Can't Take That Away From Me

Chapter Three

A/N: I wrote this "novel" way back in 2010... So to my friends who are reading this... Don't judge me, k? :)

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Chapter Three

“So I heard Thomas Singer’s going to ask you to the Halloween Dance!” Emma Michelle Williams, our personal Gossip Girl, said excitingly as we sat down on our table. Thomas Singer was a senior and the captain of the basketball team, thus, making him a hottie.

“I’ll say no.” I said and took a bite of my cheeseburger.

“Why not?” Nadine Sofia Johnson asked as she placed her tray on my left. “Jenny has a date, Emma has one, Mark already asked me, and Monette’s going solo.”

Nadine was in an on-and-off relationship with Mark Bass, an actor who went to Spencer Academy.

“Are you sure he’s going this time or will he ditch you again?” Monette Brown said and smiled.

“Shut up.” Nadine said and punched her arm.

“Ouch!” Monette said in return.

“You guys, Sadie is just waiting for Nash to ask her.” Jenny sat down in front of me, and took a long sip of her water.

“I am not!” I said defensively. She was right, though. After Nash and I slept in his room last Friday, I haven’t heard him utter a single word to me and I was hoping that he would ask me.

“Ask him.” Emma suggested. “He’s probably waiting for you.”

I rolled my eyes in return.

My friends, aka The Crew, started blabbering about the party while I thought about Jenny being fine with me liking his brother. She said it was good, as long as I didn’t go overboard – you know the crazy, stalking kind of overboard.

Right on cue, the Announcement TV set in the middle of the cafeteria was brought into life. Spencer Academy’s logo popped out and the narrator started talking. “Here’s your student council vice president, Nathaniel James, for the daily news.”

“Speaking of the devil,” Nadine said.

Nash appeared on the screen and started talking. “Hi everyone! Today is September twenty-seven and it is exactly a month away from our Halloween Dance! This year, the Student Council decided to have a little twist. We have set some rules: first, you have to bring a date –“

“WHAT?” Mon said.

“– second, no practical jokes, like scaring someone or something similar to that. Third, it’s a costume party so everyone has to wear a costume. No similar costumes, please. And lastly, the venue is at Manhattan Hotel so please be there on or before eight in the evening. Late couples will not be allowed to enter. We will have a dancing contest, costume contests, best dress, best couple, and many more. The SC has sent an e-mail to each of you guys so that you will read the rules and other stuff thoroughly. Good day to you all.”

“No dates?” Monette said. “Guess I’m not going then.”

The girls and I ignored her jab, knowing someone would ask her in the following weeks.

Nash and his friends entered the cafeteria and got some food. I suddenly realized his table was next to ours. Nadine was mumbling something, but I couldn’t seem to understand. It was so hard to concentrate when your crush was seated next to you.

“Damn it.” I said and realized I was thinking out loud.

The girls chuckled and I caught Nash look at me. I looked the other way and chuckled with the girls.

Nadine nudged me. “Look, Thomas is on his way to ask you to the dance.”

I fake-smiled, “I’ll say no.”

All the sudden, someone tapped my shoulder.

“Hey, Parker,” it was Thomas.

I turned around. “Hey!”

“So what’s up?” He asked.

“Just eating my lunch and gossiping with the girls.” I said and winked at them. I patted the empty seat beside me and he sat down.

“You know about the upcoming dance, right?” He asked.

“Yeah, the Halloween Dance, where the people who are going has to have dates,” I said, hoping Nash would hear me. But Thomas was blocking my view of him, so it was hard to see what his reaction was.

“Yeah, I know. But I was thinking… It would be an honor to go there with you.” He said and I saw his face turn a bit red.

That was cute.

Sadly, I wasn’t interested in him so I decided to lie. “Uh, actually I don’t think I’m going. I was planning to visit my grandparents that weekend.”

Emma snickered. My friends knew I haven’t met my grandparents, both sides, because they were all in peace.

“Oh.” His voice was hard.

“I know, it sucks,” I pouted, adding a hint of disappointment in my expression.

“You have fun, then.” He nodded and went back to his table.

“Poor Thomas,” Nadine commented.

“May your grandparents not haunt you tonight,” Emma laughed.

“I thought you, ‘never say never’?” Monette sang.

I stood up. “Oh God, fine. Whoever made up the stupid rule where we have to bring a date must die.”

“I feel you!” Mon said and Emma glared at her.

As I walked to Thomas’ table, I thought of the lamest excuse an idiot would’ve ever thought of.

His friends probably saw me because they were suddenly in a huddle. I slowly tapped Thomas and he turned around.

“Hey, uh, I called my parents and told them if it was possible to get another flight. They said yes, so that means I can still go to the dance with you, I mean, if you still want to.” I said. My knees were suddenly shaky.

He smiled. “That’s cool! You wanna go out this Friday so that we could plan the costumes and other stuff?”

I nodded. “Sure. What about after school?”

He smiled again. We exchanged numbers and when I walked away, I heard one of his friends congratulating him.

I sat down again and saw my friends smiling. “Oh stop it.”

“Guess who has a date with a senior hottie!” Jenny shouted, loud enough to make Nash look at me and then Jenny.

The siblings had a silent stare, the one where you stare at a person and you conversed to them through your mind.

Jenny grinned and Nash stood up and grabbed his tray. He threw his half-eaten lunch and left the cafeteria.