When we’re outside his car and standing in the school parking lot, he wraps his arms around me. “I had a good time today.”
“Me, too. Thanks for the slushies. I’ll pay you back.”
He waves his hand. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Think of it as payment for the new song.”
I don’t like that, but I know he won’t let me pay him back. So I have no choice but to accept it and wish him a good night.
He wishes me the same and we separate to our dorms.
***
The music room is in chaos. My friends, their boyfriends, and the band are all here getting ready to shoot the music video. Carly and Ryder have choreographed a spectacular dance routine. Addie and Caleb will be dancers as well. Damian and Sophie will have different roles in the video, and the guys are taking care of the music. Damian will also be manning the cameras to make sure every angle is perfect.
I’m a little nervous, but the important thing is that we’re going to have fun. Even if the music video doesn’t turn out perfect, I hope Mr. Lewis will appreciate our effort.
I stand in the center of the room. “Guys? Guys!” The place is so noisy, but they stop and turn to me. I direct everyone to where they need to go. And then it’s time to begin.
Kylen sings in his terrible British accent, and I can’t handle it, I burst out laughing. We need to shoot a few takes before I calm down and sing properly.
I’m a little sad when it’s over because I was having a very good time.
Kylen and I will go over the footage, probably next week because our ski trip is this weekend and we need to focus on that.
After we thank our friends for coming and being part of this, all of us clean up and leave the music room.
My friends and their boyfriends wander away to spend time together, while Beck, Jasper, and Leo head for the rec room. Kylen and I tell them we’ll join them soon.
Kylen pulls at his Romeo costume. “I think I was born in the wrong time period. I make a good Romeo, don’t I?”
“The best. And I make a good Juliet. But no way in heck am I living in that time period. There are no phones or plumbing.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, and women weren’t allowed to perform. I can’t imagine you not being my Juliet.”
I don’t exactly know what he means by that, but my cheeks feel as hot as a desert under the beating sun.
He smiles, holding his arm out as he bows his head. “May I escort you to the rec room, m’lady? Or do you want to change out of your costume?”
I laugh. “I think I want to be Juliet for a bit longer.”
“Same with me and Romeo. And I don’t want to part from my Juliet yet. It’s such sweet sorrow.”
“Dork,” I tease. He has no idea just how much I love his dorkiness. Or maybe he does because he smiles widely.
“Off to participate in the activity known as entertainment,” he says. “Also known as the rec room.” He holds out his hand. “May I escort the fair maiden?”
I place my hand in his. “You may.”
It feels so natural to hold his hand, like our hands were made to hold each other’s. I don’t want to let go, not even when we make it to the game room and meet up with the guys. It seems like Kylen doesn’t want to let go either because he keeps his hold on my hand until he’s forced to drop it in order to play. As soon as he does that, I get cold.
Kylen and I team up against Leo and Jasper. Beck decides to sit this game out because he has an economics quiz to study for. He doesn’t go to his room, though. He sits on the couch and pretends to be studying when he’s really watching me and Kylen smoke Leo and Jasper.
Kylen cheers, pulling me into his arms. “No one holds a candle to my Juliet.”
“Just kiss already!” Beck calls from the couch, eyes on his textbook.
Kylen freezes before backing away from me and giving me a sheepish smile.
“You know, Romeo and Juliet don’t kiss during the balcony scene,” I tell Beck.
