𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣

Chapter 15

This was lame. I was lame. How could I possibly be this lame? And why was I lame? I was at a dance with a date (Bernard) who I actually liked, and I could not ask him if he wanted to dance. Okay, technically he's not my date, because I never asked him to be my date and he didn't ask me if I would be his. In addition, he doesn't even go to this high school. I saw Celia and Kyle staring at us (we were sitting at a table with cookies and punch) as we both twiddled with our thumbs.

Celia sent me a look that told me to talk to him. Dinner was not as awkward as this moment, but then again, that was dinner. We weren't surrounded by several hundred hormonal teenagers who did only one thing in their lives: judged others for what they did or did not have in their lives. And what could possibly be worse? Well, there was Thelma (and I'm pretty sure Curtis was Curtis from the North Pole) with her date slow dancing a few meters away.

Plus, how was I supposed to talk to Bernard like really talk to him while we were in this weird phase of not talking brought on by our kiss that happened last week? Yeah, I don't think I'm ready to even talk about that part of our friendship just yet. Only if he would bring it up, then I would talk about that part of our friendship. Yep, never even ever going to bring it up, so I don't have to worry about it.

"So, are you okay?" Bernard asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" I asked him.

"You're awfully quiet. All of the times I've been with you, I've always seen you as a chatterbox. But now, you're not. What's wrong?" he asked me.

"Can we go somewhere private so we can talk?" I asked him.

"Sure." And with that, I took his hand and dragged him down the bandroom hallway.

It was the only place I knew that no one would be. Everyone else would be busy vaping in the bathroom where the band director would be monitoring or down the 90 hallway making out. When we got to the band room doors, I stopped and let go of his hand.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked me.

"Uh, this is kind of hard. I didn't plan on whatever I wanted to say, so let's give it a go. Look, the last time we were together, on the farm. We kissed, and I don't know if it meant something or other. Because... because... because...."

"Because what?"

"Because I like you okay! Look, ever since we first met at the North Pole, I have been developing these feelings for you, and I don't know how to make of them, because I have never felt something like them before, and I don't know-."

I wasn't able to finish before he kissed me. His hands rested on my hips as mine rested on his shoulders. This was... this was... this was... this was... this was I don't know how to explain it. It just felt so right to be in this moment.  He let go of the kiss and rested his head on mine.

"I have feelings for you too." he told me.

"I didn't quite catch that. Can you tell me again? Maybe with a kiss from you. Just so I can understand." I chuckled nervously.

"Okay." he kissed me again, this time longer than the last. "Do you have an answer?"

"Yes."

"Do I have an answer to the reindeer stables then?"

"I'm sorry. I can't give you an answer about that right now."

"Okay, what do you need?" he whispered to me.

"I need to make sure my farm is secure and my cousins and my brother are safe." I told him.

"Okay, I'll figure something out for you." I gave him a hug for his words. "Did I ever tell you that you look really pretty in that dress?"

"It's Celia's. She lent it to me. I don't really like dressing in dresses and dressing up like this."

"I know. You still look nice though."

"Can you shut up and kiss me again?"

"Absolutely." And he kissed me once again.