Say What You Mean

Chapter Fifteen - The Wave Logic

Chapter Fifteen

Stay chill and enjoy xo

Despite Harper, Alexa and I going to different pre-formals, they still come over before to get ready. Mum hires someone in to do our hair and make-up and by the end of it, my hair is in a neat French-braided, low bun. My eye make-up is pretty neutral but my lips are a stunning red to contrast with my deep, blue, strapless velvet dress. I even got my maroon cast re-done so that it didn’t look as ratty against my dress. I slip on my black, strappy wedges and put on some silver jewellery Mum leant me from her own personal collection. I’m just spraying myself with Justin Bieber’s ‘Boyfriend’ perfume when the doorbell rings. I smile at the girls, “That’ll be me.”

Sure enough, my Mum calls me from upstairs. Alexa and Harper come down with me and Jackson is standing at the bottom, a grin on his face. He breathes out slowly, “Wow. You look stunning.”

I blush, “Thanks.”

My mum insists on photos before we leave so we have to endure that first. Jackson drives us over in his parents Bentley and I must say, it is pretty nice. When we get there it’s full of Seniors and Juniors and I’m the only Sophomore. The only person I know is Noah and he’s pretty engrossed with his date so I’m left to stick by Jackson’s side. I manage to talk to a few nice girls about hair and make-up and stuff but I still feel really out of place. Eventually we all make a move to our cars to go to the proper Winter Formal. And in all honesty, I’m not having that great of time with Jackson. He’s nice but he enjoys talking about himself a bit too much and having not been from America I didn’t get football at all. Football to me was soccer so I was confused within the first two minutes.

At the Formal itself I’m able to meet up with Harper and Alexa which is good because I don’t feel so alone. Jackson insists on dancing together though so we do. And it is nice but something that keeps niggling in my mind taints my time with him. I try to push it out but it just doesn’t work. At the end of the night, Jackson drops me home. He walks me to my front door and he even leans in for a good night kiss. And trying to convince myself of other feelings, I let him. It’s nice but I’ve had better. More so what’s worse is that the whole time I’m kissing him, I’m wishing it was someone else. When he pulls away, he looks at me awkwardly, “Did you feel anything?”

I smile slightly and shake my head, “Not a thing.”

He breathes out in relief, “Good I thought it was just me because I felt nothing. Sorry.”

“No worries. I felt the same.”

He holds out his hand, “Friends?”

I shake it, “Friends.”

He gives me a friendly peck on the cheek, “See ya ‘round Ara.”

He leaves me be and I slump against the door slightly, my first kiss in America and it was an absolute dud, better yet I couldn’t even enjoy it because I had someone else running through my mind. I thought this would never happen, it hasn’t before so why now? Because they’ve never been this nice. That’s why.

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The next day Harper and Alexa come over for our Sunday lunch. We eat as normal before going up to my room to tell one another about our previous night. They tell me about how their dates were lovely and everything like that until they finally ask me about my night. I keep my answers vague but that doesn’t satisfy them. Harper bores into me, “Did he kiss you? Did he try a move on you? Imagine if Noah found out, that’d be a sight to see.”

“He didn’t try anything on me.” I say with a pointed look, “There will be no need for Noah to be informed of anything especially considering he was sucking the face off some girl right in front of me.”