Ringing in the New Year

“Reed?” she says with a question in her voice.

“You’re not at the library,” is the first thing I can think to say.

When I have practice she goes to the library for a little while then comes out afterwards and watches us while she reads. I went to our locker to see her, but she didn’t show up to get the books I knew she needed to return.

“No, I’m not at the library,” she repeats in a half laugh, but I see a touch of pink light up the freckles on the bridge of her nose. She got them over the summer because she spent too much time in the sun with me.

“You didn't tell me.” I reach out and take her left hand so I can hold it. I rub my thumb over her ring finger and it’s something I’ve noticed calms me. “We tell each other everything,” I remind her.

She bites her bottom lip and I can tell she wants to say something. I lock her fingers with mine and tug her away from everyone else. Not out of sight but far enough so that no one can hear us.

“Say it,” I push.

“All the other girls were doing it.” She shrugs as she looks away from me.

Normally when she starts fidgeting around and acting like this I’ll let it go. This time I can’t bring myself to do that. My heart is already thumping hard in my chest and I can feel something is about to happen. When she realizes I’m not letting her out of it this time she looks back to me.

“The boys on the football team like the cheerleaders.” Her cheeks turn even pinker and I stand there for a moment letting her words sink in. After a moment my hand tightens around hers a little more.

“Who is it you want to like you?” I barely get the words out because they’re surrounded by so much hope.

I rub her ring finger back and forth, and when her lips part a little I can’t stop myself. I lean down and brush my mouth against hers, kissing her for the first time.

Her small gasp of surprise excites me, but when she leans in I know I’ve sealed the deal. I steal the moment to kiss her deeper, and when my tongue touches hers I taste the cherry blossom lip gloss she’s always wearing. When I hear someone clear their throat I break the kiss and glance over to see Coach standing there. He’s giving me a look that lets me know I’ll be paying for this.

I don’t care. It was so worth it. I turn my head to look back at Cami and her eyes are wide and her lips are redder than before.

“Me kissing you in front of everyone will have to do until I can finally get that ring on your finger. I want everyone to know you’re mine,” I tell her.

She puts her hand up to cover her smile, but I can see those dimples. I feel like I could run the field a hundred times over and not get winded.

“It was you,” she tells me. “I wanted you to notice me.”

“I promise you this, Dimples,” I say as I walk backwards towards the team. “There’s never been a day of my life since I met you that I haven't noticed you.”

I wink at her and dash to the gym with the biggest smile I’ve ever had on my face. Even after the coach makes me run seven miles I’m still grinning ear to ear.

I’m full of excitement and I’ve never been happier because now the whole school knows she’s mine.

Chapter 5

Cami

Senior year of high school…

“Come with me. I want to show you something,” Kathy says as she motions for me to follow her out of the kitchen. I take a peek over at Reed and his dad Mike, who are manning the grill, and I know we’ll only have a few minutes before it’s time to eat.

I love my girl time with Kathy. She’s been a mom to me from the moment I got here. Before we came to live on their property my dad and I drifted from one place to another. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d never met them. I don’t even want to imagine it.

It’s Friday night and our only plans are dinner together. Tomorrow is prom and I know Kathy and I are going to be on the go from the moment I wake up until Reed and I leave for the night. She has a whole day planned for us and I’m so excited I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to sleep.

“I got you these.” She holds up a shoe box and I already know what’s inside.

I hold up my hands in protest because I know they’re the ones she made me try on when we went dress shopping. She’d tried to buy them for me, but they cost more than my dress and I couldn’t let her do it. They matched perfectly and I felt like a princess when I’d had them on, but it was too much.

“Before you try and say no,” she says, already going into mom-battle mode. I might as well admit defeat now because when she gets that look on her face she isn’t stopping until she gets what she wants. “You’re like a daughter to me, and I only get this one prom. I want this to be perfect and that includes you getting these shoes.”

Wow, Kathy is going right for my heart. She’s talked to me a lot privately, and when we had the sex talk she told me that Reed was the only baby she was able to carry to term. She would have had a house full if she could have but getting me was like having the daughter she always wanted. Last week she asked me if Reed and I were having sex and then she gave me the safe sex speech. I told her that we weren’t and that was the truth. But that won’t be the case after tomorrow night.