You'll Just Know

Chapter 18

            As tangled as things had become, I knew that I couldn’t let them continue as they were. Despite the risk of everything falling apart completely, I had to try to set things right.

            So I found myself at Wendy’s locker the next afternoon, listening to my own heartbeat pounding furiously in my ears. I planned on telling her everything… about my dream, waking up this morning, and what I had learned about myself. I planned on diving right in and not stopping until she knew everything. Waiting through the day for this moment had been unbearable. Never before had the hours seemed to crawl by so slowly. Now, my palms were sweating and my stomach was turning, but I was ready. Finally, I was ready…

            … and Wendy was late! She should have been here by now! Of all days to be running late! Every second made me more impatient.

            How should I begin?

            “Wendy, I…”  What? I what? I just couldn’t think past that first stumbling moment. I had to do this right! Maybe I should have practiced more…

            No! If I waited, I knew that I would lose my nerve. It was now or never. Just like getting into a cold pool. I had to dive right in.

            And then, as if on cue, Wendy appeared around the corner. I stifled the urge to run. (C’mon! Now or never!) She had a big smile and came running up to me when she saw me.

            “Casey!” she said happily as she approached. She seemed unnaturally excited for some reason.

            My mouth was trying to work, but I was stumbling over that first moment again. Wendy, I…

            “Sorry I’m late.” Wendy said, bubbling with excitement. “But I was talking with Darian.”

            My spinning thoughts were suddenly derailed. “Darian?” I was confused, more by Wendy’s excitement than anything else. Who was Darian? The name rang a bell.

            “Darian Page.” Wendy supplied, and I suddenly saw the image of the long-haired guy at Ernie Johnson’s party who had been sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by an admiring flock of girls.

            An uneasy feeling crept up on me. “Oh. And what were you talking about?”

            “He asked me to Homecoming!” Wendy said excitedly.

            I was stunned. “What did you say to him?”

            Wendy smiled. “Well, I mean, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to say at first. Why would he ask me when he could probably have taken any girl in the school?”

            “Yeah. Why?” I asked, more to Fate than to anyone else.

            “He said that he’s been wanting to ask me for a long time, but that he was just too shy to ask me.”

            “Shy? He said he was shy? Wendy, just what I’ve seen of this guy…”

            Wendy waved me silent. “I know, I know. He’s got the reputation of being a real ladies’ man. He’s not really like that, though. You’d really like him if you met him.”

            I doubted that very much, but I kept my feelings silent. “So, you said ‘yes’?” I asked the obvious, hoping against hope…

            Wendy must have just then noticed the sick expression on my face, because she hesitated. “Well… yes. Is there something wrong?”