This Town

Chapter Seven

The next few weeks went by without anything new happening. We didn't even discuss "practicing" kissing anymore. We went back to being friends who did nothing like that together. But, my feelings, didn't. In fact, those pesky inklings kept coming around at the worst moments. And they kept making an appearance. No matter how much I told myself to leave it alone, I found myself falling for my best friend and she hadn't a clue.

I didn't know who to talk to, either. Both my dad and Greg were useless when it came to women, plus they would probably harass me about it until the end of time. Thomas and I were still friends but he was also friends with Siobhan, and I was afraid he would tell her. I thought about telling my mum but she would only encourage me to follow my heart which would most likely lead me to it being broken and friendless. No matter what, I had to keep my feelings suppressed. I wasn't going to let them get in the way of being her friend, which I wasn't about to give up for anything, not even love, if that's what it was.

It was right around Christmas when I had finally felt like I had done away with my little crush on her and could go back to just being her friend. But, I'll be damned, if she didn't ruin it five seconds later. 

The school was having a small Christmas dance, so we had decided to go together, as friends, of course. My parents joined up to get me a nice outfit to wear, dark slacks, a dark navy button up shirt, with a multi-hued blue tie. I had just re-dyed my hair blonde and gotten a haircut. I have to say, I looked pretty good. Greg lent me some of his cologne and I was almost out the door when my mum grabbed my hand and handed me a small bouquet of roses.

"What are these for?"

"For Siobhan, silly. You don't take a girl to a dance and not get her flowers. Now, go get her and come back here, I want pictures of you two." My mum said, as she let go.

I walked across the street, feeling my parents eyes on me, making me nervous, all of a sudden. I knocked on her door and her dad answered.

"Niall, my son, you look as handsome as ever, c'mon in." I walked in as he shut the door. "Sweetie, Niall's here!" he shouted for her.

"Coming, Niall!"

While we waited, her dad began talking to me, "Son, I want you to keep an eye on her for me tonight. I know I can trust you but some of them boys have been getting a little ruthless with their harassment of her. I almost told her she couldn't go but I know it means a lot to her to participate in these sorts of things."

"Of course, sir. I always look after her. I wouldn't ever let anything happen to her," I said.

Just then, Siobhan walked in and stole my breath from me. She was wearing a fairly tight emerald green, one-shouldered dress that landed just above her knees. She had on heels which only made her taller than me but I knew those things would come off by the end of the night. She loved dresses, but she still wasn't much of a girly girl.

"Hey, Niall," she said, smiling at me.

"Uhh, h-h-hey, Siobhan. You look beautiful. Umm, these are for you." I said as I practically hurled the flowers at her.

"Thanks, Niall. They're beautiful." She smelled them and then went to put them in a vase.

"Alright, you two, let us parents do the song and dance, and you can be on your way," her dad said, ushering us back outside to my house. Our parents took a billion photos of us and then we were finally allowed to leave. My dad let me borrow his car for the night, so I did the gentlemanly thing and opened her side of the car and helped her in and out.