Chapter Fifteen

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7 YEARS AGO

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Today was the day. After a month of anticipation, Homecoming was finally here. And Eden couldn't have felt worse.

Oliver had confirmed that he was going with Lara Garner instead of Eden. She still hadn't talked to Gus. She would have said "screw it" and stayed home, except she'd already gotten a dress. Plus, her mom still thought Oliver was picking her up.

The school day passed by too quickly for Eden's taste. Just three days ago, Eden couldn't wait for this day. Now, she was dreading it. Funny how that worked.

As she was leaving school, Gus ran up to her.

"Eden," he panted. "I heard. I'm so sorry."

Eden kept walking. Gus kept pace.

"Sorry for what?" Eden said.

"That Oliver ditched you. For Lara."

Eden clenched her fist. She was sorry, too. Sorry she ever believed he cared.

"Don't worry about it," she told him.

"So, are you still going tonight?" Gus asked.

Eden sighed. "I have to. I already got a dress."

"Well," Gus said sheepishly. "My offer still stands."

Eden looked at him sharply. He still wanted to go with her? After everything she'd said to him?

"Really?" she asked incredulously. "You still want to go with me?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" he said, like the thought had never crossed his mind.

"I said some pretty hurtful things to you..." It was Eden's turn to be sheepish.

"Don't worry. I already forgot about that."

"Then why'd you avoid me for so long?"

"I was avoiding you?" Gus looked confused. "I thought you were avoiding me."

"Huh?" What had she done to give him that impression?

"Whenever I passes by you, I would smile, but you always looked away. I thought you didn't want to see me, so I sat with my other friends."

Eden laughed. She couldn't believe she'd spent the better part of a month alienated from Gus because of a misunderstanding. It was too good.

"What are you laughing about?" Gus asked confusedly.

She told him. Gus started to laugh, too.

"Man, and I thought you hated me," Gus said, after they were all laughed out.

"I thought the same thing about you." Eden said excitedly.

"So, if you don't hate me, will you go to Homecoming with me?"

"I could never hate you. Of course I'll go to Homecoming with you."

Gus's smile was literally ear to ear.

"Thank you, Eden. You won't regret it!"

Eden laughed at his enthusiasm. "I have a feeling I won't."

They both headed home, happier than either of them had been in weeks.

*****

Ding-dong!

"I'll get it!" Eden called to her parents.

She opened the front door to find Gus standing in front of her, dressed in a black tuxedo. He had opted to wear contacts, instead of his usual glasses. The style made him look several years older than he was.

"You look good," he told her.

"So do you," she said.

She was wearing a purple, floor-length dress. It was strapless, with a flowy skirt, the kind that floats around you when you spin. Her hair was half pinned behind her head, half down in curls around her shoulders. She was wearing makeup, but only a little bit. To be completely honest, Eden hated the stuff and normally never wore it. But Homecoming was a special occasion.

"Well..." Gus said. "Should we get going?"

"Yeah. Right."

She hurried out to his parents' car before her parents could see who picked her up. She didn't want to explain why Gus had picked her up and not Oliver.

When they got to school, Gus got out first and opened Eden's door for her.

"Goodbye, dear," Mrs. Mathis said as Eden exited the car. "Have fun."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mathis," Eden smiled graciously. "I will."

"Do you want some punch?" Gus asked her once they were inside.

"Sure," Eden said.

As soon as Gus left, Eden saw the last person she wanted to see at the moment. And he was walking straight towards her.

"Hey, Eden," Oliver greeted her. "How's the dance?"

"Don't know," she replied curtly. "We just got here."

"We?" Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Who'd you come with?"

"Take a guess."

Oliver held up his hands in defense. "Hey, hey, no need to get hostile. I was just asking."

Eden took a deep breath. "I came with Gus. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"If you came with Gus," Oliver looked around. "Where is he?"

"Getting punch."

"Ah. Well, as long as he's not here, do you want to dance with me?"

"No."

Normally, her answer would have been the opposite. But Oliver had ditched her for another girl. Eden didn't want to hurt Gus, either. They'd just started talking again, and she didn't want to ruin it by running off and dancing with Oliver, the boy she'd rejected him for.

Besides, Lara and her friends would kill her. She was sure of it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the first time.

Oliver grabbed his chest in mock hurt. "How could you reject me so fast?"

Eden chose to ignore that. "Where's your date, anyway?"

"In the bathroom."

"What do you think she would do if she came out and saw us dancing together?"

"Nothing," Oliver shrugged. "She knows you and I are just friends."

"Is that what you think?" Eden muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Oliver leaned toward her.

"Nothing." Eden quickly moved away from him.

Lara knew Eden was just Oliver's friend, huh? Then why had she interrupted her in class, excluded her in P.E., tripped her in the cafeteria, stolen the books she'd set down for a second, broken the lock on her locker? Why would Lara have done any of that if she knew Eden and Oliver were just friends?

But Oliver didn't know what she suffered because of him. She never told him. God knows none of the other girls did.

"Oliver," Gus said. Unbeknownst to either of them, Gus had come back with their drinks. Now he was staring down Oliver, like a tiger its prey.

"Hey, Gus," Oliver smiled and clapped him on the back. "Nice date."

"Thanks," Gus said, handing Eden her punch.

"Oliver, I think you should go now," Eden said uneasily. For some reason, she didn't like the feeling she was getting from Oliver and Gus. It felt like a disaster waiting to happen.

"What, I can't say hi to my friends?"

"Hi," Eden and Gus said in unison.

"And bye," Gus added.

"Alright, alright, I know when I'm not wanted," Oliver said holding up his hands again. "I'll be seeing ya. Good luck," he added to Gus.

Gus turned his eyes on Eden. She sipped her punch nervously.

"Eden," he said. "I think we need to talk."