Page 6

“Maybe he parked out back?” Peter offered, glancing around.

“Maybe he walked?” I speculated, unbuckling my seatbelt, the metal hitting the window beside me with a thud.

“Maybe…are you okay?”

No.

“I will be,” I said, stepping out of the car before he could hear the lie settle in my voice.

The familiar musty aroma of stale popcorn, plumes of body odour, and the chiming bings from the overused pinball machines tortured my senses as we entered the popular arcade. It was loud, crowded, and overwhelming, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Peter tightened his grip on my hand, threading his fingers through mine as he pulled me deeper into the chaos. We weaved past clusters of teenagers until he stopped short.

“Nic,” he said, exasperated.

Nicola was crouched beneath a broken Space Invaders machine, though her long blonde hair made her impossible to miss. “Oh, hi, baby.” Her voice floated out, muffled. Peter bent down, taking her hands and gently pulling her out. “They’ve already got me doing hard labour, Pete,” she teased, flashing him a cheeky grin. He smiled, cupping her cheek and wiping away a streak of grime with his thumb before leaning in to kiss her. I looked away, scanning every person who walked by, peering over tall groups of teenagers as I tangled my fingers in the bottom of my dress, trying to find my footballer.

“Don’t they know you’re too pretty to be doing that?” he murmured against her lips. I groaned quietly as they both laughed. I did love Nicola. She’d been with my brother since moving here from Ireland a year ago. She was twenty and like a big sister I never had. Maybe I should've called her for help getting ready before. The moment Peter helped her upright, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.

“Happy birthday, Evie!” she cheered, hugging me tight and lifting me clean off the ground. I giggled, my feet dangling for a second before she set me back down.

“Thank you. Have you seen him yet?” I asked, breathless.

“Not yet. But don’t worry, he’ll be here.” She smiled as she pointed toward a booth near the food court. “He booked that table right there.” I followed her finger, spotting the empty booth. I bit my lip to contain my excitement, but failed tremendously. Holy shit, this was real. I was finally going on a date with the boy I’ve always loved. If I was dreaming, please no one wake me up.

“Is the one next to it free?” Peter asked, craning his neck over the crowd.

Nicola shoved him lightly. “Don’t be a dick. Let them have this time to themselves,” she drawled. “Besides, weren't you going to help me move the really big boxes of cool drink in the back?” she added, giving him a pout. I laughed under my breath as Peter’s face softened.

“Of course, Nic. Just after Jackson arrives.”

“He’ll be here any minute, just go. I’ll be fine,” I assured him, but he didn't look convinced.

“If anything happens to you, Evie⁠—”

“Nothing will, I promise. I’ll stay seated the whole time. Just go.”

Peter sighed and looked back towards the booths. “Okay…but after, I’ll be sitting in the corner, watch⁠—”

“—ing us the whole time,” I finished for him. The spiel had never changed. “Yes, I remember when you said it the first four hundred times. Now go!” I laughed as Nicola began to tug him away.

“Have fun tonight, Evie,” she called over her shoulder.

“Love you!” Peter called as they disappeared into the crowd.

“Love you too,” I murmured with a soft smile.

By the time I sat down, my heart was already racing, and Jackson wasn’t even here yet, because in the centre of the table was a bouquet of pink hydrangeas—my favourite flowers. I inhaled the scent before pushing them to the side along with my crossbody bag, and tried to wait patiently, only I couldn’t keep still. My eyes kept flicking to the entrance, then to my reflection in the window beside me. I smoothed my dress, fixed my hair, then checked the door again. My leg bounced under the table as I waited for Jackson, but ten minutes passed, and he still wasn’t here. A knot of worry tightened in my chest. I tapped my fingers against the table and puffed out a breath loud enough for the couple across from me to glance over.

Where the hell was he?

“Are you Evie?”

I looked up as a girl in an arcade uniform stood at the end of the table, squinting at a small piece of paper in her hand.

“Yes, that’s me.” I straightened, instinctively smoothing the front of my yellow dress.

“I just got a call from a guy named Jackson who said…” She trailed off, checking the note. “He’s really sorry, but his mum’s in the hospital again, and he won’t be able to make it for another hour.” I opened my mouth before closing it as disappointment washed over me, but concern quickly overwrote the emotion as I processed her words

“Thank you for telling me,” I said, already pushing my chair back.