Chapter Eight
“Are you having an okay time?” Clark asked as the music overhead changed to a slower song. He wrapped his hands around the woman’s waist, so tiny, and he smiled as the girl nodded. “You remind me so much of her,” he said. When the girl lifted her head to meet his eyes, Clark blushed. “Heaven…your cousin. You remind me so much of her that I’m dying to see your face. Will you please let me see what you look like?”
The girl nodded.
“R-really?” Clark said, bending over a bit to get closer to her. “Please, I want to see what you look like.” He released her waist so she could have room. Slowly, the girl started to remove her mask, pushing it over her head and Clark’s face lit up. “H-Heaven,” he said thickly. “It’s you. You’re the cousin?”
“I was pretending to be,” she said, smiling. “I wanted to see how you would act this evening, to see if you’ve really changed.”
“And…did I pass the test?”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. “You did well,” she giggled, planting her lips on his. Clark tasted the cotton candy flavored gloss on her lips and savored the taste. How he missed this! He missed her so much! Despite everyone turning to look at the scene, he pulled her closer to him, their chests pressing against each other. When the two finally came up for air, Clark’s eyes were shining.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for what I did. I should have never believed Jason. Will you forgive me?”
“You have a lot to prove,” Heaven said. “But I think I’m willing to give you a second chance.” She hugged him back. “But you only get one second chance.”
“I won’t mess it up,” Clark said. “And thank you.”
As the two started to dance again, the music was cut off and Principal Francis appeared on the stage. “I am sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I need everyone to be silent while I make a brief announcement.”
“What’s going on?” Heaven asked, tilting her head to look at the stage. “Is…is that Bennett?”
“It appears I’m not going to be the only one asking for a second chance,” Clark said.
Stepping on stage, Bennett slowly took off his mask and walked to the center to stand next to the principal. “Uh…thank you Mr. Francis,” he said awkwardly, taking the microphone. “Beatriz?” he asked, scanning the audience. “Are you out there?”
Clark and Heaven looked around, immediately spotting Beatriz as she took off her mask and stepped towards the front of the gym.
“I’m here,” she said, looking up at him. “What the hell are you doing up there?”
“Do you still love me?” he asked.
Bea’s face reddened with the question and a rush of whispers went around the audience. “I guess I do.”
“Clark and Donnie think that you love me,” he said, looking at his friends. They both looked like deer caught in headlights. “They’ve been trying for weeks to convince me that you loved me.”
“Well…do you love me?” Beatriz challenged.
“Honestly, I still do.”
“I heard Meagan and Sola and Heaven saying the same thing. They were trying to trick me into thinking you still loved me.”
“They said you were sick with love for me,” Bennett said.
“They said the same thing about you for me.”
“So, you don’t actually love me?” Bennett asked.
“I…I don’t know,” Beatriz said.
“She loves him!” Clark shouted from the dance floor. “And he loves her! That’s just the way it is! They can’t help loving each other any more than they can help loving to argue with each other.”
Heaven smiled, her man had never had such a way with words. “It’s true,” she said. “She’s written an email—”
“Dammit, Heaven!”
“She loves him.”
“Oh thank God,” Bennett said, pretending to wipe his brow. Handing the microphone back to the Principal, he leapt down from the stage and took Beatriz in his arms. “Take me back,” he said huskily as a silence fell throughout the gym. “Take me back, even if it’s out of pity.”
“I think that it will be out of pity,” she said. “You know you were dying without me.”
“And you without me,” Bennett chuckled, pulling her closer. “Kiss me.”
“Not in front of everyone—”
“Just stop talking,” Bennett said, not wasting another moment and pulling her face to his. The gym broke out into loud applause as they kissed. Beatriz pulled away, smiling and flushed.
“You’re a moron,” she muttered. “We’re making a scene.”
“You know I don’t care,” he said, kissing her again.
“So,” Donnie said, walking up to the two of them. “It’s good to see that things have finally worked out.”
“They have,” Bennett said. “It took two years and a thousand times that number of arguments for me to realize that. Not a person in the world could spoil how I feel right now. And Clark,” he continued as his friend and Heaven approached them, “you should be thankful things worked out.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because I was thoroughly looking forward to kicking your ass.”
“He could have, too,” Beatriz snickered, feeling Bennett’s strong arms twitch as he held her.
“It might have been close,” Clark said.
“Doubt it,” Bennett said. “I’ll let you go, but only because it’s a dance and I don’t want to make a mess of my suit. I have to give this back to my dad at the end of the night.”
“Can’t have that,” Donnie said, “though Bea, I was kind of hoping you would say no to Bennett.”
“Way to ruin the mood, Donnie,” Heaven said over the music.
He shrugged. “All I’m saying is that if Bea ever wants a man on the side, I’m available.”
“There’ll be no need,” Beatriz said, snuggling into Bennett’s strong embrace. “But thanks, Donnie. You’ve always been too good for me.”
“I’ll remember that when Bennett decides to go emo again,” Donnie said, laughing.
“You really need to get your own girlfriend,” Bennett said to Donnie. “She’s taken now.”
“But for how long?”
“As long as she’ll have me,” Bennett said, sweeping Bea away from them. “Can we please go home?” he whispered to Bea as they left the gym. “All these people are giving me a rash.”
Beatriz burst out laughing. “I love it! Me too, let’s go.”
“Those two really are perfect for each other,” Donnie said, shaking his head. “I guess I can’t compete.”
“There’s someone out there for you,” Heaven said.
“Perhaps I can give you guys some information that will interest you,” a new voice chimed in. The small group turned to see Bryan approaching them.
“What is it?” Donnie asked. “I need some positive news.”
“Your half-brother Jason had to end his vacation a little early,” Bryan explained. “He’ll be back in town tomorrow.”
“Great,” Clark said, “we can finally give him what he deserves—”
“You know what?” Donnie said. “Leave him, I don’t care anymore. I don’t plan on ever talking to him again”
“So my news didn’t help?” Bryan said.
“It did, but I think asking her to dance will help even more,” Donnie said, eyeing up a curvy brunette in the corner.
“Go for it,” Clark called, shoving him towards her. “She’s looking at you.”
“I think I’ll do just that,” Donnie said, moving through the crowd. “Enjoy your night, you two. And that goes for everyone else.”
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Also by C.E. Wilson
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The Promise
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