dance any longer.
He exchanged a smile with Kira across the table and silently vowed to ask her out when they were alone, no matter what. Never having attended a homecoming dance, Jon wasn't sure if it was too early to line up a date. For all he knew, it was too late.
Max mentioned the apprentices had all gone to the movies the night before, to a new release called Immortal Soule . "It was pretty good if you like vampire flicks," he said. "I would've preferred an action movie."
"I haven't been to a movie in ages," Lora said. "It was so much fun."
"I understand we have you to thank for the new allowance, Jon," Linda said.
"Yeah, Dorsit sold a bunch of the gems you gathered and brought Master Quixoran the money," Mo said. "Thanks, Jon."
"You're welcome, but it was kind of a team effort between Max and me." Jon dropped his gaze to his oatmeal, feeling more and more left out as the morning wore on. He felt Kira's eyes on him.
"I wish you could have gone with us," she said. "It wasn't nearly as much fun without you."
His mood lifted. "I'm sorry I missed it. I volunteered to work on the homecoming dance decorations and I was painting last night."
"Ooh, tell us what you're doing," Brett said. "It's bound to be wonderful."
"The theme is tropical and the dress is luau." A grin sprang to Jon's lips. "I can't tell you more than that. You'll have to wait and be surprised like everyone else."
"This dance is going to be terrific," Brett gushed. "A lot of us will be there. Max and I are going together."
"Really? That's terrific," Jon said.
"When I heard about the homecoming dance, I talked Casey into taking me," Mo said with a wink. "Even though I graduated already."
"Fred got down on his knees and begged me to go," Ronny joked. "What could I do?"
The strained expression on Kira's face lanced Jon's heart. She feels bad that I haven't asked her yet! Max seemed to notice the same thing because he caught Jon's eye and gave him a hard stare.
"How about you, Jon?" he prompted. "You asked anyone yet?"
That's my opening.
"I was hoping to take Kira," he blurted out. "If she wants to go."
His invitation seemed to have the opposite effect from what he'd intended. If anything, Kira looked even more wretched.
"I'm sorry, Jon, but I've already asked Davy Thyssen to take me," she said.
Jon flinched. What? His heart thudded so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. Kira had already asked someone to the dance. Somebody cool. Somebody else. Somebody who isn't me. Stunned, he struggled to keep his expression neutral. Worse, the whole table had fallen silent. Everyone except perhaps for Brett knew how he felt â truly felt â about Kira. They'd all watched him fall apart after the Fox Clan battle when he'd thought she was dead. All his hopes in her direction had just been dashed on the rocks, and he had no choice but to suck it up. Jon left his spoon in his bowl and reached for his cup of water with an unsteady hand.
"I've never hung out with Davy Thyssen, but I'm sure he's a great guy," he managed. "I guess whoever I take is going to be a surprise." I'll contract a sudden case of dengue fever, or maybe I can convince Fred's dad, the police chief, to lock me up for the night. Either way, I'm not going to the dance, no matter what.
"I love surprises," Brett said.
Someone must have kicked Brett under the table because she squeaked and fell silent.
As Jon twisted in the wind, Quixoran cleared his throat. "Might I have a word, Jon?"
A flood of gratitude washed over him. "Yes, sir."
His breakfast was only half-eaten, but he wasn't hungry anymore. Jon pushed back from the table and followed his grandfather into the tree house. As soon as they were alone, Quixoran laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
"No," Jon admitted. "Was it that obvious?"
"Perhaps only to me."
"I doubt if I fooled anyone." Jon slumped down on a stool, forlorn. "Have you ever cared about a girl who didn't feel the same way?"
"More
He exchanged a smile with Kira across the table and silently vowed to ask her out when they were alone, no matter what. Never having attended a homecoming dance, Jon wasn't sure if it was too early to line up a date. For all he knew, it was too late.
Max mentioned the apprentices had all gone to the movies the night before, to a new release called Immortal Soule . "It was pretty good if you like vampire flicks," he said. "I would've preferred an action movie."
"I haven't been to a movie in ages," Lora said. "It was so much fun."
"I understand we have you to thank for the new allowance, Jon," Linda said.
"Yeah, Dorsit sold a bunch of the gems you gathered and brought Master Quixoran the money," Mo said. "Thanks, Jon."
"You're welcome, but it was kind of a team effort between Max and me." Jon dropped his gaze to his oatmeal, feeling more and more left out as the morning wore on. He felt Kira's eyes on him.
"I wish you could have gone with us," she said. "It wasn't nearly as much fun without you."
His mood lifted. "I'm sorry I missed it. I volunteered to work on the homecoming dance decorations and I was painting last night."
"Ooh, tell us what you're doing," Brett said. "It's bound to be wonderful."
"The theme is tropical and the dress is luau." A grin sprang to Jon's lips. "I can't tell you more than that. You'll have to wait and be surprised like everyone else."
"This dance is going to be terrific," Brett gushed. "A lot of us will be there. Max and I are going together."
"Really? That's terrific," Jon said.
"When I heard about the homecoming dance, I talked Casey into taking me," Mo said with a wink. "Even though I graduated already."
"Fred got down on his knees and begged me to go," Ronny joked. "What could I do?"
The strained expression on Kira's face lanced Jon's heart. She feels bad that I haven't asked her yet! Max seemed to notice the same thing because he caught Jon's eye and gave him a hard stare.
"How about you, Jon?" he prompted. "You asked anyone yet?"
That's my opening.
"I was hoping to take Kira," he blurted out. "If she wants to go."
His invitation seemed to have the opposite effect from what he'd intended. If anything, Kira looked even more wretched.
"I'm sorry, Jon, but I've already asked Davy Thyssen to take me," she said.
Jon flinched. What? His heart thudded so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. Kira had already asked someone to the dance. Somebody cool. Somebody else. Somebody who isn't me. Stunned, he struggled to keep his expression neutral. Worse, the whole table had fallen silent. Everyone except perhaps for Brett knew how he felt â truly felt â about Kira. They'd all watched him fall apart after the Fox Clan battle when he'd thought she was dead. All his hopes in her direction had just been dashed on the rocks, and he had no choice but to suck it up. Jon left his spoon in his bowl and reached for his cup of water with an unsteady hand.
"I've never hung out with Davy Thyssen, but I'm sure he's a great guy," he managed. "I guess whoever I take is going to be a surprise." I'll contract a sudden case of dengue fever, or maybe I can convince Fred's dad, the police chief, to lock me up for the night. Either way, I'm not going to the dance, no matter what.
"I love surprises," Brett said.
Someone must have kicked Brett under the table because she squeaked and fell silent.
As Jon twisted in the wind, Quixoran cleared his throat. "Might I have a word, Jon?"
A flood of gratitude washed over him. "Yes, sir."
His breakfast was only half-eaten, but he wasn't hungry anymore. Jon pushed back from the table and followed his grandfather into the tree house. As soon as they were alone, Quixoran laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
"No," Jon admitted. "Was it that obvious?"
"Perhaps only to me."
"I doubt if I fooled anyone." Jon slumped down on a stool, forlorn. "Have you ever cared about a girl who didn't feel the same way?"
"More
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