Cool for the Summer

Chapter 17

She locked eyes with John, emboldened by the music and the adrenaline and the fact that she was on a stage. "If I don't get your calls, then everything goes wrong..."

Nobody in the crowd seemed to notice her carefully selected gaze except John himself. She watched the blush rise on his cheeks. He'd gotten the message. "I want to tell you something you've known all along..."

"Don't leave me hanging on the telephone...I had to interrupt and stop this conversation; your voice across the line gives me a strange sensation..." she returned to her performance mode, adopting an expression one part demure and two parts saucy (she'd worked very hard on this expression--a full hour spent in front of the mirror on a Friday night). "I'd like to talk when I can show you my affection. Oh, I can't control myself...Oh, I can't control myself...Oh, I can't control myself..."

She leaned her head back slightly, then snapped it forward, her hair whipping around her. "Don't leave me hanging on the telephone! Hang up and run to me, oh..."

She poured as much energy as she could into those words, hyping the crowd. "Hang up and run to me, oh! Hang up and run to me, oh! Hang up and run to me! Whoa oh oh oh, run to me!"

She then launched herself off of the stage and into the sea of people in what she supposed was the most glorious finale in the history of mankind. She was suddenly crowd surfing, until someone let go of her and she fell.

Into John's arms.

"Hey, that was amazing," he told her awkwardly, their faces mere inches apart.

"Thanks," she laughed. He was still holding her bridal style, and she wasn't exactly the small-n'-skinny type. She was tall, and muscular, for that matter. How did he have that much upper body strength?

She wasn't thinking clearly, because music was still pounding in her head, and John's eyes were very green and very close to hers. She started leaning in towards him, dizzy. He appeared to be equally out of it, leaning in towards her, and the people around them didn't matter, and nothing mattered except...

Before they could actually kiss, Hercules did something obnoxious, which was very typical of him, and unknowingly interrupted their moment. This time, however, he had a partner in crime by the name of Elizabeth Sanders. They scooped up Peggy and tossed her into the air repeatedly.

"Guys, put me down," Peggy shrieked.

John caught her, and set her on her feet. "Gotcha."

"You didn't complain when John was holding you," Elizabeth teased.

"You had a great stage presence," Angelica mercifully changed the subject, bless her heart.

"There isn't anybody quite like Peggy," John grinned at her.

"Alright, that's enough!" came George Kingston's voice as Theodosia was about to start the next song. "No more karaoke."

"Martha told you not to bother us," Laf glared at him.

"Martha isn't here, is she?" George laughed. "I'm in charge now, and I say no more karaoke. Go entertain yourselves with something else."

Sullenly, the Marshmallow Squad walked away.

"Peggy," said John tentatively, leading her away from the others. "Peggy, I have to tell you something. It felt like you were looking right at me during certain parts of the song, and it seemed like we almost kissed. I might be wrong about that, but here goes."

He took a deep breath. "I think you're the coolest girl I've ever met. And you're pretty, and smart, and fun, and if you feel the same way...would you do me the honor of being my first girlfriend?"

"Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!" she grinned, at a loss for something more eloquent. "I think you're awesome, and sweet, and funny, and cute, and yeah, I'd love to be your girlfriend."

They were standing face to face now, under the oak tree where they'd first met. When Peggy finished her sentence, John closed the gap between them.

This was Peggy's first kiss, and, she reckoned, John's as well. It was timid, nothing worthy of a movie. But Peggy wouldn't have it any other way.

When they broke apart, John's face was as red as a tomato. Peggy was sure she looked the same.

"So..." she said.

John laughed. "So...now that you're my girlfriend, I'd like to take you on a date."

"Okay," she looped her arm through his, giddy. "Where to?"

"Get your mP3 player. We're going to the lake."

"George may have taken away out karaoke, but he can't take away our music," Peggy offered him an earbud. "What do you wanna listen to?"

They sat several feet away from the shore of the lake.

"Let's see...you have a lot of Tobymac on this," he observed. "Tobymac is boss."

"He is," Peggy agreed. "I like his songs as a solo artist, as much as I liked DC Talk."

"Yes! Do you have 'Jesus Freak' on here?"

"You bet," she selected the song.

They began to sing together, "What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find out that it's true? I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak, There ain't no disguising the truth."

The sun itself seemed to approve, shining brightly on the young couple. Peggy and John would have a few minutes more of peace before the shenanigans would continue.