Once Again by Amy Durham Page A

against the door facing, angling his head so our
eyes met.
    My heart raced like a thoroughbred at the
Kentucky Derby. The struggle to keep massive eagerness from my
voice was huge.
    “Jessie and I were talking about going,” I
answered, forcing myself to talk slow and even. “And maybe meeting
up with Marsha and Tiffany.”
    “I have to run tomorrow afternoon, but it’s a
home meet, so I don’t have to travel.” He reached for my backpack,
taking it off my shoulder. He did it so absently that I knew he
didn’t even think about it. The lightness of my shoulders mirrored
the buoyancy I felt in my heart. “I’ll have to go home and take a
shower after I run, but I should be there by half-time.”
    Exactly what was he saying?
    The question must’ve shown on my face,
because he quickly added, “I’d like to sit with you, if you don’t
mind.”
    How in the world could I mind that? Had he
never looked in a mirror?
    “Of course I don’t mind,” I answered, a giant
smile spreading across my face.
    Though I was still unsure. Had he asked me to
be his date? He’d only mentioned sitting with me.
    “You look surprised,” he said.
    “Well, I... um,” I stammered. I took a deep
breath and went on. “I just figured you had your own crowd of
people you hung out with at ball games.”
    He just shrugged. “I don’t really have a
usual crowd of people, unless you count the cross-country
team.”
    “Oh.” I could think of nothing else to
say.
    “I heard you’d had a few invitations to the
game already,” he said. “And that you’d turned them all down.”
    “Small school gossip.” I rolled my eyes. “No
secrets around here, huh?”
    “Not so much,” he laughed.
    I had to be careful here. I couldn’t give him
the same story about not being ready to start dating, because when
it came to him, that wasn’t really true. But I also couldn’t tell
him that the real reason I’d turned Robbie, Chris, and Lance down
was because I only wanted to date him .
    This entire situation was ludicrous. What had
I gotten myself into?
    “If I turned anyone down, it wasn’t because I
wasn’t flattered,” I said. “It was because it just didn’t feel
right.”
    “Well, if it doesn’t feel right sitting with
me, just say so,” he said, smiling.
    “That won’t be necessary.” I smiled back,
reaching for my backpack.
    He pulled my backpack out of reach, put a
hand on the small of my back, and guided me into the room.
    I was amazed that I could walk on legs that
now felt like jelly.
    My seat was in the second row, and Lucas
dropped my bag right next to it. All around us, people stared.
    “If I don’t see you after school, I’ll see
you tomorrow in lit class.” He smiled again, turning to head for
the door and to his own third period.
    “Thanks Luke.” I gestured to the backpack on
the floor.
    “No problem.”

CHAPTER 10
     
    Friday the school buzzed with activity and excitement about the
football game. In the hallways, it was all anyone talked about. The
girls talked about what they were wearing, and guys talked about
washing their cars and their plans for after the game.
    Small town, small school must equal first
home football game being the event of the school year.
    Despite my better judgment, I told Jessie
about my conversation with Lucas about the game. She was sure it
meant something. I was still shoving my enthusiasm into a black
hole full force.
    During our walk from literature to U.S.
History, Lucas reiterated that he’d be at the game by half time,
and he’d find me when he got there.
    I walked around the rest of the day in a sort
of haze, waffling between exhilaration and dread. It was
confounding, not being able to decide how to feel.
    At lunch Jessie asked me what I was wearing,
and I actually gave in and discussed wardrobe matters with her.
Heaven help me, I’d succumbed to girl talk.
    But, it turned out to be worth it because by
the time I left school that afternoon, I had a plan. Distressed
blue