The Last Year of Innocence

Chapter Eight

            “I already told you,” Irina sighed. “The holiday production is only a few months away, and I need all the practice I can get for our Nutcracker number.”

            “You’re gonna practice yourself into an injury,” Shirelle warned. “Besides, me and Kara are singing in the production, but you don’t see us missing the chance to have some fun.”

            “Shirelle’s right. We never get to leave the school. If you let this pass you by, you’ll be sorry later,” Kara agreed.

            “I can’t,” Irina insisted.

            “Last chance to come,” Shirelle said, grabbing her purse and hooking it over her shoulder.

            “Have fun,” Irina said.

            “That girl is too much,” Shirelle said to Kara as they walked down the hall of their dormitory. “Give me a night out over practicing for the school production any day.”

            “You know, we really should practice too,” Kara pointed out.

            They were greeted with a rush of cold air as they swung open the doors and stepped outside. Both girls folded their arms across their chests as they crossed the campus to the parking lot where the busses were waiting.

            “Don’t you start too,” Shirelle said. “Two months is a long time, and that’s how long we have. Besides, even if we never practiced we’d still be great.”

            “Okay, no practicing yet,” Kara said.

            “Thank you,” Shirelle said as her eyes suddenly lit up. “I didn’t know he was coming.”

            Kara didn’t need to ask who. Solomon was smiling as he and Ethan approached them. It was the first time the sight of Solomon didn’t make her sick to her stomach.

            “Hello, ladies,” Solomon greeted them in his usual manner. “It’s a pleasure to finally see you again, Shirelle.”

            Shirelle giggled in response to his compliment while Kara and Ethan exchanged smiles.

            “Hey,” Ethan said to Kara.

            “And of course it’s always good to see you, Kara,” Solomon continued. “So, Shirelle, would you do me the honor of sitting with me on the bus ride?”

            Shirelle’s eyes grew huge. “What?” 

            “Please say yes, or I’m afraid I’ll end up sitting alone since I’m sure my little brother will be sitting with his girlfriend,” Solomon explained.

            Kara’s cheeks pinked. Though she’d never talked to another boy, let alone gone out with one, she and Ethan hadn’t attached those titles to each other. Besides, she doubted Solomon would be sitting alone unless Shirelle sat with him. The way the girls around them stared at him and Ethan made Kara certain there’d be a line a mile long if he said he was looking for someone to sit with him on the bus.

            “Okay, I’ll sit with you,” Shirelle agreed.

            “Wonderful,” Solomon beamed and held up his arm for her. “Shall we?”   

Shirelle giggled again as she laced her arm through his and they boarded the bus. Ethan didn’t offer his arm to Kara, but she wasn’t disappointed since it seemed kind of silly. The thing that did disappoint her was his silence. Other than ‘hey’, he hadn’t said one word to her, and he seemed to have left his usual coat of confidence back at his dorm.