Secret Flowers

Getting Ready

"I'm so happy for you!" Jules shrieks.

"Shhh! Not so loud!" I say desperately.

"But seriously, you're finally going to meet him! And then," she continues, a dreamy look on her face, "he'll get you bouquets and bouquets of flowers from work!"

"Calm down," I say. "Wait...how do you know that he works at a florist's? I didn't tell you!"

"Oh, um, I-"

But now I supect Julia knows. I haven't disclosed any details of the admirer at all. How else would she know anything about him unless she knew him?

Kayla walks over to us. "What are you two talking about? Tell me! I wanna know!"

I look at Jules. "Well..."

* * * *

Okay, you can do this, I tell myself, but I'm trembling so much that I can barely stand.

Daisy and Cal are making out on my locker. Just what I needed.

"Something wrong?"

I turn around. It's Vince. "Oh, um..." I nervously glance in the direction of my locker. He follows my gaze.

"Yuck, that's just disgusting." He mimes throwing up. "Want me to get them away from there?"

But when we turn back to my locker, they're being confronted by Max. "Um, you guys do know that people keep their books in the locker you're leaning on, right?"

"Who's locker is it anyway?" Cal sneers. "And why are you so bothered?"

"The same thing happened to me on my first day of school," Max says sheepishly. "A couple was almost going at it in front of my locket and I wanted to sink into the ground. But anyway," he continues, his voice getting stronger,"it doesn't matter whose locker it is, I'm sure they won't feel very comfortable opening if they find out."

Daisy shrugs, and the couple walks off. Vince is missing too.

I slowly walk up to Max. "Thanks," I say shyly.

"No problem." He smiles, and I blush. "By the way, are you attending the dance?"

I nod. "That's great." He gives one of those heart-stopping smiles again. "I was wondering..." This time, it's his turn to blush. "I was wondering...d-do you want to g-go to the d-dance with me? J-just as friends?"

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat???????

His question takes me aback for a minute. I never thought Max of all people wanted to go to the dance with me!

And it's clearly not as just friends, not with the way he's so nervous.

D-does Max l-like me? I wonder.

"I-I'm already m-meeting someone there," I tell him. "I'm really sorry."

"You are?" Suddenly, his cheerful mood returns. "That's awesome! I'm so happy for you! By the way," he lowers his voice,"does James know?"

I giggle. "No, he doesn't. He thinks I'm attending the dance alone, so he's going to be my escort." I giggle some more.

"Well, have fun. And send your date my best wishes." Max waves as he walks away.

I smile. Max is so sweet. No wonder my brother would prefer I date him instead of Vince.

Huh, Max didn't show any sign of surprise when he realized it was my locker. Maybe he knew already.

I decide to watch the basketball team practice. They're leaving for the nationals right after the spring dance.

Max's departure from the team is still unknown to many; they think he's injured.

I take a seat near the exit, and watch the session. The boys' and girls' teams are having a mixed match today. Jules is the captain of the girl's team: she's held that position ever since last year, when the team was restarted after years of inacitvity. Jules wants her team to make it to the state championships next year.

The game is intense, with both teams giving it their all. By the end of it, everyone's sweating buckets; they just collapse on the court and start laughing.

Sports must really make them happy.

* * * *

The girls have dragged me dress shopping. "But can't I just wear the ones I already have?" I ask.

"What's wrong with you?" Kayla shrieks. "You're meeting your secret admirer, we have to show him who you really are!"

Yes, I told Kayla the whole story. I wish I hadn't.

"We can't have you in the black dress for the dance, it's more for parties. And you've already worn the blue one, so that's ruled out. Now..."

But I'm not listening anymore. Instead, my mind recovers a precious memory from over a year ago...

Ooooh, what's going to happen next???

Lauren trusts Kayla enough to tell her about the secret admirer! And what about Max asking her to the dance? What do you guys think???

Vote and tell me if you liked the chapter! :)