THIS GIRL

5|

Tonight the girls and I have plans to go to the homecoming football game at my school, not because of the actual football game, but for the fireworks. We've done this every year since we were kids. Our parents would always call the high school at the beginning of the school year and see when the homecoming game was so they could take us to watch the fireworks after the game.

This year we're going to watch them at my school because we want to see if they're on par with the girls school firework show.

I started to get excited when it came around six in the evening and it was just about time to meet up with the girls. I packed a jacket in my backpack along with my earbuds and money for a snack.

The girls got caught up at work and said I should take Cal and go, they'd meet up with us there so we wouldn't miss anything. I considered not even going until they got here.

We took my car to the game, sat in the parking lot and talked throughout the whole beginning of the game. The beginning was the worst part. The homecoming king, queen, princesses, princes, duke and duchess nominees all arrive sitting in topless cars waving to the bleachers full of people around the track.

"Emma, aren't you going to get that?" Calla says pointing to my phone. "Yeah my bad, I zoned for a sec." She hates when I zone out. I hop off the car and take a few steps.

"Hello?" "Hey, what are you doing?" it's Ryan. I haven't talked to him since last week when I dumped my salad in front of his friends. "I'm at the game with Calla." "You're at the game?" he says surprised. "We came to watch the fireworks." "Oh." He laughs, "I'm here too. Let's meet up, I can come to you." "We're in the parking lot." I say. "I'll be there in a few minutes." He says and hangs up.

When I see Ryan coming towards us I walk up to him. He hugs me. "Hey. Are we cool?" "Yeah." I say. "You've been avoiding me and in class you don't even look my way." "I'm sorry." That's all I say because I have no answers.

***

For the last four years every time we watch the firework show I have been putting ear buds with loud music in when no one is watching. I have been called The Flincher plenty of times and I don't like the loud sounds to begin with anyways. It's a win, win.

The first boom of the fireworks goes off and I jump a little. "There goes The Flincher." Chloë shouts getting out of their car. They came right on time. I ignore her comment and slide in my ear buds under my beanie. Ryan looks at me while I'm doing it. I press my finger to my lips "Shh."

Sophia and Chloë hop on the hood of their car for the show. The rest of us stay on a small patch of grass in the lot, I tune out everything besides the music and the fireworks.

"I bought two homecoming tickets today." Ryan says pulling one of my earbuds out durning the grand finale. "I'm hoping you'll go with me." Am I going to a school dance? I've never been to one, I never wanted to go to one. "Okay." I say.

***

The Homecoming dance is tomorrow, Ryan and I have both agreed to go shopping for something to wear together. I still can't believe I'm going. My hands shake at the thought. My hands are shaking now but I'm putting that on the back burner and trying my hardest to feel alright today.

The first few stores were a complete bust, we found nothing. Everything was bejeweled, sparkly, satin, cut out in odd places and just plain hideous. I'm not the type of girl who particularly cares for anything bejeweled or glittery.

There was only one option left to scourer. If we couldn't find anything in there we weren't going to find anything at all.

Walking in, there was a rack of out dated clothes in the sale section. I happened to come across a ruffled paisley men's shirt. Of course, I swayed Ryan into trying it on. "Only if you get to try something ugly on too." He says. "Deal." He managed to find an ugly dress almost exactly like the shirt I found for him.