Take Me Tomorrow by Shannon A. Thompson Page B

glanced up from the craziness of the party, and my eyes focused on the wall. The political student, as Lily originally described, stood in front of me. His shoulders were broad, and the black fabric he wore made his emerald eyes darken. His skin was lighter than anyone else I knew, but his jawline was defined with a hint of facial hair that most guys his age couldn’t pull off. His smirk was arrogant, and his height was intimidating, but he offered his hand as his smirk melted into a sincere smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Sophia.”
    I choked at his introduction and nodded as if the loud music made it hard to converse. In reality, I wasn’t sure what to say. Anthony was overwhelming. He looked like Noah.
    He smiled as if he understood his intimidation but was too much of a gentleman to say so. “Would you like to dance?” he asked, pointing to the dance floor with his gaze.
    “Yes, ” Lily encouraged, pushing me toward him before I could argue. The dancing crowd was a threatening wave of chaos. In the neon lights, people moved so quickly that I could barely comprehend who was around me, but Anthony guided us through the crowed sufficiently.
    Anthony placed his hand on my hip as if it belonged there. I held my breath, and we swayed into the chaos that was our Homecoming dance. My mind raced with my footsteps. It all seemed so fast: getting ready, Broden’s phone call, Lyn’s Jeep ride, entering through Pierson, Lily’s excitement, and now, Anthony.
    I couldn’t think.
    When I glanced around, the moving shadows began to form into glamorous students. Students I knew. Friends I knew. Then, Broden.
    I gasped.
    The very friend who had tried to stop me from coming to Lily’s party was standing among a crowd of boys, and he was talking despite the loud music, but I was lucky to recognize him. Broden wore sunglasses, and a cap hovered over his sliced brow. The only normal part of his outfit was his suit, but even that didn’t fit him right. It was loose, and when he handed something to the group of boys, his sleeve dangled over his palm.
    My fingers tightened on Anthony’s jacket, and Anthony spoke to me, but I stepped away. “I’ll be right back,” I yelled over the music, hoping he had heard me, and then , I ran.
    I pushed through the crowd, shoving with my elbows as a new song began. People started to jump, and the floor shook. An elbow struck my arm and then, my shoulder. I tripped over my heels and cursed, wishing I had worn my tennis shoes instead.
    “Move it,” I cursed again, but no one seemed to notice that I was panicki ng as I lost sight of Broden. Even the boys he was with had disappeared, dispersing into the crowd.
    I spun around, and the lights dimmed. Shadows engulfed me. As students cheered, a hand landed on my shoulder. Before I could fight it, the boy pulled me into his chest, and a strobe light appeared. I stared at my flickering palm, trying to comprehend where it had landed. I was clutching his shirt pocket, and his body heat brushed against my cheek.
    “You,” the boy began speaking into my ear, “are not supposed to be here.”
    The jacket he wore wasn’t meant for a dance, but for comfort and durability. The cloth was heavy, too hot for the large crowd, and the survival style was all too familiar.
    I looked straight into his eyes, expecting to see colored-contacts, but I was confronted with his mossy gaze. “Noah.”
    The fake brunette tilted his face to the side. “Nice to see you too, Sophie.”
    “You’re not allowed in h ere,” I snapped.
    “Nate Harper is,” he said, continuing to sway. He had tricked me into a dance.
    “Too bad you’re not Nate Harper,” I managed, pushing away before he could stop me.
    I stumbled through the crowd as I searched for Broden. If both of them were here, nothing good was going to happen, but I was too late.
    In a matter of moments, everything went wild. I had been to the annual Homecoming before, but I had never seen it this crazy. The