Eenie Meenie Minie Mo

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Pressure! Pushing down me, pressing down on you; no man asked for. Under pressure! That burns a building down, splits a family in two. Puts people on streets. It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about. Watching some good friends screaming ‘let me out’! Pray tomorrow takes me higher! Pressure on people, people on streets."

With the best and mood inflicted soundtrack blasting out of my computer speakers, I stared at my closet in disdain. Why did my clothes have to be so stupid? Everything was blues and blacks. Would it have been too hard to buy a pink or green shirt every once in a while?

This was why I hated surprise dates. A few times I tried to use Maddie as a spy. She’d "slyly" try to confidentially get it out of Sawyer where it was he was taking me. He was a bit smarter than that, though. Needless to say, Maddie had no future in becoming an elite spy.

So here I stood, not knowing what the hell to wear. Would we be outside or inside? Was he taking me somewhere fancy or casual? God forbid I over or under dressed! God, boys suck sometimes, I swear!

My hair and makeup was already done; and it’d been hard enough getting my baby fine straight strands to curl. I didn’t think it could get worse than that.

In the end, I begrudgingly threw on a cute navy skirt that was only just above my kneecap and a white blouse. Perfect in between. I still though I looked stupid, though. It’d been a while since I’d dressed in skirts and blouses. The Lewisburg dress code of T-shirt and jeans was getting to me.

I cut it pretty close, too. Not even five minutes after I’d gotten dressed the doorbell began chiming. And even though I ran like hell toward the door, Mom totally beat me to the punch.

Wearing a bright but warning grin, she greeted Sawyer cordially with a simple, "Well, you look nice."

Oh, God. Chills ran down my spine. I hoped he didn’t look too good. That would mean I totally underdressed, skirt or no skirt. It was weird, but my nerves tingled and my palms sweat like it my first date ever. This was Sawyer! I knew him. He was my friend! Why on earth would I be nervous around him?

But when I rounded the corner at last, and there he stood in the doorway, my fears completely melted. He did look good; but not too good. Wearing nice jeans and a dark button down shirt he kept open with a white shirt beneath, he looked casual but nice.

On the couch, his arm slung around the shoulders of his very soon bride-to-be, Jason snickered at me. Blessedly, he kept his mouth shut. I’m sure my threatening glare helped.

Mom pointed at me and tried to look stern—but I could tell she was excited for me. "You. Back by eleven."

Rolling my eyes, I crossed the rooms and gave her cheek a peck. "Yes, ma’am." I grinned widely at Sawyer. "Let’s go already. Sheesh." Not waiting for any sort of reply, I walked past him.

I heard tell everyone bye before he was beside me. "So, I was wondering what movie you wanted to see?" he said charmingly.

I looked at him with a raised brow. "You’re kidding me, right? That can’t be the big surprise."

"As if," Sawyer teased in high pitched preppy girl voice. He opened the passenger door for me to his shiny gray Mustang—the only teenage guy in Lewisburg who didn’t own a truck, a fact Maddie made merciless fun over.

I stuck my tongue out at him and got in. At this very moment, Maddie was also going on her dream date with Drew Cummings. "Hey," I said when Sawyer got in, too. "Would it be rude if I text Maddie real quick?"

Sawyer started the car. "Yes. I’ll stew over it for hours and hours until finally it becomes to sole reason for our tattered friendship." He paused a minute before giving me a ‘duh, you can text her’ look.