Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Chapter 35 - "You're still on to man the kissing booth, correct?"

"Setup for Senior Day."

Her mother looked tired, but she still offered an encouraging smile to Haley.

"I hope it goes well."

"Thanks!"

The word was trapped inside as Haley darted out the door. The smell of damp grass with hints of breakfast and coffee swam through the neighborhood. The pale blue sky promised a perfect day for the event. Haley was waiting by Jace's bike when he emerged from his house.

"You seem awfully eager to get moving," he said, throwing her a helmet.

Haley tugged it on, needing something to hide the smile that kept popping out.

"I don't want to miss the food," she said.

Jace raised a skeptical eyebrow but said nothing back. By the time they reached the school, Haley felt like she was going to burst. Part of her could still feel Isaac's hands in her hair, hear his breath tickling her ear, see the half disbelieving smile on his face. Her gaze drifted across the road to the street where his house was, but he wasn't there.

On the football field were set up two tents with tables laden with silver chafing dishes on them. Even from where they were in the parking lot, Haley could smell cheese, bacon, sausage mixed with the sweet scent of orange juice and coffee. As they made their way over, Haley felt a prick of dread. What if last night had only been a game? Though Isaac had asked her to prom, what if he had just been swept up in the moment? All the excitement that had been bubbling inside Haley popped.

The crowd under the tent was made up of more than the members of senior day project she had been working with for the past three weeks. It almost appeared as if the presence of free food had multiplied the group. She searched for the mop of blonde hair and glasses but found Isaac wasn't among the mob of students.

As Haley and Jace grabbed plates of food, Haley scanned the crowd, hoping that in her last pass she had somehow missed Isaac. He still wasn't there. When they took a spot on the field, Haley no longer had the stomach to eat. Doubts and uncertainty gnawed at her insides.

"Funny," Jace said, eyeing Haley over his breakfast burrito. "You mentioned free food being your incentive for pestering me to be here early but you're not eating."

To get Jace's attention off her, Haley forced a bite down. The tangle of eggs, sausage, cheese, and tortilla seemed to get caught in her throat. She swallowed hard and held up her burrito.

"See, I'm eating," she said.

Jace still eyed her, a teasing smirk hovering around his lips. They were joined by Ty and Josie. Upon seeing Haley's choice in T-shirts, Josie threw out her arms, displaying her own shirt with a red beanie on it. An alternative Seven Ships symbol from a previous era.

"Great minds!" she said.

Haley smiled. "I guess so."

When Jace asked why Josie's shirt had a beanie on it, she happily dived into a break down of what the symbol represented, aided by Ty. Haley half-listened, her focus drifting to the gates to the field, noting the newcomers. The crowd under the tents had thinned when Isaac came jogging up. His glasses bounced the sunlight back while his blonde hair absorbed it, making it turn a whitish gold. A giddy fluttering took up residence in Haley's chest and she had to take another bite of her food, to suppress her smile.

Plate in hand, Isaac moved toward their group. He took the place beside Haley, grinning. With that one look, all her worries were calmed.

"Hi," he said, only having eyes for her.