I didn’t need a hero
I could do it on my own
Collin joined me on the next verse, our voices melding perfectly. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as we hit the chorus. Despite the stage and the massive audience, we sang our song as if we were back in Tripp and Gina’s backyard. It was just the two of us and our guitars. I’d never felt so exhilarated. By the time we crescendoed through the bridge and last chorus, I was riding a high better than anything I’d ever experienced. And as the sound of our guitars faded, the audience roared to life.
The noise hardly registered with me. The only thing I could see was the thrilling way Collin was looking at me. In three quick steps, he crossed the space between us and took my face in both of his hands. Bending down slightly, he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that sent a shock straight through every nerve ending in my body. And if he hadn’t been holding my hand when he released me, I would have fallen right to the floor in a dizzy hot mess. My cheeks burned hot as the crowd cheered again and Collin smiled down at me.
“Think we nailed it?” I asked, returning his smile.
“I can’t be sure...” He gave me that cocky lopsided grin that still made me tingle, his eyes burning with a serious glow. “But I think the crowd loved it.”
And sure enough, we took one more bow and ran off the stage to a crowd of our fellow students standing on the edge of the field. The guys enveloped Collin, clasping his shoulder in celebration of his return. Mandy and Trina waited for me, pulling me into a gigantic hug as other students patted me on the back. I smiled so hard, I thought my cheeks were going to crack.
It didn’t matter whatever else would come my way this senior year at Rock Valley High. As I spotted my cheering family in the crowd, including my new step-mom, I knew that healing was on the way. It was a long road, but we had taken the first few steps.
And when I turned to see Collin looking my way, even as the rowdy crowd jostled around him, my stomach clenched with the knowledge that he was back to stay. It might have all started in a game of truth or dare, but this quarterback was now mine. And I was his.
Epilogue
Trina
I pulled my old Chevy Cavalier into a spot at the R
ock Valley High parking lot and threw it into park. With a hesitant glance at the passenger next to me, I tried my best to smile brightly. Audrey was staring straight ahead, her face as pale as my little sister’s legs after sitting in front of a TV and gaming all summer. She looked ready to puke. Mandy sat in the back seat, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the center console.
“I’m sure it’s going to be fine,” I offered, patting Audrey on the leg.
“How can it be fine?” She flashed the screen of her phone in my direction. “According to the RockValleyBiz, I’m one of the homecoming nominees. Me! How could this have happened?”
I shrugged, trying my best to keep a straight face. “You’re a cheerleader now. And you made a splash at the centennial celebration with that performance of yours.”
“Not to mention,” Mandy offered with a tilt of her head, “you’re dating one of the most popular guys in school. Honestly, I would’ve been surprised if you didn’t get voted in.”
As if on cue, a knock came on the passenger side window. We all looked over to see Collin’s grinning face, the warmth in his eyes all reserved for the girl sitting beside me. Audrey rushed to unbuckle her belt and threw the door open, jumping into his arms. Mandy and I followed out of the car and threw our backpacks on.
“Did you hear the news?” Audrey’s voice was muffled against Collin’s shoulder. “Did you see Instagram this morning?”
“Yeah, you and me up for homecoming,” he said with a confident wag of his eyebrows. “We’re royalty, baby.”
“No, no, no, don’t you understand?” She pushed him at arms’ length, her hands still tightly gripping his shoulders. “Savannah is one of the nominees. She just barely forgave me for taking Grandma Ivy’s pearls. Do you think she’d forgive me if I got homecoming queen over her? This would be the start of World War III. I’m not even kidding. She’s probably already thinking of ways to have me assassinated.”
Mandy and I exchanged glances. Audrey had a point. Savannah wouldn’t like this.
Although they both liked to claim that Audrey’s cousin was Satan in a miniskirt, I was sure that deep down, Savannah was better than that. After all, she’d cooled down since the centennial event. She no longer felt the need to shoot daggers at us in the hallway every time we met. And she’d allowed Audrey to keep her new raccoon mascot for the rest of the football season. It wasn’t like this whole homecoming thing was Audrey’s fault. It was the student body that voted her in.
But just as Audrey had begun to breathe again and the blood returned to her cheeks, the click clack of high heels announced an imminent arrival. Savannah was headed right toward our little party, her black knee-high boots and swaying hips making for an intimidating sight. She tossed her long wavy hair over her shoulder and stopped in front of Audrey, her red lips pursed in displeasure.
“I’m guessing you’ve heard the news...” She looked down at her fingernails, as if the conversation already bored her.
Audrey held tight to Collin’s hand. “Savannah, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this...”
“Whatever. May the fiercest woman win.” She stuck out her hand, her eyes narrowing.
We all seemed to be holding our breaths. My stomach did a little flip, waiting for Audrey to say something. More than anything, I wanted my best friend to win. She deserved it. And she and Collin were perfect for each other. They were made for homecoming royalty.
But I didn’t want any of it at the expense of her happiness. She’d just managed to get into a good place with her family, her love life, and even her dream of being a music star. For the first time, she was going after what she wanted, no longer sitting back and letting people stomp all over her. I wondered if somewhere, deep down inside, Audrey wanted this. A chance to be homecoming queen. Wasn’t it every little girl’s dream? Maybe, she’d fight for this, too.
“Yeah,” Audrey said, taking Savannah’s hand to shake. “May the fiercest woman win.”