"How are you getting home?" He asked.
"I'm walking." She said.
"I am too...Want some company?" He asked hopefully.
She thought a moment. "Yeah." She smiled. "I have to tell Nicole, though." She said.
Katie looked through the dark crowd, when she finally saw Nicole talking to another couple. She walked over.
"Hey!" Nicole said.
"Hi." Kaite said.
"See you guys." Nicole said. She walked over to Katie. "So what's up?"
"A lot." Katie said. "Um, i'm going to walk home with Zac, so i'll see you tomorrow. I'll call you." Katie said.
"Oh are you?" Nicole asked raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah."
"You had better call me." Nicole said, giving her a wink.
"I will!" Katie said, with a smile. She walked back over to wear Zac was standing.
"You ready?" He asked her.
"Yeah." She said. They walked out of the dark room, and into the dark night.
"So did you have fun tonight?" He asked.
"Well, the evening didn't start out to great, but it sure looks promising now." She said, looking over at him, a smile playing her lips.
"Oh really?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said. She knew she was flirting, and he knew it too.
Katie blushed and looked at the ground, fiddling with her hair. She saw him looking at her through the corner of her eye, and she smiled.
"Katie...Can i tell you something?" He asked.
"Sure." She said.
"I want to explain why i've been a real jerk the last month."
"Okay."
"Well, i don't know how to say this, but, you're the first girl besides Cindy Crawford that i like."
"Um..."
"Like, really liked."
"oh." She said, not really knowing what to say.
"And the reason why i acted so stupid was because i wasn't sure how to act around you." He said. "I didn't want to look stupid." He said.
"Zac, i didn't think you were stupid." She said.
"You didn't?"
"No. I thought you were cute." She said with a laugh.
"Even the arm thing?"
Katie thought a moment. "Well, that was kind of stupid." She said with a smile.
"yeah, i suppose that wasn't one of my best moments." He said.
"No." She said smiling.
"You look really amazing tonight." he said, stopping in front of her door. "No matter what anyone else says."
"Thanks." She said, smiling for what seemed like the millionth time that night.
He just laughed.
"Zac, i really want to thank you. You helped me a lot. Your pep talk, i guess." She said with a laugh.
"It's no problem. Just don't forget what i said." He said.
They looked at each other for a moment, then she reached up and pulled him into a hug. They stayed there for a moment, just hugging on her front porch. She laid her head on his shouldher and rested her arm on his built one, and he bent his head down level with hers. She sighed, inhaling his cologne for the last time that night. Katie could feel him breathing they were so close. They pulled apart a little, and he leaned down closer and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
She smiled, and looked at him, feeling her stomach expolde into butterflies. But they weren't upset this time...just excited. His warm brown eyes stared at her, and her blue ones looked back, both full of excitement and inches apart.
"Bye Zac." She said.
"Good-bye katie." He said, reaching out to touch a curl that fell on her cheek. She reached behind her, and opened the door. He stood, watching her go in the door and close it. He stood on her front porch for a moment, then turned to walk home.
Katie tip toed up to her room, feeling light as could be. Everyone else was asleep except for Morgan, who was in her room reading. When she heard Katie, she came in and stood in the doorway.
"So how did it go?" She asked.
"I'll tell you in the morning." katie said dreamily, stepping out of her sandals.
"Okaay...." Morgan said, smiling at her sister.
Katie pulled the dress off herself and laid it on the floor next to her bed. She changed into her pajamas, then washed her face and brushed her teeth. She flipped out her lights, then climbed into bed. SHe lay there for a moment, then flipped her bedside light back on. She grabbed the dress, and sheepishly smelled it. Yep, it still smelled like Zac.
She awoke the next morning to see the sunshine pouring through her skylight. She looked over at her clock, seeing that it was nearly eleven. Sliding out of bed, she went into the bathroom, washed her face, then looked it the mirror. It was then that she remembered the events of the previous evening. She smiled to herself in the mirror, quietly jumping up and down. She didn’t have any plans for today, but she knew that tomorrow would be exciting, for it was the fourth of July.
She slipped on some shorts and a tank top, and just went downstairs barefoot. She entered the kitchen, where Judy, Kirsten, Ben, Madison, Melissa, Krista, and Sandra were sitting around the kitchen, eating or talking to one another. They all looked up when Katie entered the kitchen. They all looked at her for a second, then Madison was the first one to errupt into giggles.
“What?” Katie asked, dumbfounded.
“A boy walked you home last night.” Madison half giggled, half whispered to Katie.
“I know.” katie said nonchalantly, wondering how they all knew.
“Ian?” Sandra asked.
“No.” Katie said, picking up some cereal.
“Then who?” Sandra was dying to know, although she knew who Katie was going to say.”
“Someone.” Katie said.
“Zac?” Krista asked hopefully.
“Yes.” Katie said.
“Oh I don’t believe this.” Sandra said to herself.
“Oh he just walked me home.” Katie said.
“And?” She asked expectantly.
“And what?”
“And they kissed.” Madison said, giggling.
“What?” Sandra screeched.
“How did you know that?” Katie asked, bending down to her younger sister.
“I saw. I was looking out my window last night.” Madison said.
“You little devil.” Katie said, messing up Madison’s hair.
“I know.” Madison said.
“So Zac kissed you, huh?” Judy asked with a grin. “I’d better call Diana and tell her that we have another one.”
“What?” Katie asked. “Another what?”
“Madison needs to talk to you.” Judy said, winking.
Katie looked down at her feet, where Madison was nodding vigorusly.
“Ok, we’ll talk after breakfast. You and me, in my room.” She said to the little girl.
“Ok.” Madison said.
After breakfast, Katie and Madison ran upstairs to Katie’s room. Madison raced in, turned around, threw the door shut, and locked it. Then she ran over to the bed where Katie was already sitting.
“Ok, now what is so important?” Katie asked, smiling at her sister.
“Well, I have to tell you secret.”
“Did you tell Judy?”
“Well, yes, but nobody else. Well, one other person knows, but I know he won’t tell.”
“You do?”
“Uh huh.”
“Oh, ok.” katie said.
“Yeah, he knows that if he tells, i’ll kick him in the balls.”
“Madison!”
“Can I tell you now?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, well yesterday I was at playgroup, and it was almost time to go home, and I was standing waiting for judy, and then Mackie told me he had to show me something behind the coat wall, and then he took me back there, and he kissed me on the cheek right here.” The little girl said in one breath, pointing ot her cheek.
"Oh my." Katie said.
"Yeah i know." Madison said.
"Well what are you going to do?" Katie asked her.
"I dunno." Madison said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Okay. Well when you figure that out, tell me okay? And i'm always here if you need advice." She said.
"Thanks Katie." The little girl said, giving her older sister a hug.
"You're welcome." She said.