"Did you hear that someone pulled the fire alarm as a prank?" Caroline asked me as we walked onto the soccer field for practice.
"Oh my gosh, really?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said. "At least, that's the rumor that's going around."
"What an idiot," I said. "No consideration for other people. My biology class had just started our tests that period, and Mr. Juner won't let us finish it tomorrow because we already saw the test uestions, so he's making up a new test for us to take tomorrow."
"We'll that's good," Caroline said. "That means you have more time to study."
"Yeah but I looked at the essay questions on the test we got today and I actually knew the answers to them," I said. "Now who knows what he'll ask."
"Sorry, Penny."
"Don't be—you're not the idiot that pulled it. I'd sure like to meet the person that did."
"Why?"
"So that I could give them a piece of my mind. Why, I would walk right up to them so we were face to face and say—"
"Penny?" said a voice from behind me. I whipped around to see that it none other than Emmett who had stopped my little rant.
"Emmett," I said shocked. Caroline rolled her eyes, probably at how quickly my tone changed. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on the boys soccer team, remember?" Emmett said.
"No I mean, what are you doing over here on the girls' side? Most of the coaches are out here already—"
"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked. "... In private?"
We both looked at Caroline. It took her a couple seconds to take the hint. "Oh! Private—I guess I'll just go, you know kick around some balls and stuff ... since I'm so good at it."
"Thanks, Caroline," Emmett said as she then walked away.
"So what's up?" I asked once we were alone. Emmett closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're kind of scaring me right now, Emmett."
"I want to ask you something," Emmett said as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his shorts. "And I wanted to do it before I lose the courage to ask."
"Okay ... what is it?"
"I ... I ..."
"It's okay, Emmett, just ask—"
"I wanted to know if you'd go to the homecoming dance with me."
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. That was probably the last thing I ever expected to come out of his mouth. To be honest, I'd been waiting and hoping and anticipating that Zach would ask me—not because I didn't want Emmett to ask me but I just didn't think he was gonna go with anyone.
"What about your soccer team tradition about going alone?"
"I'm breaking the tradition to go with you," he said. "I mean, if you want to go with me."
"I would love to go with you ..." I looked over to the boys' side of the field and noticed for the first time that Cooper was watching us. "But I'll have to ask my brothers first."
"Coach K's the one who said I should come ask you now in case someone else wants to ask you."
My heart melted. "Aw, you ask my brother for permission?"
"Well I didn't—" Emmett stopped talking as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him.
"That's the nicest thing a guy has ever done for me." As I came out of the hug, I looked up at him and smiled. "Of course I'll go to the dance with you."
Emmett looked shocked. "You will? Really?"
"Of course I will. It should be a lot of fun."
Emmett smiled the biggest I think I'd ever seen him smile. "Yeah it will be fun. So uh, I guess I'll call you to let you know what time I'll pick you up from your dorm?"
"Sounds great. Can't wait."
"Okay cool," he said just as Coach Merrill blew her whistle.
"Cool. Well I should probably get back to the boys' side now."
"Yeah, probably a good idea."
"Okay ... so I'll see you later for dinner?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Okay cool. Bye."
"Bye."
As I watched Emmett run back to the boys' team, I couldn't help but think about how my luck was changing for the better. First I was ungrounded, then I got my phone back (ignoring the fact that Dana went through it), and now I was going to homecoming with the incredibly attractive Emmett Samuelson. I liked the direction my life was heading, and surely things could only continue going up from here.
"Hey, what did Emmett want?" Caroline asked as we started jogging our warm-up lap around the field.
"He just asked me to the dance," I said quiet enough so that the girls running in front of us and behind us couldn't hear me.
Caroline looked shocked. "He did?"
"Yeah."
"He asked you?"
"Yeah."
"To the homecoming dance?"
"Yes, Caroline, he asked me to the homecoming dance."
"Does he know the boys' team tradition?"
"He said he does, but he doesn't care."
"Wow ... that's—"
"Sweet."
Caroline looked at me. "I was gonna say, weird."
"Weird?"
"And didn't you say Dana doesn't like you talking to Emmett so much? How do you think he's gonna take the news?"
I glared at her. "Why are you raining on my parade, Caroline?"
"I'm not trying to—"
"Then be happy for me," I snapped.
"I am happy for you, Penny. How many times have I told you that you guys should be a couple?"
I sighed as we finished our lap and made a stretching circle with our teammates around the center of the field. "Right. Sorry."
"So, are you excited about it?" Caroline asked as the other girls continued on with their side conversations as well.
"Of course I am," I said as I stretched out my quads. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"No reason. You just don't sound as happy about it. You sound kinda annoyed."
I sat down on the grass. "I'm annoyed that you aren't excited about it—"
"I told you I am. I'm just asking questions that you maybe didn't to ask yourself. Like why would he break tradition, especially as a freshman on the team?" Even though I didn't really want to admit it at first, Caroline did bring up some good points. When I spilled the beans to her that Emmett had asked me, I didn't sound as excited as I thought I would—I always thought I'd be that girl who jumped up and down and screamed when telling her friends that her crush asked her to be his date. But maybe that was because we were jogging while I told her. Or maybe it was because I expected to have that excited moment after someone else asked me. I wasn't sure of the reason. "I guess that just goes to show how much he likes you."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Alright, ladies, " Coach Merrill said as she walked over to the stretching circle. "Once you're done stretching, I want half of you to put on pinnies and start playing Keep Away."
"Yes, Coach," most of us said as we stood back up.
"You want me to get you a pinnie?" Caroline asked me.
"Yes, please," I said before going back to thinking about why my excitement about Emmett asking me was so lackluster.
You like Emmett, and he likes you. Don't let Zach get in the way of that. If Zach wanted to go with you, he probably would have asked you by now, so don't feel guilty about saying yes to Emmett. He's an amazing guy and you know he's the right date for you.
By the time Caroline threw an orange pinnie in my face, I was feeling better about my choice. I was right—I'd been seeing a lot of Zach in the hallways and in gym class, but that couldn't take away from how I really felt about Emmett. He was the nicest guy I'd ever met, and I was reminded of that every time we talked or hung out. So it was okay to be excited about going to homecoming with Emmett ... he was the right choice ... right?