I jumped up off the bed. I let out a gasp and yelled, “You have a boyfriend! You can’t talk that way! And you most certainly can’t talk that way about Garrett. What dreams I have about him are none of your business!”

“Emma Rose, what is all the yelling about? Is everything okay?” my mother asked after opening my bedroom door.

Never taking my eyes off of the two giggling girls on my bed, I said, “Everything is fine, Mother. We’re just playing around.”

“That’s fine. Just keep it down. Inside voices, okay?”

I nodded my head as I glanced back at my mother, smiling sweetly. I let out a giggle. “Okay, Mom. Sorry.”

She grinned and shut the door. I quickly looked back at Margie. For some crazy reason, I pictured my legs around Garrett while he was making love to me. I felt my cheeks instantly flush. Peggy and Margie both started laughing.

“I’m getting a good story after all,” Peggy whispered.

Margie stood up and dropped open her mouth. “Oh my gosh. You do want Garrett, don’t you?”

I started to shake my head as I took a step back and bumped into my dresser.

Margie started jumping up and down. “Tell me about your dreams with Garrett, Em. You know he’s coming to the dance.”

I let out a gasp.

Peggy said, “Yep, this just got really good.”

I spun around and looked at Peggy. “Please. No comments from the peanut gallery.”

Margie smiled. “Emma?”

I rolled my eyes and whispered, “Fine. I might have had a dream…or two about Garrett.”

I turned and walked the few steps to my bed. I face-planted onto it and began yelling into the mattress as Peggy and Margie did the same. We all rolled over onto our backs and looked at the ceiling.

Then, I sat up, turned, and looked at Margie. “Was Billy the guy who made you give yourself an orgasm because he turned you on so much?”

Peggy sat up and yelled out, “What?”

I slammed my hands over my mouth.

Margie sat up with a shocked look on her face. “Emma Rose! I told you that as a secret because you said you felt like that after you met Garrett!”

“This just got so much better. Have you wanted to do the same, Emma?” Peggy said.

I stood up and looked back and forth between them. “Um…” I dropped open my mouth. “I’m not, um…I’m not answering that.”

Peggy grabbed my hand and pulled me back down onto the bed. “Please. We’ve already established you have a thing for Garrett, and he makes your little girl parts tingle.”

I rolled my eyes and pushed Peggy back. Margie started laughing, and then I started laughing. Before I knew it, we had all fallen back onto the bed, laughing until we were almost crying.

When we finally got ourselves under control, I let out a sigh. “Okay. Tonight, I’ll tell Garrett that I like him…maybe.”

Peggy said, “Emma, you are going to march your little self up to Garrett and tell him how you feel. Better yet, just ask him to dance. He won’t expect that. Make it a slow song, and dance as far away from the chaperones as you can get. If the coast is clear, push yourself into him. Make him so crazy that after the dance, he has to flog his log.”

I sat up quickly and looked at Peggy. “You did not just say that!”

Peggy smiled and winked at me, and then we all started chortling. We laughed for at least another ten minutes before my mother called for us to stop goofing around and get ready for the dance. We frantically began looking through my closet for the perfect dresses to wear. After picking them out, we fixed each other’s hair and put just a tad bit of rouge on.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. I had my favorite flower-print skirt on with a white collared shirt. I slipped on my saddle shoes and looked in the mirror one more time.

Peggy came up behind me and placed her chin on my shoulder. “You ready to make Garrett Mathews the happiest guy at the dance?”

I laughed and pushed her away.

She tilted her head and gave me a wicked smile. “Then, are you ready to change Garrett Mathews’s world?”

I felt my cheeks blushing, and I closed my eyes. I could almost feel his lips on my neck and his hands on my body. Yep, I’m totally ready.

“Shit, I’m going to take it you’re ready. Please open your eyes. It pains me to think what your ass is thinking about right now.”

I giggled and looked at Margie as she was walking out of my bathroom. She looked breathtaking. Her brown curls looked perfect, and the little bit of makeup she had on highlighted her beauty.

“Shall we, ladies?” Margie said as she walked past us, wiggling her car keys.

We giggled like little girls all the way down the stairs. I kissed my parents good-bye, and then the girls and I headed out to Margie’s car. I couldn’t wait to see Garrett, and my sweaty palms were evidence of that.

“Stop fidgeting, Emma. Everything is going to be fine. This night is going to change your future,” Peggy said with a wink.

When we walked into the high school gym, “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets was playing, and everyone was dancing. I instantly wanted to dance. I loved dancing, and I would do it all the time if I got the chance. Peggy yelled out and ran into Raymond’s arms. I smiled and shook my head. Those two were for sure in love. I looked behind Raymond and saw Michael.

“Hey, Emma,” Michael said as he walked up to me.

“Michael, can we step outside, so we can talk?” I asked.

He nodded his head. “Sure, it’s a beautiful night, and I actually wanted to talk to you, too.”

It was pretty warm for being December in Texas, but something in the air gave me a chill.

I turned and looked at Michael. I didn’t want to give him the chance to start the conversation, so I just started talking, “Michael, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on by going out with you. Honestly…I have feelings for someone else.” I couldn’t believe I’d just blurted that out.

Michael closed his eyes and smiled. When he opened them, he said, “Thank God, Emma. I just didn’t feel a connection. I didn’t want to be a jerk and just drop you, but…I kind of like someone else, too.”

We both started laughing.

“Emma, I’m glad you are finally admitting your feelings for Garrett.”

I stopped smiling. “What? How did you know I was talking about Garrett?”

Michael shook his head and grinned. “It’s hard not to notice. Anytime he is near, you can’t keep your eyes off of him, and the same goes for him. I know you only went out with me to hide from your feelings.”