Page 46 of Old Acquaintances

“I don’t remember a note.”

He frowned. “Do I take this turn right here?”

I looked at where he was pointing. “Yeah. It’s right on the left.” I twisted my body to face him. “What did the note say?”

“Something nice from your handsome friend, blah, blah…”

I cocked my head. “You’remy handsome friend?”

“Whoa. Calm down.” He leaned toward the window. “You don’t need to be blatantly obsessed with me.” His lip curled in a smirk, and he threw a wink my way.

I stared at him. “If the flowers came with a note, and if I read the note, then I would know you were there?”

He nodded, slowly.

There’s one clear, oft-repeated phrase that would have signaled Tucker’s presence. Him coming to the show, buying me flowers, was unpredictable. Telling me he loved me in a handwritten note? Predictable.

“Okay.” I relaxed back into the seat. “You can drop me off here.” I slid my feet into sandals and tossed my bag over my shoulder. Tucker slowed down in front of the building, and I hopped out of the truck. I ran to the door, waving back and calling out, “Thanks for the ride!”

Luckily, class didn’t start on time. I snatched my ballet shoes and left my bag in the hallway, running into the studio just as the portable ballet barres were being carried out. I rushed in and stood next to Macy, who snorted a laugh and lifted her chin to check the time.

“By the skin of your teeth,” she teased.

I tied my skirt around my waist. “The moms are watching, huh?”

The auditions were for anyone twelve and up, so junior and senior companies were crammed together in one room when we typically took class in separate spaces. A dozen mothers rested their elbows on the windowsills of the square glass panes that lined the back wall. They were pointing and talking to each other, mouthing things to their young dancers.

I rolled my ankles and stretched out my calves.

“Who isthat?” Heaven asked.

I looked to a window, finding Tucker standing behind it, flashing me a smile.

Easily, Macy answered, “That’s Ella’s boyfriend.”

Tucker winked and I felt the response on my tongue.No, he’s not my boyfriend, he’s not even my friend, really, he just drove me here, I don’t know why he’s lurking in the back.

Macy was a junior, we went to school together, she knew who Elijah Tucker was. If she thought he was my boyfriend, who else could have made that assumption? I racked my brain for an interaction that would cause this misunderstanding.

I barely twisted my ankle the year before and was terrified to make it worse, so Tucker carried me to my classes for a week.He yelled down the hallway that he loved me. We stood side by side in the parking lot with our friends before and after school. He left me gifts. He called me beautiful.

Music started to play from the speakers. I waved to our director, Ms. Barb, and gestured that I needed a minute. She nodded and I snuck out of the room while she began explaining the plié combination.

I met Tucker in the hallway.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

He said, “I figured I’d wait for you.”

“It’s going to be a few hours. I’ll just get a ride home with Macy.”

“It’s fine.”

“Really Tucker, she can take me home, you don’t have to waste your time.”

He never wavered. “It’s fine, I’ll wait.”

I assessed his crossed arms and relaxed stance. I wondered if my dad told him to stay with me. I said, “Okay. You can sit in the lobby. The wi-fi password is on the desk.”

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