Make My Way

Chapter Sixteen

Stella's POV

They didn't say anything. They just both held out their hands. Willow and I looked at each other and took their hands. They took us out onto the dance floor. I had a feeling they agreed if one of them would come over and dance with us, the other would too. I felt Neil's hands slide onto the small of my back and I stiffened. I rested my hands on his shoulders awkwardly.

Not too far away, Willow and Julian looked just as awkward. Probably more. Aria and Blake I the other hand- you know what? I'm not even going to go there. They were so comfortable in each other's presence. I sighed and turned my head to meet Neil's.

Our eyes met and it was like a million galaxies colliding within that one instant. It wasn't just our eyes that met, our thoughts, emotions, deepest worries, and regrets were there too. I could feel what he was feeling . He felt just like me. Afraid. Afraid of what could happen and what might not. Afraid of the past. Afraid of the present. But most of all, afraid of the future.

We didn't say anything. We didn't have anything to say. We felt everything. Neither one of us thought twice as our lips met. It was so short but so meaningful. It had so much more than just a kiss behind it because in that moment, we both let go. We gave into the hope for the future. For us. We cast aside the past. Threw away our pain. We forgot our differences.

None of it mattered right then. Our steps got closer. Our arms became more relaxed. We moved together as one instead of as two separate people. That's how they do it then, I realized, Blake and Aria. They figured this out way before me and they knew. They knew I had to figure it out for myself.

The song ended, but Neil and I didn't move. I was closer to him than when we started. I rested my head on his chest, just below his chin and whispered, "Thank you."

I felt his head on top of mine and I realized something. I realized something I never had before. I didn't like Neil because he was cute. I didn't like him just because he was nice. I didn't like him because he was popular. I liked him because he was there for me. He had always been there. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. He had become my lifeline. My support. And I had become his.

A voice rang out from across the gym, calling Neil over. It was Caden. I groaned. I had thought he wasn't coming. Neil squeezed my hand and left. I sighed and watched him leave. Willow snuck up behind me and grabbed my shoulders, laughing. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"Julian. He can't slow dance to save his life. We started out slow dancing junior high style. After about twenty seconds, he gave up and just started doing the whip. He wouldn't stop screaming 'Watch me whip. Now watch me nay nay,' until I did it too." I burst out laughing and leaned into her for support. "But while I was pretending not to know him, guess what I saw?"

Crap. "What?"

"You and Neil. I screamed at you but you obviously must not have heard me over the music."

"What did you say...?"

"I told you two to keep it PG over there. There are young children present." She gesture to a passing freshman.

"Ha. Please. I'm sure most of them have seen worse."

"True." She sighed and looked around. "Hey, look," she pointed to Aria, "It looks like our little energizer bunny finally need to recharge."

We made our way over to where Aria and Blake were sitting on the floor ago inset the bleachers and casually talking. Willow and I sat down in front of them. "Hey have you guys seen Merrick and Vivian? We can't find them anywhere."

I thought for a moment and then realized something. "They're hiding from Aurora." They gave me a confused look. "I kind of sent her to talk with them when Willow and I tried to talk to Julian and Neil...."

Blake's face lit up with a sly smile. "Well that would probably explain why Merrick keeps texting me 'help' over and over but won't explain it."

We all laugh, knowing how obnoxious Aura can be if she wants to or if she's tired. She was probably pretending to be an emu or something and chasing them. I shook my head at the thought because that was totally something she'd do.

Neil was being crowded by guys across the gym. I wondered what they were talking about. Probably me. I sighed. I wished I could just go over and talk to him. Or he could just come over here and talk to me. But we couldn't. We wouldn't. Right then, it was like there was a fine divide between his world and mine. A line separating out lives. A line that we risked to cross when we were dancing.

Oh God, I sound like Shakespeare. This isn't Romeo and Juliet. I shook my head, trying to get my mind off of him. I tried to think about my party afterwards, but all I could think about was if he was going to come. I tried to think about Aria and Blake, but all I could think about was how I wished Neil and I could have that kind of relationship.

I didn't even try to get into their conversation. I know even Marvel couldn't get my mind off him. He was my Iron Man. My Thor. He was my Captain America. I gathered all my courage and stood up. I didn't respond to any of my friends questions about where I was going. I didn't want to loose any of my strength talking about what I was attempting to do.

I made my way across the dance floor. On the other side, there he was. I stepped over the line. The divide keeping our worlds apart. He turned to face me and time slowed down. Our eyes met. He took a step towards me. I had broken down the wall that was holding me back, now he just had to break down his.