by Casey Peeler
“I should have known,” I say as I shake my head and we quickly scroll through them. As I look at each school, I notice that the application dates have passed. What am I going to do? When the bell rings, she quickly unzips her backpack and hands me a god-awful teal chevron notebook. It looks as if someone has bedazzled the front. What in this world?
“All of this info is in here. I took notes on everything.”
“Jade, all of those dates for auditions have passed. It’s useless,” I say as I place my head in my hands.
“How do you know that? Maybe there’s a loophole or something,” she says as we walk toward our classes. “I’ll see you at the studio,” she says and my mind is reeling with what I should do.
When I get to class, all I can do is think about my future and ask the teacher if I can go see a counselor. He gives me a pass and I walk to the guidance office, where a young woman greets me. “How may I help you?”
“I need a little guidance with college applications,” I state.
“Well, you’ve come to the right place,” she says with a smile.
Stepping into her office, she closes the door and I answer a few questions. After an hour or so, she’s explained that all I can do is apply. She also said I should think outside of the box. She told me to do something to stand out and make Cadence Lewis memorable. I’m going to have to talk to Ms. Lyndsay about this today.
My mind is spinning, and I ask if it would be okay to get started on this instead of going back to class. She agrees and gives me a note to go to the media center. I apply to UNCG, ECU, and NYU. Then I begin a dance résumé. I have to text Mom for some information, and before I know it the bell is ringing to dismiss us for the day.
Once I’m inside the studio, I hurry to get ready and Ms. Lyndsay asks to speak to me. She asks if I’m okay today, and I tell her I’m extremely sorry about yesterday. I then ask her opinion on what I can do to stand out on the applications.
“Cadence, I’m going to be extremely honest. This late in the game is going to be hard to get in. It’s not impossible, but I believe if they see your grades and your talent, they’d be crazy not to accept you. I might have a connection or two as well,” she says with a wink.
“So what should I do to stand out?” I ask her. She shakes her head.
“Be yourself. You are a light in the darkness. You’re one of a kind and they will see that the moment your body moves to the music. I have no doubt, but no matter what I’ll be glad to help you any way I can.”
“Thanks, Ms. Lyndsay,” I say as I give her a hug and hurry to the dance room to stretch. After class, Jade and I stay so that we can make a video for my applications. It doesn’t take long before I have it recorded, and we gather our things to go home. Jade calls my cell as we follow each other out of the parking lot.
“Totally different subject, Cadence, but have you gotten your prom dress?” she questions.
“I’ve looked a little bit, but I have no idea what I want. Well, I do, but Mom already called in that favor at homecoming,” I say with a smile.
“Would you want to go shopping tomorrow since we have a day off? And let’s not mention it’s in less than a month.”
“Absolutely. Where should we go?”
“SouthPark.”
“Where’s that?” I question.
“Charlotte. Barrick can go if you want,” she says.
“No way! He’s not seeing my dress until that night.”
She starts to laugh like crazy. “This isn’t a wedding, Cadence. He can see it before the night you know.”
“I don’t care. I want it to be a surprise.”
“You’re crazy,” she says.
“Maybe so.”
As I pull into my driveway, I tell her I’ll drive tomorrow and pick her up about ten. I’ve got to get my chores finished and get these applications in.
“What applications?” Barrick asks as he approaches me.
I pull the phone away from my ear and fiddle with my bag. “Just for a few schools and programs nearby. I’ve waited around so long, I’ll probably have to take a year off and work around here,” I say, defeated.
“You’re crazy. You’ll get in. If not, you can go to school with me,” he says with a wink.
“You don’t know what you are doing yet either.”
“Well, now that I know you aren’t going to Boston, I may apply to ECU.”
“Well, that one is on my list,” I say as I pull him in for a kiss.
“Ew, I’m still on the phone and I can hear you kissing,” Jade yells before disconnecting.
“You want me to help you with your applications?” Barrick asks.
“Yes,” I say as we walk up to the house.
Barrick
Ms. Mae and Regina are at the kitchen table when we walk in. Cadence tells them all about her talk with the guidance counselor and that she’s already applied to three schools. She lets them know I’ll be helping her upload her files and asks if I can stay for dinner. She also lets them know that she and Jade are going shopping for prom dresses tomorrow. Crap. I’ve got to order a tux.
After we eat, we settle into the living room, and Cadence turns on the mobile hotspot on her phone to connect the computer to the Internet. We go over all her information, upload all of the files, and then submit.
Once we are finished, we look at the clock and it’s still pretty early. I ask if she wants to go to The Loft but she shakes her head no. Instead, we take a seat on the couch and watch TV for a little while.
“Want to go outside on the swing?” she asks.
Glancing at the time, I know I’m going to have to go soon so we won’t have long. “Sure, I can hang out for a little longer,” I say.
The wooden swing creaks as we move back and forth. She places her head on my shoulder and I wish I didn’t have to leave.
“Oh my. Barrick! There they are!” she exclaims.
“What?”
“The lightening bugs.”
“Want to catch them?” I ask.
“Why not?” she says. Taking her hand, we walk down the front steps and into the yard.
“Hold on,” I say as I hurry to the back porch to grab a mason jar. Coming around to her again she looks confused. I take my pocket-knife out and puncture a few holes in the lid. “They’ve got to be able to breathe,” I say.
She tries to catch a few but struggles. They seem to escape her grasp but after a few minutes, she finally gets one.
“I got one!” she squeals. But then her face transforms. “Oh my gosh! It tickles and it’s a bug. Get it!” she squirms, jumping up and down. Once I come to her rescue, she takes a seat and says she’s done. I gather a few more and enjoy their light.
Chapter 28
Cadence
Saturday morning Barrick arrives and tags Paisley once more. He swears it doesn’t hurt but I can’t watch. She can now go out in the pasture with the herd, and Barrick lets me do the honors.
“You ready, sweet girl?” I ask as I lead her into the pasture. Opening the gate, I feel as if I’m a proud mother watching her child walk into her first dance lesson alone. My heart swells with excitement, but hurts at the same time.
Looking at Barrick, I take a step closer and stand underneath his shoulder. Paisley looks back at me before trotting toward the other cows at the other end of the field.
“You were right,” I say as I look up to Barrick.
“About what?”
“She will be okay with the others.”
“Yes she will, but she’s loved because of you,” he says as he lowers his head and makes my heart melt with a kiss.
After we finish at the barn, Barrick goes home and I get ready to go with Jade. At exactly ten, I pull up to her house and walk to the door. I can’t help but smile when Barrick meets me at the door.
“Hey, didn’t I just see you?” I say with a smile. He kisses me quickly before I step inside to meet Jade. I speak to his parents for a few minutes before we leave for Charlotte.
Jade tells me
how to get there, and when we arrive I know this is my kind of mall. Jade and I make our way inside and check out several high-end department stores as well as specialty shops. I find several dresses I like but not one that I love. Jade has found one she has to have, and I have to say it’s beautiful. It’s not my style but it screams southern belle.
As we search the final store I’m about to give up hope, but that’s when the bling catches my eye. Walking toward it, I see the perfect dress. It’s flashy but not over the top. The bodice is embellished with rhinestones and the teal color will complement my skin tone and hair. I look over at Jade and she’s smiling from ear to ear.
“Bare loves the color blue,” she says.
“Really?”
“Yeah, go try it on.” She ushers me to the dressing room. I go in and slide the dress on. It fits perfectly and when I look in the full-length mirror, I know that this is the dress.
“I don’t know,” I say, trying to sound bummed.
“Let me see. I’m sure…” She stops as I open the door. “Holy smokes! You’re full of crap! You look amazing! Look in this mirror,” she says, pointing to the one in the larger part of the dressing room. I walk out and take a look. Smiling from ear to ear, I know this is it. Now I need to find the perfect shoe to accent it.
“Now all we need are a pair of designer shoes and we’re ready to go!” I say to her.
“Yay! I love shopping!” she says. I quickly change and we attack the shoe section as if we are on a mission. It doesn’t take long for both of us to find the perfect pair of designer heels that add just enough to our dresses. We then make our way to the register, pay, and then celebrate with a huge piece of cheesecake before going home.
Barrick
Why is it every time she’s out of my sight I can’t get her out of my mind? I’ve spent all day trying my best to not think about her in a perfect dress or rather sliding in and out of a million different ones.
When I can’t stand it any more, I walk to the barn and take the four-wheeler for a spin. I spend the next two hours covering every inch of our property as well as adjacent ones. Eventually, I make my way home and see that Jade has returned.
I hurry inside. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Did y’all get a dress and stuff?”
“Yes! Oh my gosh, let me show you mine.” I don’t care what Jade’s looks like, I want to know about Cadence. She comes back in and I am stunned that she actually tried it on. When did she grow up?
“That’s nice, Jade,” I state, playing it off.
“Nice?” she says, walking toward me and slapping me on the shoulder. “See if I tell you about Cadence’s!” she says and I know she’s not playing fair.
“Nevermind,” I say as I leave her there and text Cadence.
Me: What color?
When my phone chirps I realize she’s sent me a picture of a tiny section of color. Blue with sparkles. I can go with that. Monday morning I’m going into town to get fitted for my tux.
Me: You’re such a tease.
Cadence: Maybe ;)
Me: The Loft?
Cadence: Sure. I feel the need to dance.
Me: I’ll see you in a few.
I tell Jade we’re going to The Loft. She quickly texts Aaron and I know they will show up there as well. I pick up Cadence and we make our way to The Loft, where we dance from the moment we walk in until the clock strikes eleven. I could get used to this.
Chapter 29
Cadence
The past two weeks have been crazy with school and dance. I’ve checked the mail each day but haven’t heard from any schools yet. I decided to call Ms. James and thank her for her offer and let her know that I will be going to a school closer to home. I know I could have waited to hear from the other schools first, but I know in my heart I’d never be happy there. I refuse to give up hope that I’ll get into the other schools.
As the Saturday morning light creeps into my window, I stir with excitement. Today is prom. I hurry to the barn to get my chores out of the way and I find a bouquet of fresh flowers on the shelf near the milking station. Barrick is already hard at work milking and acts as if he doesn’t see me. I walk to the bouquet and see a small handwritten note.
Hope today makes all of your wishes come true.
I know I’m grinning from ear to ear as I turn around and see that he’s still trying to ignore me. I walk toward him and wrap my arms around him from behind.
“I have you, don’t I?” I question.
He finally looks over his shoulder and grins. He kisses my cheek then finishes with the cow.
“I’m going to go clean the stalls,” I say to him as I kiss him gently on the cheek.
Walking into the stall I take the pitchfork and get busy. There is so much on the agenda today it’s ridiculous. Thank goodness I have a mom that can do amazing hair and makeup.
As I start to clear out the stall, I yelp as I see that damn snake. What in the world? I haven’t seen him in a long time.
“Cade, you okay?” Barrick asks.
“Rascal!” I say as he comes and props his arm up on the wooden post. “You gonna get him or what?”
“Depends on if you’re going to go kicking and screaming like the last time,” he says with a small laugh as he comes to my rescue.
Thinking back to that moment, I was so pissed at the world. “That’s when you did everything to make my life a living hell.”
“You made it easy,” he says as he picks up the snake, walks past me, and tosses him outside. As he comes back into the barn, I stare. “What?”
I don’t say anything. I just walk up to him, throw my arms around him and kiss the hell out of him. That is exactly what I should have done the first time Rascal slithered into my sight.
“Damn,” Barrick says. I let out a little giggle. “Hey, you better stop now. We have a long day ahead of us,” he says as he kisses my forehead and we finish our chores.
Barrick tells me he’ll see me later after he walks me up from the barn. When I get in the house, I let Mom know I’m taking a shower while she gathers all the items she needs to help me get ready. Once I’m out of the shower, we talk and have a wonderful time together.
Once my hair, nails, and makeup are complete, I sit and relax with Mom and Gran. My phone rings and I smile, seeing Dad’s name. I’m excited that he remembered and took the time to check on me. I promise to send him a picture and as I get off the phone, Gran is laughing and I suddenly remember the homecoming photos.
Once I get off the phone, Mom lays down the ground rules, and of course, Gran puts in her two cents. They make me laugh until I almost cry and I tell them to stop before I ruin my makeup. I quickly run to my room to check my makeup and get dressed. I then add my earrings and necklace. When I try to clasp my bracelet, I can’t seem to get it. Taking it in my hands I walk to the living room to ask Mom for help.
As she secures the clasp, she takes a step back. “Cade, you look… there aren’t words honey,” she says.
“Simply gawjus!” Gran exclaims. What was that word? Gawjus. Gawjus. Oh! Gorgeous!
“Thanks, Gran,” I say, suddenly realizing that Barrick will be here any minute. I hurry to my room to check my makeup and take a deep breath. As I look in the mirror, I’m proud of the person I’ve become. I’ve gotten used to my new life and have forgiven Dad. I have a loving mom and grandmother, and Barrick and Jade are the best friends I could have. I realize I’m a pretty lucky girl. As I continue to observe myself in the mirror, I notice that I have everything in place but something feels off. I can’t put my finger on it so I take a deep breath and grab my clutch from the closet.
As I reach for it, I drop my phone. Crap! As I stoop down to pick it up I realize it fell into one of the boots Barrick gave me. A smile spreads across my face as I pull them from the closet and take a look at them. They match the color of my dress perfectly. Maybe I should wear them. Maybe that’s what’s missing.
I stand in front of the mirror aga
in and look down at my designer shoes. I quickly remove them and step into the boots as I laugh to myself. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Hearing Mom call for me, I look in the mirror one last time. I look down at the boots and back up at my dress. Perfect. In that moment, something inside me changes. I’m no longer the girl I planned be. I’m now the girl I was destined to be.
Barrick
As I slide from the driver’s seat, I take Cadence’s corsage from my console and fasten the button on my jacket. I hate wearing a tux. I let out a deep breath as my heart picks up speed with each step I take toward the house.
When I knock on the door, Regina and Ms. Mae welcome me in.
“You sure do look handsome,” Ms. Mae states.
“Thank you,” I reply but can’t finish my thought as the distinct sound of boots echo down the hallway. I have no clue if anyone notices it but me. When I see Cadence, my heart skips a beat as I take in her beauty and then I look down at her feet. She’s wearing my boots. I know I must have a shit-eating grin on my face, but I don’t care. No matter what else she’s wearing, I’m officially head over boots for Cadence Lewis.
I look up from her boots and take in the sea of blue shimmer from the reflection of the lights on her dress. When I finally meet her eyes, I’m speechless. I swallow hard as she speaks.
“What do you think?” she questions.
“You are stunning,” I manage to get out as I take a step forward, refusing to break eye contact with her. I take her hand in mine and slide the corsage over her wrist.
“Well, let’s get some pictures,” Ms. Mae states, breaking the spell. Cadence lets a sweet smile escape her lips and I place my hand on the small of her back as we make our way to the front porch for pictures. When I see Paisley walking across the field I get an idea.
“Can we take some pictures down at the barn?” I ask. Cadence’s face lights up.
“Absolutely,” she says. I take her by the hand and we walk to the calf.
“You’re not going in there in your tux are you?”
“Why not?” She shakes her head and follows right behind me.
