“We’ll start on the beginner level.” Caitlin winked, setting loose the butterflies that apparently lived rent-free inside Gemma’s stomach.
Caitlin turned on the video game, and the television screen flashed with the greenDance Dance Revolutionlogo.
In the first round, Gemma did her best to keep up with Caitlin, royally failing. Caitlin continued to beat her song after song until Gemma’s competitive side was screaming with frustration. Determined, Gemma found her rhythm and finally beat Caitlin, whooping in triumph.
The way Caitlin looked at her, shy but proud, made Gemma feel like maybe Caitlin had let her win. She didn’t care, though.Just being here, laughing with her—this was the most fun that Gemma could remember having since she had left Detroit.
“Rematch!” Caitlin shouted, her long auburn hair flying as she spun toward Gemma. “You’re getting better at this.”
Gemma smiled, faltering when she saw the wicked, up-to-no-good grin on Caitlin’s face. She turned toward the screen and watched as Caitlin picked an intermediate-level song.
Intermediate? How hard could it be?
With her game face on, Gemma was locked in, ready for battle.
Techno beats filled the basement as Gemma’s heart began to race. She tried to convince herself it was because of the song, not the beautiful girl dancing next to her. Left, left, right, down, up, the arrow lit up to the tempo of the song, Gemma hitting each step like a pro. In the zone, she was caught off guard by a hand on her shoulder, playfully shoving her to throw off her groove.
Gemma scrambled to get back on the beat and was about to secure another victory when Caitlin jumped onto Gemma’s mat, stepping on every wrong arrow and pushing Gemma off the dance pad altogether. Gemma could barely breathe, laughing hard at Caitlin’s attempt to sabotage the game. Gemma took back control of her mat, matching her steps to the bass’s looping rhythm.
As she jumped onto her right foot, Caitlin threw her hip into Gemma, sending her tumbling onto the floor. Throwing herself off balance with the move, Caitlin landed beside Gemma. The game was forgotten as they fell into a fit of laughter together.
“You were just mad I was about to beat you again,” Gemma teased. “Couldn’t let me take theDDRtrophy, could you?”
“You wish,” Caitlin retorted.
Gemma felt the plush wool carpet against her back as she tried to get her giggling under control. Caitlin, lying a few inches away, rolled onto her side and began tickling under Gemma’sarmpits and across the back of her neck, stopping Gemma from razzing Caitlin further. She yelped and thrashed her body, attempting to get away, but her frantic movements only tangled their limbs further as they tumbled across the floor together.
Their laughter stopped abruptly when Caitlin flipped on top of Gemma, pinning her arms to the floor. The tickle fight was suddenly over, but Caitlin didn’t move. Her body still pressed close, their chests heaving between them. Their faces hovered inches apart, and Gemma found herself drowning in the ocean-blue of Caitlin’s eyes. The air between them pulsed with an electric vibration until Caitlin blinked, shook her head, and gently removed herself from Gemma.
“Sorry. Are you okay?” Caitlin reached out to help Gemma stand.
Gemma felt the loss of Caitlin’s body as the volts of electricity continued to course through her veins. Sliding her palm into Caitlin’s, Gemma gripped her hand and jumped up to her feet. Their eyes locked as she stood, neither letting go of the other’s hand. If tension were flammable, their gaze would’ve sparked a blaze intense enough to bring down the entire house.
The mixed signals were making Gemma’s head spin. There were the flirty texts, alone time, and lingering looks, but all had been followed by a quick retreat. Was Gemma overthinking this? Maybe this was how Caitlin acted with all of her friends.
“It’s totally fine, I’m good.” Gemma took a step back, needing to put some physical distance between them. “I should probably head home. I’m sure my mom will have dinner ready soon.”
Gemma could have sworn that she saw Caitlin’s shoulders drop at the mention of her leaving, but it was for the best. Gemma needed to remove herself from this situation before she crossed a line that she wouldn’t be able to un-cross.
When she hugged Caitlin goodbye in the doorway, it feltforced and awkward. Without looking back, Gemma hopped onto her bike and headed toward her house.
Home just in time for her mom’s famous lasagna, Gemma sat down at the square dining table. She updated her parents on the latest news at school, soccer, and the new friends she had made, making an intentional effort not to linger on Caitlin’s name. They were thrilled that she seemed to be doing better after the initial sadness of the move. Gemma felt grateful to have parents who genuinely cared so much.
After Gemma had helped clear the dishes, she checked her phone, disappointed to find that she didn’t have any new texts. Dancing with Caitlin had been a blast, but things had been left feeling weird between them. Deciding to be the first one to make a move, Gemma reached out, hoping to dispel the awkwardness from earlier.
Gemma:I had fun today! Let's do it again soon. Unless you're too scared that I'll keep kicking your ass ;)
Caitlin:Me too :) You wish! Rematch anytime!
Relief poured over Gemma. Thank God Caitlin hadn’t been able to read her thoughts earlier while lying on the floor together, their bodies connected at every point.
Gemma lay in bed that night with a smile on her face, thinking about the way Caitlin looked when she laughed. Their friendship wasn’t ruined by the tension they had felt, but if Gemma didn’t stop these feelings for Caitlin from developing, she was going to be in deep trouble.
TEN
CAITLINARRIVED TO SET THATmorning to find her trailer had been parked right next to Gemma’s. It made sense, of course, but for some reason, it had still caught her off guard. They desperately needed to talk, even if Gemma kept shutting her down. Caitlin wasn’t going to give up. After their last interaction at the table read, she knew that at the minimum, Gemma would at least be friendly to her at work.
Caitlin knocked on her neighbor’s door and waited until she got permission to enter. When a voice sounded from the other side, Caitlin turned the handle and walked up the steps.
