate squeezed my shoulder. I was fully convinced in that moment that he could, in fact, stand me.
We heard the scuffling continue, but it seemed to be moving away from us. I imagined Ace dragging Sylvie away while she tried to wriggle free of his bruising grip.
We stood unmoving and barely breathing until we heard no more voices or footfalls.
“Avery—,” Nate started softly with a sincerity that made me think it wouldn’t be smart for me to stay here in the dark with him, leaning against him.
I tugged on his sleeve again. “Come on. We have to go out there. This could be our story.”
I hurried him along. He crutched after me and pulled my arm, stopping in the hallway.
“Plus,” I continued, “they are going to do the king and queen soon.”
“Ace and Sylvie? That’s hardly a story, Avery.” Nate seemed to be trying to get me to stay or distract me.
“I know, but I think something else is going on. Ace is blackmailing Sylvie to come forward about something.”
“Blackmail? How do you know that?”
I told him all the things I’d overheard in the bathroom and then at the dress shop—all my suspicions, even the ones about him. I even told him what Sylvie had said about him not being able to stand me, which I couldn’t believe came out of my mouth, but it was too late to reel it back in.
“You thought I was blackmailing Sylvie?” He sounded astonished.
“Well, you were her boyfriend and her lab partner.…”
“And you thought I couldn’t stand you?”
“You were friends with Ace! And our interactions thus far have been, well….” I left that hanging.
I didn’t have sound logic like he seemed to, but my justifications still seemed to be in my favor.
“Okay, well, let’s go,” Nate conceded. “Let’s see if we can catch Sylvie talking to whoever Ace is mad about. Or jealous of? Or scared of?”
Bewildered, I followed behind him. He didn’t seem mad at my theories or false accusations.
“Come on,” he insisted, grabbing my hand. “I think it’s nearing the last song. Let’s get out there and see what we can see or hear.”
I asked the obvious question. “Oh? And how do you expect to dance?”
“I’ll make it work,” he said, and I followed him onto the dance floor. He leaned his crutches on a pillar, and before I knew it, we were slow-dancing. He had his arms around my waist—it felt familiar since he’d just had them around me in the hallway—but he was looking around for Sylvie or Ace. He was good at blending. And I found myself wondering if he’d been blending all along.
Maybe he was never really part of Ace’s crowd.
He continued to scan the room, which was good, because, at my height, I wasn’t going to see past anyone. He bent low and whispered, “I see Sylvie. I’m going to hobble us over closer. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed sheepishly, still stunned that we were dancing at all.
Nate grabbed one crutch, and we awkwardly tried to dance closer to the edge of the dance floor. He looked over my head but talked to me. “I’m sorry Sylvie said that about you. I never said that. And it’s not true.”
“It’s okay,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I couldn’t even bring myself to look up at him.
Soon, I could see Sylvie against the wall. She had clearly been crying. Ace was nowhere to be seen, but Sylvie was rubbing her arm where I knew his grip must have been. In that moment, I wondered not only what Sylvie had gotten herself into with Ace but why. She was in deep; I could tell by the well-masked fear in her eyes. I’d had that same look once. I hadn’t masked it with makeup like she did; I’d hid mine well with quick wit and a chip on my shoulder. Ace Wentworth was not one to be trifled with.
Then, Nate said something that shocked me out of my thoughts. “You look amazing tonight,” he said, still not looking at me. “I should have told you earlier.”
I stared up at him awkwardly in shock till the song slowed and faded away as Principal Sand got up on stage. “As you know,” the principal announced, “we do our Homecoming King and Queen with secret ballots here at All Saints. You all have been voting all week, and so, now, our cheerleaders will present our Homecoming King and Queen for 2015!”
The room burst with clapping and cheering. Sylvie, Brooklynn, and Whitney walked up on the stage, looking flawless in their gowns. There was no sign now of Sylvie’s earlier distress.
What do you want to bet it’s Sylvie, I thought dryly.
Sylvie stepped up to the microphone. “For the 2015 Homecoming King…we have…” She dragged the reveal out while opening the envelope. Then, a pleased
smile spread across her lips, and she announced, “Nate Reinhart!”
As Nate let go, I realized that his arms had still been around my waist. He raised his eyebrows at me and crutched toward the stage. Left standing alone, I felt adrift on the dance floor.
Sylvie placed a crown on Nate’s head and went to kiss him on the cheek, but he blocked it, which made me curious.
Nate learned over to the mic. “Thanks, everyone,” he said briefly, tipping his crown to the gathered crowd.
Whitney handed Sylvie the next envelope, and Sylvie stepped back to the mic. “And now…,” she said, “your 2015 Homecoming Queen is…drum roll please…” She opened the envelope, and her mouth fell agape just like the lid of the envelope. She showed it to Whitney and Brooklynn. “This can’t be right. Is this a joke?” she muttered a little too close to the mic.
Principal Sand intervened, urging them to just announce it as written. Sylvie grudging stepped back to the mic.
“Somehow…,” she started, drawing an “ahem” from the Principal behind her, “your 2015 Homecoming Queen is Avery Brave Nightingale.” She finished the announcement with a distinct lack of exuberance.
Everyone around me looked at me, smiling, patting me on the back. I returned their smiles with confusion on my brow. Someone urged me toward the stage with a hand on my back. Nate was motioning for me to come toward him with a wide smile on his face. I didn’t understand.
The principal offered me a hand, and I found myself on stage with everyone staring at me. Sylvie haphazardly thrust the crown on my head. Everyone clapped and cheered.
I looked to Nate and mouthed, “It’s me?”
He nodded. My face filled with surprise, and my cheeks flushed.
I was crowned Homecoming Queen.
People voted for me? That didn’t make any sense. People didn’t even like me. Why would they vote for me?
Nate whispered that we were going to bow, and he grabbed my hand. We bowed to the audience, and they roared with applause.
Principal Sand stepped forward. “Our queen seems to be in shock, so let’s show her how happy you are for her as the King and Queen walk to the dance floor for their official King and Queen dance.”
The Nightingale Files : The Rook and Queen Page 6
