Chasing the New Girl - (Complete)

Chapter 17 - Getting Dates for Homecoming

Austin took a deep breath in and let it out before saying, "You remember how I told you that me and Mandy dated for a year until she cheated on me?"

"Yeah."

"Well Blaze is the one she cheated on me with."

Her eyebrows raised and her mouth fell open. "Oh wow," she said in shock. "I had no idea."

"Yeah," he sighed, running a hand up through his hair. "Now you understand why I'm not his biggest fan?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It all makes sense now."

He walked her over to her locker and stood there while she got her books out for her first class.

"Look, I know I've asked you before, but will you just go out on ONE date with me and see how it goes? No pressure or anything. At the end of the night, if you're not feeling it, we can go back to being just friends and I promise I won't ask you out again. I'll let it go."

She stood there thinking about it. What could one date hurt? It could be a good thing for Austin to see that there was nothing between them besides a friendship, or maybe she would change her mind and decide there was something there. Either way, it would be good to have closure and know for sure.

"Okay," she nodded. "I guess we can do that."

"Really?" he asked with his face lighting up. "You'll go out on a date with me?"

"Yeah, I will. So where and when do you want to go out?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could be my date to the Homecoming dance next Saturday."

"You want to go with ME to Homecoming?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure about that? I don't even know how to slow dance. I'll probably embarrass the hell out of you," she laughed.

That made him smile. "Yeah I'm sure and I don't care if you're the worst dancer in the world, as long as you're dancing with me."

That made her smile and her face flushed.

"Okay. Well then yeah. I guess I'm going to Homecoming."

Later that day when Jolie went into the cafeteria for lunch she saw Bailey in line and walked over to her.

"You won't believe what happened," Jolie whispered. "Austin asked me to go to Homecoming with him."

"Seriously?" Bailey asked, looking excited. "What did you say?"

"I said yes. I can't even believe it. I'm gonna have to go shopping for a dress and everything," she said, shaking her head. "I've never been to a formal dance. I'm so nervous."

"Well I'm happy for you, but just be careful and watch your back. When word gets out that you're going to the dance with Austin, you'll be on Mandy's shit list and it's hard telling what she'll do."

Jolie nodded as she walked forward in line and grabbed a tray.

"So who are you going to Homecoming with?"

"Ha! You're hilarious. I'm not going," Bailey said, grabbing a chicken sandwich and setting it on her tray.

"Why not?"

"Well first off, I don't have anyone to go with and there's no way in hell I'm going to a dance without a date. I go through enough public humiliation the way it is."

"Well what  if I could find you a date? Would you go then?" Jolie asked, scanning her lunch account card at the register, getting a glare from the grumpy lunch lady.

"Hmmmm. I don't know," Bailey said hesitantly, scanning for her lunch too.

"Pleeeeeeease!" Jolie begged, giving her a pouty face.