Between Two Hearts

9. The Rodeo

Eloise was practically bouncing with excitement as she burst into our dorm room, her face lit up with an infectious smile. I couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm.

"Emmaaaaa you are coming to the rodeo dance with me, no excuses!" She announced, plopping down on my bed and giving me a determined look.

I sighed, trying to match her energy. "I don't know, El. I'm just not in the mood for dancing right now."

Eloise's expression softened slightly.

"I know you've been having a rough time lately, Em, but that's exactly why you need this. Come onnn, it'll be fun! We'll go shopping for cute outfits, dance our hearts out, and just have a good time."

She had a point. I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off Liam and all the confusing emotions swirling inside me. "Alright, fine," I said, "but only because you're so excited about it."

Eloise clapped her hands together, practically squealing with delight.

"Yes! This is going to be amazing! Let's go shopping right now. We need to find the perfect outfits for the dance."

I laughed, shaking my head at her boundless energy. "Okay, okay. Let me grab my bag."

We headed out to the nearby shopping centre, chatting about the dance and what kind of outfits we should get. Eloise kept throwing in comments about how cute I would look in various dresses, making me laugh and roll my eyes.

"You know," Eloise said as we walked into a boutique, "I bet Jake would love to see you all dolled up for the dance."

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "Oh, come on El."

"But have you seen the way he looks at you? There's definitely something there."

I shake my head while laughing, trying to dismiss her teasing. "You're imagining things."

Eloise just laughed, continuing to browse through the racks of clothes. "Well, whether you admit it or not, I think you two would make a great couple."

As we continued shopping, we turned a corner and almost bumped into Claire who was browsing through a nearby rack. She looked up, surprised to see us.

"Oh, hey Emma, Eloise," Claire said, offering a tentative smile.

"Hey, Claire," I replied, keeping my tone friendly. "Shopping for the dance too?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. It's always such a fun event."

Eloise jumped in, her excitement impossible to contain. "We are too! Emma needed some convincing, but I'm dragging her along."

Claire chuckled, glancing at me. "Well, I think it's a good idea. It'll be fun to see everyone outside of classes for a change."

"Yeah," I said, trying to muster some enthusiasm. "It should be fun."

We chatted for a bit, talking about the dance and what we hoped it would be like. Claire seemed genuinely nice, and despite the awkwardness I felt around her because of Liam, I appreciated her friendliness.

As we said our goodbyes and moved on to another store, Eloise nudged me playfully. "See? Even Claire thinks it's a good idea for you to come to the dance."

I laughed, feeling a bit lighter. "Alright, alright. You win El. Let's find those outfits."

We spent the next couple of hours trying on various dresses and accessories, laughing and joking around. Eloise's energy was uplifting, and I found myself enjoying the shopping trip.