Capstone

Chapter 8 - April

Awkward was the only word to describe Chris and me. I think we both knew we liked each other, but we couldn't seem to get out of our own way. Thoughts swirled of risking our friendship if we crossed the line, but at the same time, every moment I spent with him as a friend felt like torture.

"You just have to tell him, Delly." Cale pled one afternoon as we sipped on shakes and watched The Breakfast Club. "It's just painful to watch."

"But what if he doesn't feel the same?"

"He feels the same way. You know he feels the same way," Cale didn't hide his annoyance. We had this conversation almost daily.

"Well, what if it ruins our friendship?"

"It will not ruin your friendship. And, if it does, you have me," Cale shrugged.

"Believe it or not, you and Chris are not interchangeable friends."

"Oh, I know. You don't get all hot and bothered when I put my arm around you," he teased.

"I do not get hot and bother because I'm not a seventy-year-old woman."

"Mmhmm," Cale gave me the puppy dog eyes, knowing he was right.

"Can we just watch the movie?"

"Okay, now, I'm going to put my arm around you; it is purely for comfort, don't fall in love with me or anything."

"I think I'll manage to resist," I muttered.

"I still think you should tell him. You don't want a repeat of the Winter Formal. You two have to go to prom together."

Prom, I had been blocking the whole thing out of my head, but as the Spring days continued to slide by, it was becoming unavoidable. The idea of Chris going to prom with someone else was almost as nauseating as the idea of asking Chris to prom.

"Hello?" Cale squeezed my shoulders to bring me back to my living room. "You have to go with Chris. It is essential to me that you go with Chris."

"Sophie wants to double, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she'd like to have a support system there for when we make our official debut," he admitted. "So, you see, this is much more important to me than it is to you."

"I'm sorry, your love life is more important than my love life?"

"I'm not saying that you have to tell him that you're in love with him. Although, I'm also not telling you not to tell him. I'm just saying, ask him to prom. You can go as friends, a couple, dressed as the Shining twins; I don't care as long as you go together and double with Sophie and me."

"You do realize that the whole school already knows you and Sophie are together, right?"

"I know this, and you know this. Honestly, I'm pretty sure Sophie knows this, but she won't admit it. So, prom is the big reveal, and I want to dance with my girl. So please, for me, ask Chris to the prom."

"I'm so touched by how much you care, Cale."

"I do care. It is mutually beneficial." He let his head drop, so it was resting against mine. "You have to admit, prom, the four of us, it sounds fun."

"It does," I confessed. "I'll consider it, but you have to promise to get the entire football team to help with the gazebo this weekend."

"Delly, I already promised we'd be there. Don't worry. You'll have all the staffing you need to build that thing. You just need to make sure someone with some brains shows up. Otherwise, you may end up with a million birdhouses."

"Don't worry, Calista O'Donnell's father has agreed to help. He's a carpenter that specializes in decks and stuff. We should be in good hands. I'm hoping we can get it all done in one day, but we'll need many hands."