Take Me Tomorrow by Shannon A. Thompson Page A

have some restrictions, especially ones who had been enrolled due to troubles.
    Lyn honked the horn. “Sophia, ” she shouted out of the passenger window, her smile beaming through the murky darkness. “Are you coming? You look great.”
    I stared at the telephone on e last time as the message beeped relentlessly, and then, I turned away from it. “Coming, Lyn,” I said, ignoring my best friend as I ran to the Jeep, ready to arrive at the party.

 
     
    It’s Too Late
     
    “Have fun, ” Lyn shouted as she pulled away from the drop-off lane, the black Jeep disappearing into the blackness. My eyes weren’t used to the nighttime scene, and I shivered in my dress for the umpteenth time. The clock tower loomed above me, and the arrows pointed to the sky, a situation I wasn’t used to seeing.
    Lily had rented the banquet hall beneath the tower for the dance, and intimidation crawled all over me. Muffled music pounded behind the golden door, and the vibrations shot through the cool air drifting by from the nearby river. The building was rarely used for anything but government events. Lily was truly talented to get the school board to agree to it.
    Kids walked past me, curls bouncing, heels clicking, boys laughing, and I fell into step among a crowd of peers. Walking to the entrance as calmly as my heels would allow, others filed in as nerves pulled me back. Broden’s w arning ricocheted inside of me, but the night was strangely normal – a bunch of teens bouncing about in their angst, and I was one of them.
    The arched doorway shut and opened repeatedly as a teenage boy directed guests inside. He had piercing blue eyes, short brown hair, and a jagged jaw, yet I didn’t recognize him as one of our students. “Hello, Ms. Gray,” he cooed as he checked my name off before I spoke it.
    I squinted at him as d ecorative flares flew across his face. His stunning eyes reflected the light. Cat-eyes.
    Before I could say anything, t he door opened, and a white-headed girl with a bright yellow gown yanked me into the banquet hall, “About time.”
    “Lily,” I breathed as she swung her arms around me, golden bracelets clinging together like wind chime s.
    “Isn’t it great?” she exclaimed, waving toward the party.
    Students danced under an array of neon lights. The large crowd was laughing, relaxing, and twirling to the music so beautifully that the school dance looked choreographed. Everything about it was mesmerizing, yet I was dwelling on the doorman. His reflective eyes – the ones I had seen too many times.
    Lily laughed a s if I were in awe. I managed to congratulate her success. “I know, right?” she beamed, wiggling like a child with newfound freedom. She arched her neck to look around. “Miles is here somewhere,” she said. “Broden, too.”
    I gulped. “Broden’s here?”
    “Yeah,” Lily stated. “Wait − come to think of it,” she spoke slowly, “He isn’t allowed to be here, so that must have been someone else.”
    I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t wrong. That Broden wasn’t supposed to be, but he was , and he was here for a reason.
    “Lily,” I attempted to confront her about the circumstances, but she frowned at my worried expression.
    “What now?” she whined, subconsciously begging for a perfect night.
    I sighed . “The doorman—”
    “He’s cute, isn’t he?” Lily blushed like the schoolgirl she was. “His name is Pierson. He’s one of Miles’ friends.”
    I winced at the information. “That’s probably not a good thing—”
    She rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she said, ignoring me as she weaved us through a group of people. “Anthony is this way.” Before I could object, we approached a wall full of relaxing students, and Lily whispered, “You’re going to die when you see him. He’s gorgeous.”
    Di e − as if that description was going to settle my nerves.
    “Sophia,” Lily shouted into my ear, the music disappearing for a moment. “This is Anthony.”
    I