Present Perfect(27)

I scanned the crowd looking for Noah and Beth. Neither one of them knew I was going to be there tonight. I wasn’t sure I wanted them to see me. A ton of people were already here, so getting lost in the crowd would be easy. I just wanted a quick look at the two of them, anyway.

Vincent and I took a spot up against the wall behind a crowd of girls and boys who were too scared to ask each other to dance. My gaze went from the entrance to scanning the crowd and back again.

“Do you want to dance?” Vincent asked nervously.

“Do you want to dance?”

“Well, we are at a dance.”

“Vinnie, let’s not let the rules of society dictate our actions. I thought you were an independent thinker, man. That’s the main reason I asked you to come tonight.” He simply shrugged and leaned back against the wall.





I had been standing and scanning for at least 40 minutes and still no sign of Noah and Beth.

“I’m going to get some punch. Do you want any?” Vincent sounded blasé.

“What? Oh, no thanks. I’m good.”

As Vincent walked away, he passed in front of me, blocking my view for a split second. When he moved I saw them. Noah and Beth had just walked in. I don’t know if it was the altitude of the heels I was wearing, but when I saw Noah, my knees became weak and I got dizzy. I had to lean against the wall so I wouldn’t fall.

Noah looked amazing. While most of the guys wore either a sport coat and khaki pants or just pants and a button down shirt, he had on a suit. It was black and paired with a light grey shirt and darker grey tie. Even in the dim light, his light blue eyes looked even brighter against the monochromatic colors of his suit. With the combination of those eyes, that dark brown hair, and dark suit, he exuded a smoldering sexiness.

As he and Beth walked further in, they were greeted by a few other couples. The girls ended up huddled together and the guys stood off to the side. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Noah. I was so focused on him that I was startled when Vincent walked up.

“Amanda…um…Sarah Grice just asked me to dance. I told her I needed to check with you first.”

“Are you dumping me half way through our date?” I’m not going to lie, but I was a bit surprised at Vincent.

“No. I wouldn’t do that. Listen, I know why you asked me to the dance. I heard you and Beth talking the other day at lunch.” I felt bad that I was kind of using him. “It’s okay. I’m glad I came with you instead of a real girl.” My eyebrows furrowed as I huffed at him. “You know what I mean. Besides, everyone at school knows how you and Noah are.”

“How are we?”

“I don’t know. You guys seem like you’re something.”

“We’re best friends. We grew up together. That’s it.”

He began fidgeting with the bottom of his jacket. “Look, this conversation is making me uncomfortable. I don’t want Sarah to ask another guy to dance, so is it okay if I go now?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks Amanda. You’re a real pal.” He patted my shoulder, turned, and disappeared into the crowd.

I directed my attention back to Noah and Beth, who were still in the same position, standing away from each other. Things were good. I was hidden and Beth and Noah were not dancing. The night was running pretty smooth and then I heard her.

“Hello Amanda. What on earth are you doing here?”

“Hello Brittani. It’s a school function. I can’t attend a school function?”

“You know you were supposed to bring a date.”

“I brought a date.”

“Who?” she snapped.

“Vincent Chamberlin.”

She craned her neck over the crowd. “Yeah, where is he?”

I hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “He’s dancing with Sarah Grice right now.”

“Oh my god! You’re pathetic! You can’t even keep a nerd like him interested.” I narrowed my eyes at her.

Out the corner of my eye I saw her remove something from her purse and palmed it so I couldn’t see what it was. She raised her hand to her mouth and tilted her head back. She was drinking from a flask.

“You want some?” She held it up offering me a swig.

“You are just a walking afterschool special, aren’t you?” I shook my head at her. “You better watch out. If you get caught, you’ll be expelled.”

She followed my gaze over to where Noah was standing. “He’s perfect. You’re never going to have him.” I didn’t respond. I hoped she would just slither away. “I feel a little sorry for you. You’ll never know what it feels like to be pressed up against him, to have his lips and hands all over your body. He especially likes these.” She pointed to her massive chest region. “He can’t seem to keep his hands off of them and my ass mesmerizes…”

“Is there a point to you?” I abruptly asked.

“You think you’re better than me, don’t you?”

“I don’t think I’m better.”

“I can see why Noah said he would never hook up with you. He thinks you’re a stuck up bitch. In fact, he told me and Beth, he’s been trying to ditch you since the beginning of our freshman year. He just didn’t know how to get rid of you. He didn’t want to hurt your feelings, I guess. Now that you know, why don’t you leave him alone? He and Beth look great together. They’re perfect.”