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Lizzie sits on the floor with her knees up to her chest and her arms around her legs.
‘Good thing I’m not wearing makeup at least’ she thinks as she cries with her face buried in between her knees.
‘Why,’ you may ask, ‘is she crying?’
She had just found out her date, who said he could not come, was in the science classroom kissing one of the more popular girls.
She wanted to leave but it was raining and her ride was making out with someone else.
She glances up at the couples dancing.
The pinket sees Joel coming towards her area.
Lizzie puts her head back down because, ‘why would one of the most popular music kids at school, the boy I've had a crush on since 7th grade even look my way?’ she thinks, ‘he is probably going over where his cousin Grian is talking to his boyfriend Scar. Why would he talk to me?’
“Can I have this dance, Lizzie?” a voice asks.
The voice sounds a lot like Joel.
‘It can't be him.’ her mind states, so she doesn’t move.
But curiosity killed the cat.
Lizzie betrays every instinct yelling not to move and looks up.
Her blue eyes meet brown ones, and green streak of hair in his bangs almost in them.
She can feel her face heat up as she blushes bright red, “Um…sure.” She says to the boy wearing a suit, standing over her.
The teen sticks out a hand to help her up.
Lizzie takes the hand and lets him pull her up off the ground, her coral blue dress swishes at her ankles.
He leads her out to the dance floor in the school’s gym.
The second they hit the dance floor, the music changes from an upbeat, fast paced, pop song to slow, steady, slow dance music.
The friends dancing in duos, trios, and small groups, or alone, leave the floor, and are replaced by couples.
Lizzie, expecting Joel to let her hand go and not dance, gets whisked farther onto the dance floor.
She looks up at his face, and he is just smiling at her.
It’s the same smile he wears when he is playing the drums for the little musical trio he is in with his cousin Grian, and Lizzie’s little brother Jimmy, ‘The Bad Boys’.
"C'mon, let's slow dance," he says. He places Lizzie's hands on his shoulder and his own on her hips, smiling.
The two of them start to slow dance and Lizzie is so happy.
She looks into Joel’s beautiful brown eyes as they dance and she smiles.
‘Maybe this night is not so bad after all.’
-♡-
Joel feels like the 6th wheel.
He had no date to the dance so he went with his band mates, ‘The Bad Boys’.
Grian saw Mumbo, one of his two boyfriends and left to go with him and then with him and Scar as the trio of boyfriends laughed and enjoyed themselves, dancing.
Jimmy stayed by Joel’s side for a bit longer, but his boyfriend, Scott came over and whisked him away to dance and he never returned.
Joel is alone.
He stands in his high school gym, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the crowd of thor teen dancing, laughing, and enjoying spending time with partners and friends.
He wonders if Jimmy’s older sister, Lizzie is here.
Gods, Joel wishes he had come to the dance with her (he had been too scared to ask her out sadly).
Joel’s eyes land on someone sitting on the floor up against the wall, crying he assumes.
What strikes him though is their long pastel pink hair.
The exact shade Joel sees when he is over Jimmy’s house and his sister is around.
Joel starts to make his way over and she looks up.
It is Lizzie.
Joel wonders why she is crying as he makes his way over towards her.
She puts her head back down as he gets closer.
He stops in front of her, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Can I have this dance, Lizzie?” He asks, but she doesn’t move.
After a few tortuous seconds she looks up at him.
Joel’s brown eyes meet her dazzling blue.
‘She’s beautiful.’ Joel thinks, his chest squeezed tight with want.
“Um…” Her face is flushed a delacet pink, “Sure.”
Joel puts his hand out and Lizzie takes it.
He pulls her up so she is standing with him.
Joel leads her towards the dance floor, a smile on his face.
As they step onto it the song changes into a slow dance song.
Joel smiles, “C'mon, let's slow dance," he says. He places Lizzie's hands on his shoulder and his own on her hips, smiling.
‘Maybe tonight I won’t be alone.’
-♡-
Joel pulls up to Lizzie’s house.
He puts the car into park.
“Well, here we are.” Joel says, he’s kinda a little disappointed that the night has to end already.
“Thank you for the dance and the ride home.” Lizzie says.
She plays with the silver cherry blossom resetting against her collar bone.
Joel members Jimmy dragged him and Grian to the store to help him pick out a birthday gift for Lizzie’s birthday. He remembers pointing out the same exact necklace to Jimmy and the younger boy’s face had lit up and he bought it for her.
The brunet wets his lips, taking a deep breath before asking, “Would it be too early to ask for a kiss?”
Something flickers in Lizzie’s eyes before she smiles.
“No, I don't think it’s too early.” She says, smiling.
She leans over the middle console, cupping Joel’s left cheek with her right hand.
She slowly pulls him closer before pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
When they separate Joel has a goofy smile on his face.
“It’s late, I should probably head inside.” Lizzie says.
Jole nods and she opens the passenger side door, stepping out into the grass between the sidewalk in front of her house and the road.
“Lizzie?” Joel asks.
“Yeah?” She responds.
“Could I pick you up for lunch tomorrow?”
“That sounds like fin.” lizzie says, “What time?”
“Elleven am good?”
“It’s perfect.” Lizzie says, “I’ll see you then.”
“See you then.” Joel echos, smiling as she closes the car door then heads inside the house.
Joel pulls away, heading home, a warm feeling in his chest and anticipation for his first date with Lizzie.