Life of the Party

#MidnightSummerMovie Contest

Jack and I have known each other since we were in kindergarten. Now we are in high-school. Yeah, best friends for life: him and I. But lately, things have changed. I've begun feeling...more towards him. Like, I want to be more than just friends.

But that'll never happen.

A dance was going on tomorrow and Maddie vowed she would make me go. At the time, I had laughed at the absurd thought.

Now I'm standing in the corner watching people dance to blasting music.Not coming my butt. Despite how desperately I want to escape, I find myself constantly searching for Jack. I look over across the room and find Maddie dancing with a guy she's had a crush on for a while now. She sees me and smiles, gives me a thumbs up, and continues dancing.

Finally I decide to try and sneak out—the party's almost over anyways and Maddie was to caught up in having the time of her life. I couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy towards her.

As I open the door to leave, someone tries to come inside. He stumbles in, grabbing the doorframe for support. He straightens. "Hey, Evelyn...I didn't expect to see you here,"  Jack says, smiling slightly. I rock back and forth uncomfortably on the heels of my feet. "Hey...Jack...I-I-I..was-I was just leaving..." I stutter. 

Jack's smile falters. "That's too bad...You know, the only reason I came was to see if...you were here," Jack smiles, his cheeks turning red. I blush, my smile hard to hide. "You-y-y-you...did?" I stumble over my words nervously, my heart racing.

Jack nods, "Yeah, I did." I look around, not sure what to say.  Realizing I'm keeping him outside in the cold, I step aside. "I guess I should let you inside," I laugh nervously. "Yeah," Jack nods.  He comes inside and clasps his hand in front of him. "Do you...want to go to the dance with me?" He asks. I look up and I see him preparing for a rejection. "Yes!...mhm...I mean...yeah, sure." I correct. He smiles and holds his arm out towards me. "Shall we?"

I take his arm and smile. "We shall," I accept, taking his arm. He leads me to the dance floor and we have the time of our lives. 

Jack walks me home after the dance. My head is still pounding from the loud music. We stop on muni door step and he turns to face me. "I had in tonight," he says. I nod,"So did I."  We sit in silence for a moment, neither of us sure what to say.

Finally, Jack takes in a deep breath. He bends down and cups my chin. Before I can react, he brings his lips to mine. His arms wrap around my waist and I wrap mine around his neck.

We pull back. "I'll see you Monday, Evelyn," Jack says, smiling from ear to ear. I'm smiling too, my cheeks red. I nod and he strolls away, still smiling . 

I can't stop smiling the rest of the night.