Bad Timing

Undici

NOT EDITED

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The Father-Daughter Dance at The Pier happens annually in Beaufort, North Carolina. The event was self explanatory – Fathers shared a couple of dances with their daughters. In addition, there was also a small fair with games that allowed challenges between fathers and daughters or each family against another.

I never really looked forward to the Father-Daughter dance because my father wasn’t exactly active in my life. However, Evan made it a point to attend this event with me every year. He had this bizarre mentality that just because I used to attend every year when I was a little girl that I had to continue just because our dad wasn’t around anymore.

Nonetheless, there were a lot of things to look forward too. I couldn’t be any happier to share one dance with my brother every year – it was the least I could do for everything he has sacrificed for me. The food wasn’t at all bad and the talent showcased during the event was amazing.

“I have to look for my partner or I’m going to freak,” Maia yelled over the music and the noise. She clutched a guitar in one hand as she tried to get her straightened hair out of her face. “We’re performing in like – ten minutes!”

“Maia, relax. Did you check by the stage yet?” I asked her.

“Yeah, maybe Anna is there already,” Noah – who although sported a black eye, looked incredibly handsome in his light blue button down, black slacks, and black tie – added, rubbing his sister’s arms to calm her down. 

She nodded her head and started to push through the crowd towards the stage. “Good point! I’ll go and check! I’ll see you guys later!”

I waved at her. “Break a leg, Mai!”

“You’ll do great, little sis!”

So apparently, Maia played the guitar for over two years now and she was truly amazing at it. I only learned last night that she was going to perform with her partner for today’s event. Maia’s been stressing over it the whole night last night and hasn’t slept well because this would be the first time she would be performing live. To add to her pressure, she and her partner were also the opening act.

Noah and I walked in silence towards the booths to get Maia a bottled water and food for when she got off the stage. We haven’t really talked much since what happened last night and we certainly did not bring it up. In summarization, we were completely awkward in the presence of the other.

“No fucking way,” Noah muttered. He nudged me sharply in the arm and pointed towards two brown-haired people who stood at the back of a Cotton Candy stand line. It wasn’t the sight of them together that caused my jaw to drop, but the way their fingers interlocked intimately.

“Please tell me this is not happening,” I mumbled as I continued to stare at the two.

Noah was as equally shocked as I was, eyeing the couple with knitted eyebrows. “No, it really is happening.”

“We should go up to them.”

“Don’t you think that’s going to be awkward? I think we should pretend we never saw them.”

“That’s a sight I can never erase from my mind.” I frowned. Ignoring Noah’s protest, I walked hastily towards the two. Once I was in hearing distance, I plastered a forced smile as I greeted the two. “Paige! Callum! What a surprise to see you two here … together!”

At the sound of my voice, Paige and Callum’s hands dropped to their sides in a hurry. Both turned around in fright, but hid it with strained smiles as their eyes landed on Noah and me.