Claire's Song by Ashley King

Author:Ashley King
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-03-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CLAIRE

Weeks pass with a steady rhythm and Ryder and I have managed to remain at a happy status quo, friends with the wanting of more, but neither saying anything. Ever since he played for me, it thawed out some of the coldness in his heart and the uncertainty in mine. The Halloween Masquerade is all anyone’s talking about and Ryder brings it up on our drive home from school.

"You going to the Masquerade?" His voice startles me out of my quiet reverie. I look over at him, his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes straight ahead. It's like he hasn't even spoken.

"Um…why would I go?" I laugh. It's a dance that's put on by the senior class at the Briarmont Country Club. Things get pretty crazy from what I've heard, but I've never been. Jamie and I used to talk about going, but we never actually went. Instead, we dressed up and did our own thing. That was always the way it was with us. We did our own thing, always doing our own thing.

"Because Halloween's awesome, right?" He looks over at me with that cute dimpled smile on his face. I can't help but smile in response.

"Are you going?" I ask, expecting to hear that he's not, that he's just making conversation.

"I’ll go if you go," Ryder surprises me. He looks over at me, his smile a little more uncertain. My heart's beating crazy fast, because isn't this what I'd been waiting for during these past two weeks? Something to change, to bend or break?

"Really?" I manage to choke out, unable to conceal the surprise in my voice.

Ryder nods, "Really. I think we should do it."

"It's this Saturday and I don't know if I even have time to find a costume," I say as I tap my finger on my chin, thinking. There are a few places that might have some costumes left. I want to tell Ryder that it doesn't matter, that I'll find a way. I'd make a costume if I had too, but I don't tell him, because well, that's a little stalkerish.

"You're a girl, you'll find a costume," Ryder jokes as he pulls into the driveway. We get out and walk inside, this routine so familiar, so comforting. Ryder's been really good about not shutting me out lately, about being an actual friend.

“What about you?” I ask as we sit down at the table to do our homework. Ryder grabs two bottles of water and hands one to me.

“It doesn’t take much for guys to dress up,” Ryder laughs and it sounds so wonderful. He’s been doing more of that lately and I find myself recalling the melody when I'm falling asleep sometimes.

“Are you sure? I know Monday’s a big day,” I eye him warily as I break the seal on the water and take a long drink. He seems okay for the most part, but I can tell he’s worried about his mother. I’ve seen it when he thinks I’m not looking.

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