Sea Breeze 01 - Breathe

their dresses and how they planned to wear their hair. I listened, but I didn’t have anything to add to the conversation since I wasn’t going to go.
    “Sadie, are you coming to the game?” Amanda asked me before she bit into her apple.
    I started to say no, but then I remembered my promise to Jax and his wanting me to go to football games. “Um, I don’t know,” I said over my bottle of water.
    Amanda swallowed. “Please come with me. I’m going to the dance afterward with Jeff Garner, but he’s on the football team, so I’ll be dateless during the game.”
    That sounded good to me. I could go to the game and tell Jax, and maybe that would satisfy him for a while. “Sure, sounds good.”
    Amanda beamed. “Great! You can come over to my house after school and we can play around with those amazing curls I’m so jealous of. We’ll find a way to style your hair, and then you can help me with my straight-as-a-board head of hair!”
    I frowned. “Um, does it matter how my hair looks for the football game?”
    She grinned and nodded. “Yes, because you’re not going to have time to do anything but change before the dance.”
    “Oh, well, I’m not going to the dance, so that isn’t a big deal.”
    Amanda frowned at me. “Why not?”
    Well, because I didn’t want to dance without Jax. I shrugged instead of telling her the truth.
    She leaned over and whispered in my ear, “If you want a date, all you have to do is crook your finger and every guy will come running.”
    I shook my head. “No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to go.”
    She sighed. “So you’re going to leave me alone. I thought you said that Jax wanted you to take advantage of all high school experiences.”
    I nodded reluctantly.
    “Well, big news flash, the homecoming dance is one of the biggest experiences of the year.”
    I sighed. She was right. He had said dances. I could come and go quickly. “Okay, I’ll show up.”
    Amanda beamed. “Perfect! You want a date?”
    I shook my head. “No, I’m going alone.”
    She sighed and shrugged. “Whatever. I’m just glad you’re going.”
    We won the homecoming football game, so the dance was a wild celebration. The cheerleaders actually wore their cheerleading outfits to the dance, and the football players wore their uniforms without the pads. They were dirty and sweaty, and I wondered how Amanda was going to dance close to Jeff with him smelling like that. I wrinkled my nose at the thought.
    The dj played music the minute everyone walked in the door, and I had already started watching the clock so I could make my escape. Amanda had tried to get me to go shopping with her for a new dress, but I assured her I had one I could wear. She had drooled all over herself when she saw the blue dress Jax had given me. I’d let her play with my hair, since she enjoyed it so much, but in the end I had just worn it down and loose. It was easier this way.
    “Sadie, will you dance with me?”
    I turned to see Dameon, and he was, of course, in his sweaty uniform. I didn’t want to dance with anyone but Jax. Dameon could have been nice and clean and I still wouldn’t have wanted to dance with him.
    I started to shake my head when Mary Ann walked up and slipped her arm around his. “Well, hello, Sadie. All alone tonight?”
    I smiled at her because, really, she was just a very insecure, silly girl. “Yes, I am,” I assured her.
    She looked at Dameon like she had won some sort of prize. “Once again you seem deserted by your famous friend,” she purred, and pulled on Dameon’s arm. “Let’s go dance.”
    He stared at me as if he wanted to argue, but I turned away to let him know I wasn’t interested. Mary Ann tugged one more time, and the couple walked off. I let out a sigh of relief. Amanda waved at me from the dance floor, and I smiled and waved back.
    The clock said I had been there twenty minutes. I had promised Jax I would stay thirty at least. I had ten minutes to go. I turned to go get a drink, and I stopped short when I heard the song coming over the speakers. It was my song. I watched the couples on the dance floor slow their pace and hold each other closer. Hearing his voice made me feel less alone.
    “Excuse me, but can I have this dance?”
    My heart faltered. I swallowed and prayed I wasn’t imagining this. I turned around, and Jax stood grinning at me with his hand held out.
    “Jax,” I said breathlessly, and then I threw myself into his arms. He chuckled in my