Winter dance.

Yeah, Jackson loved this event.

You were standing near the bar with your friends, a small cluster pressed together in the middle of the chaos. Your friend was talking your ear off — something about a fight she had last week, or maybe a new crush, you weren’t paying attention — but you nodded and smiled like you were fully in the conversation.

But your eyes kept drifting around the ball.

In a corner, there stood a girl, being a wallflower, talking with Jesse, drink in hand. She reminded you of someone, but who was she? You had to dig in your memory to fish out that face and name.

Ellie.

You knew the name. Kind of—Not really. Kat, her ex, had mentioned her once or twice. They’d parted on decent terms, so there weren’t any bad stories passed along. Just a name and a face that floated through your mind, suddenly sharper and more real in the dim light.

And then your eyes met.

Right then. Right there.

She gripped her drink tighter, the plastic folding, her jaw clenching, and you saw that, of course you did. You smiled, furrowing your brow, confused—something between ’does she wanna kill me or kiss me?’—but you turned back to your friend like nothing happened.

Minutes ticked by, people starting to leave with their younglings. You kept chatting, laughing.

Then, you heard it.

Awkward steps, uncertain and slow. She scratched the back of her neck, that nervous gesture breaking some of the tension.

“Hey.”

Her voice was low, rough around the edges in a way that made your heart skip.

You replied with the gentleness your voice allowed.

She stumbled through some small talk, talking about the music, the night, anything to fill the space. But you could tell she was holding something back, gathering courage to ask the big question.

“You uh..you’re here with someone?”