Why Don't We Just Dance || Willard Hewitt

Chapter 8 - Date Nights and Dance Speeches

Willard's POV
I'll be honest. I haven't been on a lot of a dates in the seventeen, almost eighteen, years that I've been alive. Plenty of girls have been interested, but I wasn't always interested in them.

I really had to pick my brain to figure out what to do with Izzy for our first date. Ren suggested that I take her shopping, but I'm not sure if that's my idea of the first date.

When I press Ren for ideas, he can't think of any more so I suppose that dinner and then a little shopping spree may be my only option.

I pick up Izzy from her house at four and drive her to the big mall a couple miles out of Bomont.

We order Chinese food from the food court and then walk around the mall. Nothing in any of the stores really peaks Izzy's interest till we get to a store called Buckle.

A pair of brown, pointed cowgirl boots with sunflowers on them are sitting in the storefront window.

"Oh, Willard, aren't they gorgeous?" Izzy whispers. I shrug.

"I'm not a girl, so I think they're ugly, but I'm sure they look gorgeous to you, Izzy." I say with a smile. Izzy laughs and then grabs my hand, pulling me into the store with her.

Izzy asks the lady at the counter for a pair in her size and the lady goes to back room to get her a pair to try on. When she comes back with the shoebox, Izzy excitedly takes the box and sits down to try them on.

Izzy puts them on and admires them in the mirror.

"Don't they look amazing?" She asks with a smile.

"You look amazing in them. You're a real country girl now, sweetheart." I reply, giving Izzy a kiss on the cheek. She looks over at me and smiles.

"Thanks, Willard, you're the sweetest."

"I try to be," I say.

I bought Izzy those boots without a second thought. I just love how Izzy lit up when she saw them.

We didn't shop much longer after that. Izzy became uninterested is almost everything else after purchasing those boots. She even changed out of her converse sneakers and into the cowgirl boots because she loves them so much.

I drive Izzy back to her house and we do the same thing we did the night I kissed her. We sit in the bed of my truck and just enjoy each other's company.

I turn on the radio in my car and it quietly plays. As a country song called Why Don't We Just Dance comes on, Izzy jumps up and asks me to dance with her. She jumps down from the truck bed and turns the music up on my radio.

The upbeat country song plays as Izzy begins line dancing. I join her and the two of us country line dance together. When the song's over, another song plays and, this time, it's a slow country song.

I grab Izzy's hand and begin slow dancing with her. She lays her head on my chest as we dance.

"You're a really good slow dancer," Izzy says with a smile. I shrug.

"Well, I had a great teacher." I reply. Izzy's smile broadens. I lean down and kiss her on the lips.

When the next song is over, I need to go home. It's late and tomorrow we have a court meeting that I don't want to miss.

Izzy's POV
The next morning, I change into a pair of blue jeans and a nice shirt. I put on my new cowgirl boots to finish the look.

My aunt and uncle, along with my cousins, are also going to the meeting this morning so my uncle drives us all there together.

When we get there, Willard sits down next to me and leans forward to talk to my brother.

"What's your secret plan? You gonna go up there and boogie?" Willard asks. Ren laughs.

"I wish it were that easy," he mutters.

The judge addresses a few things and then says that Ren may take the floor. Ren stands up and walks to the podium. He places a speech and a bible on the podium before beginning his speech.

"My name is Ren McCormack and I want to move on behalf of most of the senior class of Bomont High that the law against public dancing within the town limits of Bomont should be abolished," My brother explains.

Students and some parents start cheering. The judge pounds his gavel to tell everyone to settle down and be quiet.

"Rodger, if I may address Mr. McCormack on this matter?" Reverend Moore says.

"Please do," Principal Rodgers says with a nod.

"Ren, besides the liquor and the drugs and the rude behavior that seems to always accompany these types of unsupervised events, the thing that really distresses me the most, more than any of that, is the spiritual corruption." Moore explains. "These dances, this music, it distorts young people's attitude. You might find it funny, but I firmly believe that dancing can be destructive and celebrating certain types of music can be destructive. I think that you are going to find that most of the people in this community are going to agree with me,"

I look over at Willard and grab his hand worriedly. I'm almost afraid that Ren might not be able to convince a majority to agree with him.

"I believe a vote is in order for this motion to all those opposed please—" Rodger says.

"Excuse me. I still have something to say on this issue," Ren adds, interrupting the judge.

"Hey! I thought Ren had the floor here?!" My uncle shouts, standing up.

"The meeting will come to order," Rodger says, trying to bring order back to the room. "Mr. McCormick, I have been more than patient with your intrusion and I would like to remind you that we speak for this town because we are from here..."

"Excuse me, Mr. Dunbar..." Mrs. Moore starts to speak but Rodger keeps going.

"You to come into this council chamber and question our motives—"

"Rodger!" Mrs. Moore shouts. "I think that Mr. McCormack has the right to be heard,"

Applause erupts in the court room again. Ren stands at the podium again.

"I wasn't here three years ago when tragedy struck this town, and I know it's not my place to mourn the lives that were lost because I didn't know them. But it doesn't mean I don't think about them everyday," Ren says. He then continues. "And, like a lot of the students at Bomont, I see those pictures everyday at school and each time I see their faces I think of how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away,"

I look over and see Ariel looking a bit teary eyed. Rusty grabs her friend's hand and gives her a sad smile. Ren keeps going with his speech.

"You see, we don't have that much time left. All of us teenagers, pretty soon, we're gonna be just like you. We're gonna have jobs and families and we're gonna have to worry about our own children because that is the job of a parent. To worry. I get that, but us as teenagers, is to live, to play our music way too loud, to act like idiots, and to make mistakes."

Ren then opens his bible and turns to the place he has marked.

"Ecclesiastes assured us that there's a time for each purpose under heaven. There's a time to weep. There's a time to mourn and there is a time to dance," Ren says, looking over at Ariel and then back at the jury. "And this is our time. There was once a time for that law, but not anymore. Thank you,"

Ren walks away from the podium and sits back down. Everyone stays quiet for a bit.

"This meeting has ended," Rodgers says.

As we're walking out, I'm mad at the jury. I just wish they wouldn't have made such a dumb law in the first place.

Now I'm not sure if we'll ever get to have that dance we wanted.