Beautiful Souls (11 page)

    
              I caught the sound of a car crunching over the gravel in my driveway, and within moments I heard the back door click open then back closed again, followed by excited, quick footsteps racing up the stairs. Emmy and I were like sisters, and she’s been a very close part of our family for many years. So close, in fact, that she’s always let herself in; frankly, we always wanted her to make herself at home.

    
              My mom and dad loved Emmy. I think mostly because she’s so much of a chatterbox that she’d always spill the beans over anything and everything that I was usually so quiet about. My parents never had to wonder what we were up to when Emmy was around. Plus, she always had been such a great friend to me.

    
              “Hey, Becca!” Emmy was on cloud nine as she slipped through the doorway of my bedroom.

    
              “Hi. Did you bring your stuff for tonight?”

    
              “Of course,” she beamed. “Do you wanna see my dress?” Emmy asked, as she slightly dipped at the knees then spun around, allowing the plastic garment bag to wrap around her sides as it twirled around her. She started to pull the dress from its protective plastic cover before I could even begin my response.

    
              “Sure!” I spoke quickly, even though I could already see the bottom half of the blue, sparkling dress exposed underneath the bottom of the garment bag. She fought with the plastic that seemed to have a mind of its own and finally pulled it off the hanger after a few tiny explicit words escaped her mouth. Emmy didn’t have it in her to cuss, so foul language to her usually consisted of words such as
‘gosh’, 'dang’,
and
‘shoot’.

    
              I smirked and giggled at her use of
“language”.

    
              Emmy held her dress up proudly once she had finally freed it from the clingy, plastic cover.

    
              “You are going to look absolutely gorgeous in that,” I said honestly, as she held it up a little longer for me to admire.

    
              “You think?” she asked modestly. “I just hope that Will likes it.”

    
              Will was very sweet, but definitely not the type of guy who would even remember the color of her dress after tonight.

    
              “How could he not?  The dress is beautiful, and you’re going to be even more beautiful in it,” I assured her. “Now, I brought up some snacks over there on my desk, and I’ve already heated up every curling iron and straightener I own in the bathroom, so let’s hurry up and get ready. We don’t want to keep our dates waiting too long,” I joked.

   
              “Someone’s a little excited, I see,” Emmy commented with a smirk.

    
              “No.” I reacted instinctively. “Well, yeah, maybe a little,” I ‘fessed up. 

    
              Emmy laughed.

    
              “Hey, I have something really great to tell you.” The shivers from my first kiss with Leo ran up my arms just thinking about it.

    
              She looked at me with her big eyes, a smile growing wide across her face. “Well?”

    
              I paused, replaying last night in my head.

    
              Emmy bounced. “Dying from anticipation over here. What’s so great?”

    
              I smiled wide, showing most of my teeth. “Leo kissed me last night.”

    
              Emmy screamed and hugged me, her hand still clenched around her dress which now hung along my back. “I knew it!” Emmy stepped back, her arms still gripping my shoulders. “You’re in love, right? Next comes graduation, then marriage, then here comes Becca with a baby carriage,” she teased.

    
              “Yeah, something like that.”

    
              I described the kiss --- not in too much detail, just enough to make the conversation juicy --- and once Emmy had finally heard enough, we went to work on our hair and clothes, preparing for the upcoming night. Emmy had to wear a dress, and really wanted to go all out with her hair and make-up since she was in the Homecoming Court. She was going to be presented, along with the rest of the Court, during half-time tonight.

    
              I planned to wear my dark skinny jeans, a plaid silk top that was belted around the waist, and new leather boots that Emmy had picked up on one of her recent shopping sprees. She practically told me I was going to wear them when she found out what outfit I had chosen for Homecoming. Unfortunately, the heels on the boots were probably going to make me freakishly tall, but luckily I had a few inches to spare since Leo stood several inches taller than me already.

    
              Emmy and I both dressed, then went to work attempting to achieve the perfect hair. This took up the span of about forty-five minutes. I finally gave up on my hair and helped Emmy get just the right curls in the back of her hair where she couldn’t reach or see on her own.

    
              My mom came home about two-thirds of the way through our dance-prep process, and she snapped a few photos for her scrapbook that she had been adding to since the day I was born. I was certain we’d be forced to pose for a couple more photo-ops before heading out the door.

    
              We arrived at the Homecoming game shortly after it started. Both Emmy and I bought a cup of hot chocolate from the concession stand --- since autumn nights in Indiana could get downright frigid --- then found a couple of open seats in the stands among a group of our friends.

    
              Emmy had been on the lookout for Will since he was her escort for Homecoming Court. He’d be the one walking her out onto the football field when it was time to present the Court at half-time.

    
              “I’m gonna kick that boy’s back end if he doesn’t show up soon,” Emmy pouted.

    
              I scanned the field to find Leo, and just when I caught sight of him, he had been attempting a twenty-five yard pass that was disappointingly fumbled because the receiver couldn’t quite hang on to the spiraling ball.

    
              Olivia and Grace scooted down toward Emmy and me from a couple of rows up on the bleachers.

    
              “Hey, Becca,” Grace greeted me with an obvious annoyance in her tone. “I heard that you and Leo were going to the dance together.”                   “Yeah, we are,” I replied proudly. Everyone in school already knew that Emmy had the biggest crush on Will, and because she had already announced their coupling to anyone in school who would listen, I couldn’t use that gossip to now distract Grace from where this conversation appeared to be heading.

    
              “So, just as friends…boyfriend-girlfriend? What’s the story?” Livi interjected.

    
              I lifted my brows in Emmy’s direction, an attempt to send her a signal begging for an escape from this line of questioning, but she was still too preoccupied with trying to find Will that she didn’t even notice.

    
              “Well,” I tried to search for the best explanation that would keep this short and sweet. “Leo and I are going as friends. But this is kinda like our first date too, I guess,” I replied, hoping that Grace and Livi would let the conversation die there.

    
              “Really?” Grace questioned, huffing slightly as she spoke the word.

    
              Everyone knew that she had always had a thing for Leo, but nothing ever really came from it. I had actually known about Grace’s crush for a while from the bits of information Leo had told me on occasion. He mentioned that he wasn’t really interested in her, that she wasn’t his type, but she continued trying while Leo continued letting her down as politely as possible.

    
              “Congratulations, Becca,” Livi jutted in. “The two of you will make a very cute couple,” she stated kindly, as Grace shot her a disapproving glance.

    
              “Thanks,” I nodded to her.

     
              Grace turned away, initiating another conversation with Justin who was sitting on her other side. Apparently, avoidance was going to be Grace’s way of dealing with the fact that Leo and I were dating. 

    
              It was such a strange thing to think about, but strange in a good way that made me grin a little as I looked back toward the field just in time to see Leo hit the ground from a pretty hard tackle.

    
              Half-time eventually rolled around, and as the players jogged off the field toward the locker rooms, Emmy motioned toward me that she had finally spotted Will with a group of his friends behind the concession stand.

     
              We heard a man’s voice come over the loud speaker announcing the girls of the Homecoming Court along with their escorts. One by one, as they each walked across the football field, they were introduced and presented with a bouquet of carnations. They stood side by side on the edge of the field while a photographer from the Fairview Star Press snapped photos. Things like that always made it into our town’s newspaper since there wasn’t much else to report.

    
              Not surprisingly at all, Emmy was crowned Homecoming Queen as our group of friends jumped to their feet. We whistled and cheered Emmy’s name as she accepted her crown, and she beamed for ear to ear all the while remaining arm-locked with Will. He actually cracked an embarrassed grin when he realized a few of the hoots and hollers were meant for him as well.

    
              During the break, I scanned the crowd to see if Zoey and Luke had taken me up on my offer, but disappointingly I didn’t spot them anywhere in the stands. I was hoping Zoey, at least, would have showed, but I wasn’t going to obsess over it and let it ruin this night with Leo. I immediately wiped all peculiar events of the last few days from my mind, focusing on living in the moment and enjoying the anticipation of what the rest of the night may hold.

    
              Two more quarters of the football game passed, and when time ran out and the buzzer went off, our very own Sycamore High Bulldogs were victorious. The crowds in the stands flooded the field to cheer and high five the players, as they huddled into a intertwined group of loudly chanting, grunting, sweaty, muddy champions.   

    
              The players ran off toward the locker room, continuing in their celebration, as family, friends, and spectators chatted amongst themselves. The crowds dispersed, some departing to their vehicles and heading home, while most of the students made their ways in sporadic groups toward the school’s gym. I caught Emmy’s attention as she and Will were on their way to the gym with a few others, and I motioned for her to come toward me.

    
              “I’ll meet you two at the dance as soon as Leo’s done in the locker room.”

    
              “Sure, don’t be long. You don’t want to miss too much,” Emmy said with a wink, all smiles.

    
              “Yeah, I know.” I returned her wink.

    
              I watched Emmy and Will escape through the doorway to the gym, and as they opened the door, I heard the music streaming out into the chilly night air and fade somewhat as it lifted toward the darkening, night sky and bright, sparkling stars.

    
              The night was so clear that you could make out every single star in the sky. Without the bright lights shining from a larger city, there were more than triple the number of stars that could be seen here from our little world. It really was such a beautiful night, so I occupied myself by searching for the big and little dippers while I waited for Leo.

    
              After a few minutes of stargazing, I heard a quiet popping sound. It was the kind of sound that metal makes when it expands or contracts from the changing temperature. I looked around for a moment, attempting to spy the slightest movement, but there was nothing to be seen. I felt as if I was being watched, but since I couldn’t see anything or anyone around --- and I sure as hell wasn’t going off into the dark by myself to search them out --- I shook off the slight chill that had crawled up my spine and went back to stargazing as I waited patiently for Leo.

    
              I had only waited about fifteen minutes when I heard the door to the locker room open, and I saw Leo walk out. He looked amazing. I could feel my heart pause in my chest for a split-second while the rest of my body froze. It awakened a moment later as he made his way toward me.

    
              Leo’s hair was brushed back and still damp from the shower he’d just taken, and I could smell the scent of his cologne mixed with the freshness of his just-washed body from ten feet away --- it was to die for. I could picture myself burying my head in his chest as we danced, just breathing in his intoxicating scent.