Dancing on the Palm

"Tiger! Alvin! Let’s eat!"

Jessica’s voice echoed across the courtyard, instantly shattering the peace.

I let out a slow sigh, watching her march toward our spot under the oak tree. My two weeks of detention had finally ended. I had my afternoons back. The natural order of my life was supposed to be restored. Instead, my quiet sanctuary had been invaded by a hurricane of ginger hair and loud opinions.

"Dude, you have a pet name now?" Alvin whispered, adjusting his glasses.

"Ugh. Don't ask," I muttered, opening my bento box.

"Al! How many lunches did you bring today?" she asked, dropping her backpack onto the grass and sitting right next to me.

"The usual, Jess. My mom made extra for you, don’t worry."

"Yesssss! Tell Angela she is a lifesaver! I’m going to bake her a cheesecake this weekend."

I looked at her sideways, my face completely deadpan. "Are you sure you can bake without burning your kitchen down, Cheeto?"

"Shut up! If you keep being mean, I won't give you a slice!" she fired back, shoving my shoulder.

I just smirked and took a bite of my rice.

Things had changed. Our isolated little corner of the school was suddenly a social hub. Because Jessica refused to leave us alone, her orbit of friends started dragging over to our tree, too. Amy, Nicole, Reggie, and Faye.

I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. But as I sat there quietly observing the group, I noticed something. Faye, a quiet girl with dark hair, kept finding excuses to sit next to Alvin. She laughed at his terrible jokes. She touched his arm when she spoke.

It was painfully obvious. Faye was into him. But Alvin, being the massive, insecure nerd that he was, was completely blind to it.

I decided I needed to stage an intervention before his idiocy cost him a perfectly good girlfriend.

**

"Al, you know Faye is interested in you, right?" I didn't take my eyes off the TV screen, my thumbs flying across the controller.

Alvin paused his game. "You think so? Why would she be interested in me?"

"I don't know," I said smoothly. "Maybe because you look ugly and dumb, and she pities you."

"Fuck you, dude! I’m being serious."

I laughed, pausing my game as well. "I am too. First of all, she’s constantly invading your personal space. Second, she’s the only girl in the state of Illinois who actually laughs at your pathetic jokes."

Alvin scoffed, crossing his arms. "By that exact logic, Jessica is interested in you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"She’s always touching your arm. She laughs at your dry-ass jokes. Hell, she literally gave you a pet name, Daeron."

I let out a quiet, dismissive snort. The idea was ridiculous. "Jessica is tactile with everyone, man. And my jokes are objectively funny. The pet name is just retaliation because I refuse to stop calling her Cheeto."

"So, what, I should just start calling Jess 'Cheeto' too? Think she’ll give me a pet name?"

My brain stalled. The tone of his voice had shifted. It wasn't defensive banter anymore.

"Hold up." I dropped my gamepad onto the floor. I turned to look at him, my stoic expression breaking into genuine shock. "Don’t tell me you actually like Jessica."

Alvin looked away, staring at his carpet. "...."

"Come on, dude. Do you?"

"....Yeah."

"Holy shit." I ran a hand through my hair. "Since when?"

"You remember that girl I told you I had a crush on back in middle school?"

"No fucking way. That was Jessica? Why didn't you ever tell me, man?" I leaned over and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"First of all, she’s popular," Alvin said quietly, the heavy insecurity returning to his voice. "And second... I honestly think she likes you, Daeron."

"Bah. Nonsense." I waved my hand, erasing the theory entirely from the room. "That girl only hangs around me because she likes to argue. She pushes my buttons for fun. You push my buttons for fun, too, dude! That doesn't mean you're romantically in love with me, right?"

"Fuck you! I prefer pussy over your dick, asshole!" Alvin barked out a laugh, the tension breaking.

"Then grow some balls and go get the girl!" I grinned. "Seriously, man. If you like her, I’ll be your wingman."

"How are you going to be my wingman? You've never even dated anyone!"

"I’m dating Angela Peter," I said with a completely straight face.

"DUDE!" Alvin kicked me square in the chest. "That’s my mom!"

I caught my breath, laughing hard. "Alright, alright. I'm serious, though. You just need confidence. Stop acting like a passive victim. Show her your actual charm. And starting today, you are joining my workouts once a week. We need to put some muscle on your scrawny ass so you don't look so pathetic. Deal?"

Alvin looked at me, weighing the offer. "Deal. But you have to do something for me, too."

"Name it."

"Stop calling her 'Cheeto'. Stop using pet names, and stop getting into those touchy-feely banter fights with her. If you back off and give her some space, I think it will help my chances."

It was a completely logical request. If I was taking up all her attention, Alvin couldn't shine.

"DEAL." I grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. It was an easy sacrifice to make for my brother. "Now get up. We're going to the gym. You need to train."

"..... Can we start next week?"

"No! Today! Move your ass, cadet!"

**

For five weeks, I stuck to the plan.

I dragged Alvin to the gym three days a week. His scrawny frame was slowly putting on muscle, but his confidence was still stuck at zero. When it came to romance, he was a massive noob. If Jessica stood within two feet of him, he turned into a frozen stone statue.

I did my part. I cut all physical contact with Jessica. If she tried to bump my shoulder, I stepped away. I stopped calling her 'Cheeto'. I stopped returning her banter. I basically made myself as boring as possible so Alvin could shine.

But the idiot was too passive to make a move. To make matters worse, Faye was still clinging to him like a shadow, and I started to feel bad for her. Alvin never looked at Faye; his eyes were always darting nervously toward Jessica.

November 2009.

The rainy season forced us indoors. We started hanging out in the gymnasium bleachers after school. Amy’s boyfriend was on the varsity basketball squad, so Amy loudly demanded we watch their practices.

In reality, Alvin and I were there to watch the cheerleaders practice on the sidelines.

"Damn," Alvin muttered, leaning forward on the bleachers. "I wish one of them was my girlfriend."

"Meh. If you actually put in ten percent of the effort you put into video games, you could get Jessica in no time, Al. Grow a pair."

"Fuck, man. I don’t know. I’m not sure she’s even interested in me anymore. She seems so distant."

"Well, dude, even if you strike out with Jess, Faye is practically throwing herself at you. Maybe Jessica is hesitant because she thinks you and Faye have a thing."

Alvin looked at me, hope sparking in his eyes. "Do you think so?"

"Nah," I said, my face completely deadpan. "I think you're just ugly as fuck, dumbass."

"Asshole!" Alvin shoved my shoulder, and we both laughed, settling back to watch the practice.

I had to admit, though, my eyes kept drifting to one specific girl. Jessica. She radiated energy. Her ginger hair caught the gym lights, and her pale skin flushed a vibrant, healthy red after a few minutes of jumping. Yeah. I understood why Alvin liked her.

"Dude, how about you?" Alvin broke my silence. "I never asked. Who’s your target?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "Target?"

"Yeah. Who do you want to date?"

"Uhh, I don’t know. I never really think about it."

"What the hell, man?" Alvin scoffed. "If I had your looks, your build, and that weird, scary charm you have, I’d fuck half the girls in school."

"You want to fuck Mrs. Harrington?" I asked flatly.

"Hell no!!! You sick fuck!" We burst out laughing again.

When the whistle blew, the girls broke from practice. We walked down to the floor to chat. Before I could even say a word to Alvin, Jessica grabbed my forearm, her grip surprisingly tight.

"Tiger. Come with me for a minute."

She didn't wait for an answer. She pulled me toward the back hallway of the gymnasium, away from the echo of the bouncing basketballs.

"What’s up, Jess?" I asked calmly.

She dropped my arm and spun to face me. "What is wrong with you?"

"Huh? I’m fine, Jess."

"No, you're not! You've been avoiding me for a whole month! You never call me Cheeto anymore. You barely even look at me! Are you... are you in a relationship or something?"

I frowned, completely confused by her panic. "Huh? Are you?"

"No!" she sputtered. "I mean... I don’t have a boyfriend right now!"

"Okay?"

"What?? I’m the one asking you, Daeron! What is wrong with you?! Stop being so secretive!"

"For fuck's sake, Jess, I don’t understand what you're yelling about," I said, keeping my voice level. "I’m perfectly fine. If you're asking if I'm mad at you, the answer is no. Not at all."

"Then explain to me why you keep dodging me! Why did you stop using my nickname?!"

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I didn't want to out Alvin, but she was forcing my hand. "Uhhh, fine. I just don’t want to make things weird, and I think this is the best—"

She didn't let me finish. She lunged forward, grabbing handfuls of my t-shirt with both hands. Her green eyes were wide, frantic, and filled with a sudden, desperate fear. "What are you talking about, Tiger???"

"Hey, calm down," I said, putting my hands over hers. "Let me finish, okay?"

"Noooo!" Her voice cracked. "I don’t want to hear it!"

She yanked my shirt, burying her face into my chest, hiding from whatever rejection she thought I was about to deliver.

I stood there, stiff as a board, my hands awkwardly hovering over her shoulders. "Hey, Jess... what happened?"

"Noooo, I don’t want to hear it! I don't want it!" she mumbled against my chest.

"Okay, fine, Jess. Please just calm down." I took a breath, deciding to just rip the band-aid off. "Look, I don’t know what happened between you two. But it’s better if you talk about it with Alvin."

She froze.

Slowly, she raised her head. The panic in her eyes vanished, replaced by complete and utter bewilderment. "Huh? Alvin? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Uh... well, actually, Alvin likes you," I confessed, keeping my voice low. "I just didn't want to make him jealous. That's why I backed off."

"What??"

She shoved my chest with both hands, stepping back violently. She spun around, putting her back to me, her shoulders rigid.

"Hey, what’s wrong, Jess?" I asked, genuinely baffled. "You're acting weird."

She whipped back around, closing the distance between us in a second. Suddenly, she threw her arms around my neck, pressing her body flush against mine.

"What if I told you that I’m interested in you?" she whispered fiercely.

"What?" My brain completely short-circuited.

She stood on her tiptoes. Her face was inches from mine. I could feel her soft, warm breath against my lips. The heavy, sweet scent of vanilla clouded my thoughts entirely. Her green eyes locked onto mine, daring me to make a move. Time seemed to stop in the hallway.

And then, just as suddenly, she shoved my chest again.

"Just kidding!" she chirped. She stuck her tongue out at me, a wild, flush red spreading across her cheeks, and she turned and sprinted back inside the gymnasium.

I stood in the empty hallway, staring at the doors she had just disappeared through, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"What the fuck... Damn."

**

That moment in the gymnasium ruined me.

My perspective of Jessica completely flipped. The annoying, loud, ditzy cheerleader vanished. Now, every time I looked at her, I saw dangerously high-definition details. I saw the faint constellation of freckles bridging her nose. I memorized the tiny moles on her collarbone. I caught myself staring at the sharp indent of her dimples every time she laughed.

Worse than that was the way she looked at me. When our eyes met across the courtyard now, the playful banter was gone. Her green eyes were heavy, heavy and seductive, pulling me in. It felt like she was weaving a net right in front of me, daring me to step into a spell that would bind me to her forever.

"So, Daeron. What about you?"

Nicole’s voice snapped the invisible thread between me and Jessica.

I blinked, my stoic mask slipping back into place. "Yeah? About what?"

"Uhh, really, dude?" Nicole rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "What is up with you? You're always spacing out lately."

"We're talking about the big junior party this weekend, Daeron. You in or out?" Reggie asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh. Yeah, sure. I'm in."

I glanced back at Jessica. She was resting her chin on her hand, a wicked, knowing smile playing on her lips. She knew exactly why I was distracted.

Fuck, I thought, ripping my eyes away from her. Get it together, Tiger. You cannot betray your brother.

"Uhh, actually... maybe I’ll skip the party this weekend, guys," Alvin said. His voice cracked slightly, his eyes glued to his half-eaten sandwich. "I want to... finish my game before the midterm study crunch begins."

"Yo, what the hell, Al?" I frowned, nudging his shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Don’t bail on us."

"...Nah, man. You guys just go enjoy it."

I leaned in, throwing my arm around the back of his neck so only he could hear me. "Come on, man," I whispered fiercely. "This is a party. This is your perfect chance to get close to Jess in the dark."

Alvin didn't look up. His shoulders were tense. "Seriously, man, I don’t really like loud parties," he whispered back, his tone unusually tight. "And don't you dare bail out just because I am. The girls will be pissed."

"Shit, man. At least think about it?"

"...Alright. But just go have fun without me."

I let out a quiet sigh. The last five weeks of socializing had clearly drained his social battery. He was an indoor guy; being surrounded by cheerleaders every single day was probably exhausting him. It felt wrong to leave him behind, but I figured he just needed his sanctuary for a couple of days.

"Alright, since Alvin is officially out, we need three more guys to balance the ratio," Nicole announced, taking charge of the logistics. "Amy is obviously going with Tyson. I’ll take Daeron as my pair. Reggie, what about you?"

"I’ll invite Mike from chemistry," Reggie nodded.

I sat there, completely indifferent to Nicole claiming me. It was just a party. It meant nothing to me.

"And Faye?" Nicole turned to her. "Since Alvin bailed, who are you bringing?"

"Umm. I don’t know yet." Faye looked down at her hands, her voice practically dripping with disappointment. She shot a sad, fleeting glance at Alvin. "Maybe I’ll just ask my older brother to drive me?"

"Okay, that works. You can just find a guy to dance with at the party anyway," Nicole said dismissively. "And Jess? Are you gon—"

"I’ll invite someone from my class," Jessica snapped.

She cut Nicole off so sharply that the whole table went quiet for a second. The seductive, playful smile was entirely gone from Jessica's face. She was staring a hole into the side of Nicole's head, her jaw tight.

"Oh... okay," Nicole blinked, slightly taken aback. "So it’s settled then. Let’s pre-game at my house. Seven sharp, guys."

**

Saturday night. I pulled up to Reggie’s house early.

I had actually put effort into my look for once: a black turtleneck, a fitted brown jacket, dark denim, and my heavy leather watch. When Reggie's mom, Jenny, opened the door, her eyes lit up.

"Oh my, are you Mike?" Reggie’s mom asked enthusiastically.

"No, ma’am. I’m Daeron, Reggie’s friend."

"Oh, I thought you were her date! What a shame. Please, call me Jenny, sweetheart. Come on in."

I sat in the living room, keeping Jenny company. She spent twenty minutes trying to figure out if I was single before the rest of the group finally started arriving.

They all showed up at seven sharp. Faye walked in with her older brother, acting as her chaperone. And then, Jessica walked in.

She wasn't alone. She was paired up with some loud, average-looking guy from her class named Jones. But I barely registered him. My brain short-circuited the second I looked at her. She was wearing a deep, wine-red dress that clung to her perfectly. The color made her pale skin and green eyes pop. I couldn't look away. Fuck. It was like gravity had shifted, and her presence was the only thing keeping me anchored to the floor.

But she wasn't my date. Nicole was.

Nicole stepped into my line of sight, wearing a navy backless dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She caught my eyes scanning her, a wicked smile spreading across her lips.

"You like the dress, Daeron?" she whispered, stepping into my personal space.

I leaned down, the scent of her strong perfume hitting me. "Yeah. You look amazing, Nicole."

She didn't hesitate. She pressed her lips right next to my ear. "You like my ass? You can grab it. In fact, if you want to have some real fun, we can just slip out the back door in an hour."

My blood ran hot. It had been five weeks of playing the celibate wingman for Alvin, five weeks of Jessica teasing me relentlessly. My libido was a coiled spring. But even as Nicole pressed against me, my eyes flicked across the foyer.

Jessica was staring dead at us. The playful, ditzy cheerleader was gone. Her eyes were dark, shooting absolute, venomous daggers at me and Nicole.

**

The house was packed. The bass vibrated through the floorboards.

Before I could grab a drink, Nicole dragged me into the center of the living room. She didn't just dance; she performed. She turned her back to me, grinding her hips in a slow, hypnotic rhythm against my jeans. Instinct took over. My hands dropped to her waist, anchoring her against me.

"Mmph," Nicole moaned softly, throwing her arms around my neck and tilting her head back to look at me upside down. "Fuck, Daeron. We've been here ten minutes and you're already making me crazy."

My breathing hitched. She turned around, pressing her chest against mine, her lips trailing wet kisses down the side of my neck. Her hand slid down my torso, boldly tracing the line of my abs before dipping dangerously low. I jolted.

"Fuck," she breathed against my ear. "You're packed down there, too. I want you to completely wreck me tonight."

My hands slid down the slick fabric of her dress, gripping her hips. My fingers brushed bare skin. "Are you going commando right now?" I whispered, my voice rough.

"Mm-hm. Just for you."

The rational part of my brain shut off. I grabbed her chin, tilting her head up, fully intending to devour her right there in the living room.

A hand clamped onto my wrist like a vice.

"Hey! Down, boy!" Reggie was glaring at us, half-amused, half-annoyed. "Save the public indecency for later. Everyone is waiting at the table. We’re doing a toast."

Fuck. The cold water hit. I blinked, stepping back from Nicole. Reggie was right. I was losing my mind.

I guided Nicole back to the kitchen island, her arm threaded tightly through mine.

"Shit, bro! Absolute respect!" Jones shouted over the music, pointing his red cup at me. "Barely in the door and you've already got her ready to strip!"

I stared at Jones, my face deadpan. The guy was obnoxious. Nicole just smirked, entirely unbothered by the crude comment.

The Rumor.

We circled up around the kitchen island. I found myself talking to Tyson, Amy's date. He was a gym rat, so we traded workout routines to pass the time. Eventually, Jones leaned across the counter, interrupting us.

"Yo, seriously dude," Jones asked, his eyes wide. "How did you seduce Nicole like that? What's the secret?"

"I don't know," I said, my voice completely flat. "Maybe because I showed her a trick."

Jones and Tyson both leaned in closer. "Tell me."

"Duh. I’m joking, man. I just stood there."

They both groaned in disappointment.

"Brah, I don't get it," Jones complained, looking across the room at Jessica. "Jessica is like a brick wall. She won't even let me put my hand on her waist."

"Well, yeah. She’s top-tier, man. Half the varsity team wants her," Tyson said.

"You wanna swap dates or what?" Jones joked, nudging Tyson.

"Fuck no," Tyson laughed. "Besides, I don’t think Jessica is on the market. I heard a rumor she’s actually dating Sean."

"Who the fuck is Sean?" Jones frowned.

"Ace point guard for the rival high school. The guy is a machine," Tyson said, nodding with genuine respect. "Massive dude. Dunked right over Cole last season and didn't even trash talk afterward. You gotta respect him, but it definitely means Jessica is way out of our league."

"Shit. That Sean?"

I took a slow sip of my drink, my eyes sliding over the rim of the cup to find Jessica. She was standing near the fridge, pretending to talk to Amy, but her eyes were darting toward our group. She was eavesdropping.

Sean. A rival basketball player? If she had a boyfriend at another school, why was she practically living at Alvin's house on the weekends? Why did she almost kiss me in the gym hallway? I filed the name away, assuming it was just another stupid high school rumor.

"So, Daeron," Jones said, eager to change the subject. "Did you really put Herald in the hospital?"

"Huh? Is he your friend?" I asked calmly.

"Fuck no, I hate that guy."

"I heard you blind-sided him, bro. True?" Tyson asked.

"If you consider walking up to a guy's face and looking him in the eye a surprise attack, then yeah. It was a complete ambush."

Tyson burst out laughing. "Shit, man! Sometimes you talk like a mafia enforcer, but you look like you belong in a boyband."

"Fuck you, Tyson," I smirked.

The group dispersed a few minutes later to do drinking games. I was standing by the counter, watching the crowd, when a familiar vanilla scent washed over me.

Hot breath brushed against my ear.

"Come with me," Jessica whispered.