Sweetheart Single

18 | Candy Heart Craze

Campus has been a mad house. 

Girls are running around like chicken without heads. Some guys too. Everyone is looking for the Gilded Rage tickets. Before class, between classes, after class, sometimes the middle of the night. It's like some candy heart craze. Mania. Meanwhile, I'm just replaying my kiss with Harry over and over in my head.

"You're not even listening, are you?" Nikki is sprawled across my bed, staring at me. "Earth to Elle?"

"Oh, sorry." I shake my head. "I'm listening. You want to..."

"Get dresses. For the dance. Jeez, girl," Nikki sighs.

"You'd be like this too if you made out with Harry," Lucy quips.

"Thanks for the defense." I joke.

"Ah, yes, but us mere mortals are left to make out with other mere mortals. That and go dress shopping. Come on. After class tonight?" Nikki begs.

"Fine," I give in. "But I have to be back for..." I trail off, careful not to give any actual reason.

"Yes? For what?" Chloe raises her eyebrow. "Or for whom?"

"Stop," I whine, but can't help the smile creeping over my lips.

"You're meeting him again? Tonight?!" Nikki exclaims, sitting up in my bed.

"Maybe," I smirk. "Maybe not. But yes to dress shopping."

"Does this mean you're going to the dance, then?" Lucy asks from my desk chair. She's twisting her hair around her finger.

"I think I have to. I'm supposed to see Shawn there." I sigh.

"That's right. What about golden boy?" Nikki teases.

"I don't know. I like Shawn. Really, he makes the most sense. We're friends and it's comfortable and I'm not sharing any more of this with you guys!" I laugh.

"Suit yourself," Nikki says. She hops down from my bed. Chloe follows her to the door. She turns in the doorway. "Meet in the quad after last class? I'll drive us to the mall."

...

I've never selected a dress quicker in my life. Well, I only ever went to three dances before, but all three times I was as indecisive as April weather. Things seem to just be on my side this week. We walked into the first boutique shop in the mall, and I fell in love with the second dress I saw.

It is mauvy pink and kind of a satin velvet poly fabric. Deep plum beads are embroidered into the V-shape neckline. It flows away at the waist, so it's not too formfitting. I tried it on, and Nikki and Chloe and Lucy all gave their praise and approval. But the whole time I was looking in the mirror I kept thinking Would Shawn like it? Would Harry notice me in the crowd? And what about Jake?

I can't unsee Jake's eyes the night he left me standing in the yard by the heat lamp. He looked so hurt –so broken. I wanted to pick up his pieces. I still want to. As great as my kiss with Harry was, I keep thinking what would it be like to kiss Jake? To kiss the arrogant, cocky boy who smacked me in the face with a snowball and then walked me home and then sent me a condom gram and then called me out for playing with Shawn and Harry. To kiss the boy who rereads The Catcher in the Rye in rainy coffee shops.

"I've already found three boxes. But all were empty. Well not empty. They had those dumb heart candies in them," Lucy says.

I nod, pulling my wallet out of my bag to buy our salads and green teas in the food court. Nikki and Chloe are still dress shopping. They've almost covered every place in the mall.