All the Sweet Move (All The Right Moves 1)

Was I showing boob? I shrug. “Uh, I guess a little?”

“Nice.” Maddie nods approvingly. “Did you see him checking out your cleeve?” Apparently, this is Maddie talk for cleavage.

I nod. “Yes, actually, and he wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to get caught.”

“Yeah, because he wanted to get his man-hands on ’em.” She cackles and Tasha high-fives her.

“Okay, so where did he take you?” Jenna asks. “It was driving me crazy all night. Ugh, I still can’t believe you didn’t text.”

I look around before answering, wringing my blanket between my hands because I know my response is going to put them all over the edge. I cover my ears before saying, “The Shedd Aquarium. We went downtown.”

A chorus of very unladylike shut the fuck ups, holy shits, and oh em gees fill the room, plus lots of squeals and screaming. Once it dies down, Jenna silences the group with a “Shh, shh, shh. Oh my god. Oh my god. Amazing. I’m so super jealous.” Her earrings float around her face, and even at nine in the morning, it strikes me how adorable she is. “Damn, that guy is good. I never would have guessed he had it in him.”

Tasha snorts. “That’s because he wants to have it in her.” Everyone laughs, including me—not that I don’t think her words are embarrassing (my face is definitely bright red), but because sometimes I forget how clever she is.

“So what’s he like? How did he treat you?” Jenna wants to know.

I think about this for a minute before answering, debating about how much to tell them and biting my lower lip in concentration. “He was great, really great—not at all like the image he puts out there. You know how he just always seems like he wants to be left alone? Well, he mostly does, but it’s because he wants to get a hockey scholarship, not because he’s an ass.”

“Uh, Weston is in my gym class, and I’m going to have to disagree. That guy is an ass,” Maddie says, pausing for effect. “A hot piece of ass!” She keels over laughing at her own joke, tipping the chair back and hitting Tasha in the leg.

“Get off me, you freak!” Tasha squeals, slapping Maddie on the arm and rolling her eyes. “Oh my god, you’re so annoying.”

“Well, anyway,” I continue through their bickering, totally warming up to my topic. “We talked a lot. He has a sister who he’s real protective of, and one who died when she was young. Her name was his first tattoo.” Everyone gets quiet as they listen to me recount details. “So we went to the aquarium and sat for a long time in front of the jellyfish. It was real dark and peaceful. I mean, we didn’t kiss or anything, but our legs were touching and it was still…electric, you know?”

“So then what?” Tasha whispers, probably because she doesn’t want to spook me and have me clam up.

“So…then we left and he took me for ice cream. We stopped in River Hills, at that old fifties diner? Maddie, didn’t you go there with Marshall once?” She nods. “Anyway, we sat at a corner table, even though there weren’t any other people, and he ordered this huge sundae, like, extra everything, and I thought there was no way he could finish it.”

“But he did.”

I lie there looking at the ceiling, and for once my friends are quiet.

Waiting.

“Yeah, he did. I mean, the guy is huge—of course he’s gonna finish it…” My voice trails off.

“Uh, just how huge is he, Molly?” Jenna cackles at her own perverted question.

I roll my eyes and say, “I wouldn’t know.”

“Well that’s disappointing…”

“Okay, so what I really want to know is…do you think he’ll ask you to Fall Formal? I mean, it’s like next month,” Jenna says, leaning over me again. You know what, until this very moment, I haven’t considered Fall Formal. I haven’t thought about the dance and if he would invite me…because if he likes me, wouldn’t he maybe want to go? I can’t help it; I’m a girl—we think about these things, even though I know it’s not his thing, and he’s never gone to a dance before…nor can I picture him at one, to be honest. In any case, a small seed of doubt plants and sprouts itself in my mind, and I’m wishing that Jenna hadn’t brought it up, mostly.

On the other hand… I feel like I’m kind of past all of this and just want to move on, go to college, and be done with the whole high school scene.

“So what happened when he brought you home?” Maddie wants to know, changing the subject.

“Well, you know…” I can’t stop the blush creeping up my neck.

“Was it any good? Did he stick his tongue down your throat?”

“Ugh, yeah, it was so good my toes were actually curling in my shoes, but then freaking Matthew came barging outside and ruined the whole moment.”