Page 27 of The ABCs of You & Me

“I’m going to see her on Thursday with Ca… Wait.” She holds up a finger and turns her attention to her phone. “You?” she asks, turning slowly toward me.

“Apparently.” I shrug. “Cass texted me this morning saying she couldn’t make the concert and begged me to take her place.”

She’s staring at me in disbelief, and I focus on the drive instead of on her expression.

“You don’t have to go with me, ya know. I am sure I can find someone who’d take the ticket. In fact, I know a few people at the board who would probably fight for it.”

“You’d rather go with someone you barely know over me?” I pout.

“I barely knowyou.” She puts emphasis on the “you” to really stick it.

“Ouch!” I lay my hand on my chest. “And here I thought we were going steady.”

“You know what I mean.” I can actually hear her eyes roll.

“I haven’t changed much since the days you spent half your time in my house.”

“That guy cursed and couldn’t stand kids,” she counters.

“That guy turned into this guy,” I say, pressing my finger into my chest. “A guy who curses creatively and enjoys working with kids. But otherwise, he’s still the same guy.”

“Well, you better not complain or make fun of how into the music I’m going to get.”

“Sunshine, I am looking forward to how into the music you’re going to get.” I flash my flirtiest grin and watch as her cheeks pink.

By the time we pull up in front of Dan’s house, I think I’ve got one verse of a Nyx song down. I’m not going to throw myself on the altar of Nyx Avalon yet, but I’m starting to see the appeal. Watching Sophie bop to the beat out of the corner of my eye may have been the most appealing part.

There’s a sign on the door that tells us to walk in.

“So it begins.” I take Sophie’s hand, open the door, and we are immediately hit with the smell of latex as we walk into a wall of yellow balloons. It’s not only a wall, though—the balloons continue in every direction and I’m immediately disoriented.

“Which way?” Sophie asks from beside me, and when I look down at her, her hair is standing in all directions from the static the balloons are causing. The yellow is reflecting off her hair, and she has never looked more like sunshine than at this moment. “Foster.” She gives my hand a tug, and I blink out of my stupor.

“I have no idea.” I chuckle.

“Marco?” Sophie yells, catching me completely off guard.

Moments later, a disembodied voice comes from somewhere to our left. “Polo!”

Sophie pulls me in the direction the response came from and calls out “Marco?” again. After a few steps, my shin connects with something hard and stationary.

“Figgy pudding!” I curse, reaching down to rub my leg.

“You okay?” Sophie’s other hand wraps around my forearm, her eyes full of concern.

“I’ll live.” I wince, the pain dissipating immediately when I see how the balloons cast a brilliant yellow across her face. Sunshine.

We eventually make it through the cloud of balloons and are greeted by Dan and his wife Maria who each hand us a drink in greeting. “Happy April Fools’!” they say in unison.

“Um, Happy April Fools’,” Sophie says back with some uncertainty.

“You need to move whatever is in there. I smoked my shin off it,” I inform them, pointing behind us.

“You shouldn’t do that, it’ll hurt.” Dan grins at me before sticking his hand out to Sophie. “Welcome, I’m Dan. This is my wife Maria.”

“Hi! I’m Sophie, but you probably already knew that. Thanks for having me,” Sophie says, shaking both of their hands and then looking down into the glass she’s holding.

I ask the question I know she’s wondering. “So what’s this year’s drink?”

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