Love's Silent Crescendo

Screened Affections

The weekend following our first game was Labor Day weekend, a brief respite that meant I wouldn't see any of my friends for a whole three days. To mark the occasion, my mom decided to make it special by renting a beachfront hotel room for the long weekend. Although the idea of a beach getaway should have been thrilling, my mind was elsewhere. After the whirlwind of Friday night, all I could think about was Luke and when he would finally ask me to homecoming. Since the game, Luke and I had been texting constantly, from the moment we woke up until we fell asleep. Each conversation deepening my feelings for him. We're both nerdy in our own ways, sharing a love for reading—especially fairy tales and fiction. He's passionate about music and the arts, just like me. We watch the same shows, follow the same YouTubers, and share a similar sense of humor. Most importantly, he has a fondness for musical theater, though I intend to make him as enthusiastic about it as I am. Talking to him feels effortless. I can be my true self without pretense. One of our favorite topics is New York City. We both dream of moving there someday and experiencing life in the Big Apple. My love for New York goes way back to when I was a kid. Every time my family went, I felt like the city was casting a spell on me, making me fall for it a little more each visit. Luke's story is kind of the same. He went there once and got totally hooked, dreaming about moving there and never coming back. We're always daydreaming about what our lives could be like in the city—imagining every little detail of our future adventures together. It's like we've got this secret plan to take on New York together someday, and just thinking about it makes me so excited. I was lounging on the large, comfy hotel bed, lost in a flurry of texts with Luke, when my parents returned from the beach. My mom's displeased expression was unmistakable. "I thought I told you girls to meet us on the beach in an hour?" she said, her voice tinged with frustration. Mariah, who was sprawled next to me, barely glanced up from her phone. "It's only been, what, 40 minutes? We were literally about to get up." At that moment, you could practically see the steam coming out of my mom's ears. She marched over, snatched our phones from our hands, and declared, "That's it! It has not been 'forty minutes,'" she said, emphasizing every word with exasperation. "It's been three hours!" She continued to pace back and forth, her anger palpable, while my dad watched in silence. "You girls are constantly glued to your phones!" she exclaimed, her frustration mounting. "When we were your age, we would have killed for the chance to go out and do anything!" Finally, my dad spoke up. "Your mother is right. You two have spent the entire three days attached to your phones. So I have a solution." We all looked at him, eagerly anticipating his next words. "We're holding on to your phones during dinner tonight." Mariah and I groaned in unison, but my parents remained resolute. I begged, "Can I at least text my friend to let him know I won't have my phone?" They simply shook their heads and walked away, presumably to get ready for dinner. As they left, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. Without my phone, I felt a deep sense of disconnection from Luke. The thought of him waiting for my messages while I was stuck in this no-phone limbo was almost unbearable. An hour later, we were all dressed and heading out for our no-phone family dinner. The seafood restaurant we arrived at was a far cry from the five-star dining experience my dad had hyped up. Instead, it looked more like a run-down shack, with peeling paint on the exterior and flickering neon signs promising "fresh seafood" that felt more like a desperate plea than a selling point. The interior was just as unremarkable, with mismatched chairs and tables that creaked under the weight of faded plastic tablecloths. Despite the less-than-impressive setting, my father, a self-proclaimed crab leg connoisseur, spoke with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for Michelin-star restaurants. As we settled into our booth, I glanced at the menu, which was smudged and stained from years of use. My mind, however, was miles away, tangled up in thoughts of Luke and how the silence between us felt so heavy. I couldn't help but worry about how he might be feeling—wondering why I hadn't replied to his messages. Was he thinking I was ignoring him? Or worse, had he decided I wasn't worth waiting for? My stomach churned at the thought. While my parents discussed the various types of seafood and my sister, Mariah, focused on deciding between the shrimp and the crab, I was lost in a whirlwind of worry. The restaurant's background noise—the clatter of dishes, the murmur of other patrons, and the occasional shout of the waitstaff—only amplified my sense of isolation. Every minute felt like an eternity as I tried to force myself to engage in conversation, but my thoughts kept drifting back to my phone and the messages I had left hanging. It's moments like this, where I feel trapped and powerless, that make me wish I could fast-forward to adulthood and finally have some control over my own life. I mean, who wouldn't want to skip over the boring parts and get straight to the good stuff, right? Dinner had been excruciating—every second dragged on like an eternity, and I could barely focus on anything other than the gnawing worry that Luke might be thinking I was blowing him off. I tried to force myself to smile and pretend I was interested in the endless crab leg options, but my mind was stuck in a loop of distress. When the two hours finally came to an end, and we trudged back to the hotel, I felt a rush of relief mixed with anticipation. We practically sprinted to our room, eager to be reunited with our phones. The moment we stepped in, my parents reluctantly handed back our phones, their faces etched with frustration. It felt like they were giving us back a piece of our lives that had been on hold. I barely waited for the device to be fully in my hands before I was furiously tapping the screen, eager to see if Luke had messaged me. My heart raced as the screen flickered to life, revealing four new texts from him. Each notification was like a small spark of hope, and I eagerly scanned through his messages, feeling a rush of excitement.

**That's actually really awesome! So you'll go immediately after graduation then?**

**Hey, u there?**

**U still with me?**

**Okay... guess I'll talk to u tomorrow. Night.**

I felt my heart race as I fumbled with my phone, my fingers shaking slightly as I tried to explain to Luke why I hadn't been able to text him back sooner. I typed out a quick message about the whole dinner situation and hit send, praying he wouldn't be too upset. Almost immediately, I saw those three little dots bouncing on my screen, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. It was such a comfort to know that he was still there, waiting to talk to me. As the minutes ticked by, our conversation picked up right where it left off, flowing easily as if no time had passed at all. We chatted about everything that mattered to us—our favorite things about New York, our wildest dreams, and the band competitions we were both so excited about. It was like a little escape from reality, a chance to just be ourselves without any distractions. As the night wore on and my eyelids grew heavy, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling inside me. Our conversation had been so perfect, and I knew it was the right moment to bring up something that had been on my mind. I hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words, then took a deep breath. With a mix of hope and anxiety, I decided to ask him about homecoming. It felt like the perfect time to dive into that conversation and see where things might lead.

**So?... What are your plans for homecoming?**

My heart raced as I pressed send, wondering if I had just made a mistake. The familiar three dots appeared again, and his response came through:

**Not really sure yet, tryna pull something together :)**

I hesitated, then typed, **Same. I am a little worried though.**

**What are u worried about?** he replied.

**I don't want to go and end up being a third wheel...**

I slumped at the thought, feeling the weight of my worries about homecoming pressing down on me. Tucker's comment about Luke's plans had been both unexpected and oddly reassuring. It had hinted at something deeper, a sense that Luke's feelings for me might be more serious than I had initially thought. Tucker's comment wasn't just a casual observation; it carried an undercurrent of certainty that suggested Luke had been considering the possibility of us being more than just friends. This small but significant insight into his feelings made me wonder if our connection could be the start of something truly special. Even though I hadn't had a chance to discuss it with Luke directly, Tucker's insight gave me a glimmer of hope. Just when I was about to give in to my spiraling thoughts, my phone buzzed with a new message from Luke. I hesitated, my heart racing, and then opened it to find his reassuring words.

**I promise u, on everything, ur pretty self will find a date.**

I couldn't help but giggle and bounce around my bed with excitement. His message made me feel like I was floating on a cloud of happiness. It was clear he was really going to follow through on his plans, and that thought filled me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I felt valued in a way that made my heart skip a beat—like he was genuinely committed to making something special happen between us. As I texted him back, I couldn't stop smiling. My mind buzzed with thoughts of how perfect everything might be. I started planning my hair and makeup for the upcoming event, mentally flipping through countless Pinterest boards and beauty tutorials. What would be the perfect look to match my excitement? I envisioned a hairstyle that would make me feel confident and a makeup look that would sparkle under the dance floor lights. That night, as I lay in bed, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. The thought of Luke, and the possibilities of what might come next, made me feel like I was living in a real-life fairy tale. With dreams of our future adventures and the thrill of what was to come, I drifted off to sleep with a heart full of anticipation and joy, eager to see where this journey with Luke would take us. The next day, as we packed up to head home, my thoughts were still tangled in the excitement of my conversations with Luke. The drive felt endless, with my mind replaying our texts and imagining our future together. My excitement for homecoming grew with each passing hour. I imagined the two of us dancing under the stars, our shared dreams of New York City blending seamlessly with our present reality.