Never Lost, Always Found

Chapter Eighteen

        On the first day of summer break, Benji and I head to the pool and swim. We would swim all of the time when we were younger, maybe twelve. Boy, we were so cute. I remember Mom had to keep pulling my hair up into braids because my hair would get frizzy or messy during the day. That was a healthy alternative, so she taught me how to do it. Now I pull my hair into braids a lot.

I would say my hair is golden, quite literally, but you frankly couldn't tell the difference if I was wet. You would think it was brown, just like my mother's. I'm swimming laps. Dad used to say I was a dolphin, always able to jump into water and paddle around like it was the easiest thing in the world. Truthfully, it is.

Benji's trying to keep up, but he doesn't know how to swim as well as me so he's going really slow. "Did you hear about the upcoming dance for this upcoming semester?" Benji asks. I shake my head. "It's the day before school starts back up," he says. "Cool," I say. He stops at the four-foot mark. "I'm tired, give me a minute."

I pause where I'm at, almost guaranteeing that he's getting out. Just as I think he will, he does. "Why are you getting out?" I say, treading water to stay afloat. "It's five-o-clock," he says. "Oh," I say, ascending out of the pool. Once we've dried off and started to head home, he says, "I have a feeling this school year will be better for you." "I want to enjoy summer before that," I say.

        He understands that, and we branch off at our houses.

The summer flies by, full of us dating and forgetting all that happened in March. When the dance comes, I just throw together an outfit. The blue dress I wore a little while ago is still in my closet, so I just put that on with sequined high heels. I look fine, I say to myself. I hop into my Mercedes with Russell and drive to the dance. All of the juniors and seniors are there at the school.

We all meet in the gym, and apparently, we all have to dance, but it seems like a drowsy pity party. I find Benji with Daniel, who's once again wearing his signature grey sweats and blue sweatshirt, and Bailey, who's wearing a dazzling red dress. Daniel's got a cup of punch in his hand. Benji beckons me over and we talk for a while.

"The DJ looks tired even," Daniel jibes. "True," Benji says. Bailey clutches Daniel's hand. "Let's dance." Benji grabs my hand as a slow song turns on. "Dance with me," he says. "You're just like Prince Charming," I say, smiling. We dance in such a perfect way that most people stop dancing to watch us.

Then he pulls the biggest thing in history. He openly shows we're a couple by kissing me as he lifts me into the air. When he sets me back down, everyone claps. The DJ seems perkier now because he turns on a slower song. This time nobody starts to dance. Benji knows what they want.

I remember how this is instrumental to a song I've always known from the day I watched the Dear Evan Hansen movie. "Only Us" has been my favorite song for a while now, and this is time to sing too. We both sing the song while dancing in such a way I've never expected. I'm not tripping over my feet.

When the song finishes, there is more applause. This is something that could help. We lift our intertwined hands in the air and take a bow. Benji's glancing at me while his face turns deathly red. He's actually embarrassed.

Now the party's alive.

Junior year is only made up of the same classes but harder. This school sucks, and I can't get out of here until college. I'm probably not going to graduate from how stupid I am. When I get my first test scores back, though, I'm shocked to see that I got two A's. I run around the hallways looking for Benji.