The Kissing Deadline (22 page)

“Huh. Does Mike know about this?”

Cassie ignored his question. “Where's your
girlfriend? I saw you with her downstairs.”

“Yeah.” Spencer poked his hands into her
jewelry box and dug around, disturbing everything. “And her
birthday's coming up too.” He lifted out a necklace before she
could protest. “So, you like all these? I'm prepared to make a good
offer for this one.”

Cassie snatched the necklace back, tucked it
into her jewelry box, and snapped the lid closed.

Spencer’s eyes glinted. “Dad doesn't have to
work late tonight. He and Mom may stop by the dance to help
chaperone.”

Cassie froze. They might even hear the rumor
going around about her.

“I haven't weighed in with my opinion. I
thought, maybe they'd like to spend a nice evening with me. Their
only son. But now, I don't know. Maybe the dance could be fun.”
With one hand behind his head and the other shaking out from his
rotating arm, Spencer demonstrated the lawn mower dance move while
singing a Black-Eyed Peas hit, “
Tonight’s gonna be a good night,
a good, good night.
”

Cassie opened the jewelry box and tossed him
her least favorite necklace as a bribe. “Here you go.”

Spencer caught it. “Thanks. Then again,
family game night could be fun too. Dad still owes me for our last
game of Texas Hold ‘em. We'll probably stay in.”

“You better.” Cassie turned toward the
door.

“When I was in the basement a couple of weeks
ago, I saw your poster.”

Cassie froze. Brooke started to speak, and
Cassie held up a palm to stop her, knowing better than to give the
game away. She faced Spencer. “What do you know?”

Spencer held out his hands. “Why do you think
I brought my friends by the kissing booth?”

Cassie winced at the memory.

“Y’all were talking about a jar, and Cassie’s
birthday is tomorrow. You're on step nine. You know, Cassie, if you
needed advice you should have just come to me,” Spencer said
seriously. “You went to Brook and Sierra--really? No offense
Brooke, but I’ve seen some of your choices.”

Brooke shrugged off the insult, and Spencer
faced her head on. “Let me make it clear right now. My sister’s not
doing number ten. Your plan ends now. I'm taking over.”

“Good night, Spencer.” Cassie said, and
headed out for the dance with her face on fire.

Purple sage bloomed on the bushes near the
entrance. The fragrance caught on the night air and welcomed them
as Cassie and Brooke walked up the pathway from the parking
lot.

Behind them, a station wagon drove up. The
doors sprang open and Lynn and Cheryl hopped out with their dates.
The unwashed and the untouched cleaned up pretty well. Even from
her spot on the sidewalk, Cassie could see that Lynn found a razor.
Good for her.

The hatchback sprang open wide, but it took
special maneuvering to get Antenna Guy's date free from the
hatchback given the logistics of her hoop skirt and his unyielding
attachment. The mom got out of the driver’s seat to assist
them.

Lizard Larry drove up beside the wagon. He’d
tricked out his ride with a lift kit and bull bar. He got out and
headed for the sidewalk.

Misjudging the height from the jacked up
truck bed, his date stumbled on the pavement. She threw her arms
against the truck for balance. Her hands barely missed the mud,
caked along its side. Larry hurried over to help her stabilize. She
shook out her super-shiny, sateen gown, and followed him in.

Cassie watched, facing the sobering
realization that at least they had dates.

* * *

The high school commons was filled with
romantic couples, balloons, and streamers. The decorations
resembled the carnival’s Tunnel of Love ride so closely that Cassie
knew someone on the decorating committee must have taken a trip
into the tunnel also. Someone who got a good look like she did, or
who took more than one ride. A raised dais overlooked the dance
floor and provided special seating for the Spring Fling court. All
the princes and princesses perched on gold-draped chairs. Amber and
Ryan sat side-by-side.

The vision caused a jolt to Cassie’s system
and a hollow feeling landed in the pit of her stomach. Why were
they sitting together?

Brooke shook her head at the court. “Just
like a guy. You do it on his bed. He doesn’t call. And he shows up
at the dance with another girl.”

Cassie groaned.
That sucked.

Brooke gave her a pitying stare. ““Come on.”
Brooke pulled her over to Sierra’s table.

Sierra’s dress glittered with silvery
crystals under the light and Mike matched in a dark charcoal suit.
Cassie slid in beside them and nervously smiled down the table.
Waves and grins greeted her.

This might not be so bad. Cassie relaxed
until a shiny pink ribbon dropped in front of her. Her stomach
knotted as she stared at the Typhoid Mary badge. She lifted her
gaze to Kristnaldo. He expected her to pin that ribbon to her new
dress. It was awful enough to wear her one flag.

She stared at the words a long moment then
lifted the badge with her fingertips. Turning, she threw it at the
side of Kristnaldo’s head. She missed her target, but Sierra and
Brooke still giggled and cheered as if she’d won Olympic gold.

Kristnaldo pinched his face up and slunk
off.

Coach Ameen stepped behind a lectern and made
a motion for quiet. The microphone made an electronic thumping
sound as he tapped it with his fingers. “Quiet down, people. I have
an announcement. It turns out:
no one had mono.
The first
case was a mistaken case of strep plus a bit of paranoia. That
means the STOP campaign is over.”

Cheers shouted out, and STOP flags flew
through the air like red confetti. Hands could once again be held
on campus. Cassie watched as students jumped on the chance to
demonstrate the previously forbidden clasp. Some fingers even
entwined.

Coach rolled his eyes at their enthusiasm and
waved a hand at the disc jockey. The music kicked back on and the
death of the STOP program birthed new enthusiastic dance moves.
Kristnaldo gyrated in his tight-fitted European-style suit. He
reached for Lynn, but she pulled away. She wasn’t the only one who
appeared less inclined to kiss him given his recent mono scare, but
he still gave a few lip brushes across some cheeks before he
dropped to the floor to worm around people’s feet.

The Spring Fling princes, sans Ryan, rocked
some rabid moves. Cassie’s favorite part was when Megan took off
her STOP flag and stuck it on Amber's face. “I’m finding a new
spotter. Our friendship is so over.”

Amber flicked the paper off and glared as
Megan jumped from the dais to dance with Trevor. When their dance
ended, they took seats at Cassie’s table.

Sierra, back in the game, tried to pour vodka
into Cassie's punch cup. Brooke smacked her hand. Cassie ate a
cinnamon mint and reached for the vodka.
Smack.
Brooke
refused to let her at the liquid solace even when midnight
loomed.

Coach said, “Time to announce your King and
Queen.”

“I'm going to go to the ladies’ room guys,
see you in a sec.” Cassie said, unable to stop herself from
escaping. She did not want to see Ryan and Amber dance. She
couldn’t have been in there for more than five minutes before the
door swung open.

Amber strolled in, clutching the hem of her
sequin-covered bronze dress. “Ryan stepped on my hem.” She dropped
her hold and turned to the mirror, retouching her lips with another
coat of dark orange lipstick.

“Hi,” Cassie said, and eased around her.

Amber swiveled. “You have something just…”
Without finishing her words, she lunged toward Cassie.

Arm extended, Amber drew a big, orange "x”
across Cassie's bodice with the lipstick. The dark color smelled
like oranges and adhered to the gown's delicate fabric. The shade
made a vivid contrast against Cassie’s white skin. “Uh…”

“That's for sleeping with my boyfriend while
we were working on our relationship. And for stealing my part. Go
home. This is more my dance than yours anyway.”

“I didn't. What?” Cassie looked down at her
top in shock.

“Whore.”

“I'm here alone. You're the one with
Ryan.”

Sierra entered the bathroom. “I thought I'd
primp too before last dance…” She stopped short then she said in a
voice simmering with fury, “All my plans…” Sierra launched herself
at Amber.

Amber pushed Sierra away, but Sierra would
not be quelled. She clung to Amber, snared her Spring Fling Queen
crown and tossed it to the linoleum. The metal clattered across the
floor, one of its combs catching in the drain. Amber got a few jabs
in with her lipstick before Sierra pried the tube free and smashed
it into the drain too. Kicking out, Amber landed on top of Sierra.
Amber reached for the smashed lipstick.

“You skank,” Sierra said.

“Germ-ridden whore.”

Cassie pulled Amber off Sierra and was shoved
backward for her efforts. The struggle broke the strap on Cassie’s
gown and pearls pinged as they bounced around the hard floor,
diving for the drain.

With a final growl of rage, Amber threw her
fist in the air in victory and ran for the door, leaving Cassie and
Sierra sprawled on the restroom floor, a broken tiara between
them.

“Germ-ridden?” Sierra said. “Who is she
kidding?”

Cassie rubbed at the orange lipstick-mark on
her bodice, and the smear grew larger. “At least Paige wasn’t in
here.” Cassie leaned on her elbow and peeped under the stall doors
to make sure.

“I'm so sorry. I'll take you home. I’ll text
Mike, and we can go out the back.”

Cassie rose up on her palm and swung back
around to Sierra. “Ugh! Did you know she and Ryan aren’t back
together?”

Sierra crawled over her to the mirror and
rubbed at her own lipstick-stained gown. Her stains were in the
form of polka-dots. “No. Oh, who can tell? They weren’t arguing, so
I didn’t think they were back together. He was sitting by her on
the platform, but Mike says they’re not together.”

Wrapping her arms around her knees, Cassie’s
gaze fell to the second hand of her watch. “I turned sweet sixteen
sitting on the tile floor of a bathroom. I give up.” Cassie rose,
washed her hands, and pushed open the door. She headed straight to
her locker. Sierra trailed after her. Cassie dialed her combination
and took out the
Sweet 16 & Never Been Kissed
t-shirt
.
She pulled the soft cotton t-shirt over her
gown.

Sierra grabbed the jar of cherries and stared
down at them. “You don’t have to. Um, well, Brooke set, uh, your
watch, the time, uh…’

“It’s okay, just say
‘Happy Birthday’
then let’s go have fun.”

Sierra gave her a hug. “Happy Birthday,
Cassie.”

* * *

When they returned to the dance, Cassie
spotted Ryan right away. He sat on top of a table, spinning his
Spring Fling King crown around one hand with his feet balanced on
the chair. When he spotted Cassie, he grabbed the hem of her shirt.
He used it to tug her free of Sierra and reel her in. Cassie smiled
up at him, not really noticing when Sierra left. When she was
within a foot of him, Ryan extended the t-shirt between his hands.
He raised his eyebrows. “Sweet sixteen and never been kissed?
Birthday gag?” He slid his fingers into her hair, drew her close,
and kissed her.

Magic. Sparks. Falling. Tingles shimmered
through her skin. Her eyelids lowered and her world narrowed to the
brush of his lips. The music and noise of partygoers all faded into
nonexistence.

His mouth lifted, releasing her from the
moment. Ryan’s dark green eyes brightened and his cheekbones
flushed. “Man, I was just ruining the saying on your shirt, but…”
Ryan shook his head, drew her between his knees and kissed her
deeper.

Her arms wound around his neck. His wrapped
around her waist and he tugged her up onto the table next to
him.

The music dimmed and Coach Ameen’s voice
boomed from through a microphone. “Okay, Dragons, it’s midnight.
Last dance. Party over. You know the drill. You don't have to go
home, but you can't stay here.”

Midnight was the only word in the world that
could draw her attention from Ryan.

Cassie pulled her head back and sucked in a
breath. She looked at Coach on the platform then turned to Ryan.
“Midnight?”

Ryan glanced down at his cell phone. “Nah,
we've still got five minutes. He's just rushing things to kick us
out.” His hand touched her cheek.

“
I'm not sixteen for five more
minutes!”

“Okay, birthday girl, how do you want to
spend them?” He drew her closer.

Cassie smiled, then her cheeks heated. “Um,
about that thing, going around on the phones…”

Ryan raised his eyebrows.

“You know I was talking about…”Cassie broke
off and made the Trust Fall motion.

Ryan quirked one side of his mouth in a
wicked smile. “I know you think I’m wonderful.”

“You weren’t the first time.”

The green light in his eyes teased her. “Yep,
and now all the girls from school know. Thanks for that, Cass.”

She giggled.

“I was going to go home tonight, and see you
tomorrow,” Ryan said. “You know, give the rumors and the drama a
day to go away. But it’s been killing me all night, and then when
you walked in with Sierra, wearing that smile, I…”

* * *

Up at the platform, Sierra shoved a jar at
the teacher.

“Oh, yeah, the charity auction. “Coach Ameen
selected a name from the charity jar. “The winner is Cassie. Cassie
Jones, come up here.”

“Yes! I did it!” Sierra shouted to
Brooke.

Brooke pointed to Cassie’s t-shirt. “I did it
with step one. We just used the wrong shirt the first time.”