“Do you want to dance?” Sam asked.

“Of course she doesn’t.” The voice came from behind Sam. “Do you think she wants to limp all over the floor?” Missy stood there in her sparkly princess dress, with her glossy hair and Ultrabrite teeth, sneering at me.

My stomach finally stumbled, then fell with a splat. I wanted to say something, but I was too stunned.

“Missy, why don’t you go take a flying leap off a gondola?” Sam said, taking my hand. He led me toward the dance floor, but I hesitated at the edge.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

I bit my lip. “Sam—Missy is…”

“A moron?” Sam guessed.

“Well… but maybe she’s right.” I glanced down at my feet. My skin felt cold and clammy, as if my embarrassment had just lowered the temperature in the room. I felt a little sick and wondered if maybe I was coming down with something.

Sam touched my shoulder gently. “You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to, Georgia,” he said.

His eyes were so blue. They reminded me of these pretty glass mineral-water bottles that Grandma Dotty likes to buy at garage sales. I imagined light shining through his eyes, the way they shine through the bottles when Grandma puts them on the windowsill. Suddenly, the cold that had settled over me dropped away.

It felt good to know that Sam would understand if I didn’t want to embarrass myself out on the dance floor. But there was only one problem….

“I do want to dance,” I said. I really, really did.

I mean, this was my moment!

I was at my first middle-school dance!

A sweet, cute boy wanted to dance with me!

It’s not like this was happening every weekend.

Sam smiled. “Good. Because you already promised you would dance with me.”

We stepped out onto the floor just as the music stopped. A slow song started.

Sam put his arms at my waist, and I thought for sure that I might faint. Instead, I rested my head on his shoulder. Dancing wasn’t hard at all—I just shuffled back and forth. Maybe it was just the scent of Missy’s shampoo mixed with the disco ball lighting that affected my brain, but I felt like I was in a happy, beautiful dream.

I never wanted it to end.

But, of course, three minutes later it did.

Band Gone Weird

Don’t make me go,” I begged Sam. I just wanted to stay on the dance floor, shuffling around with him forever.

“I can’t wait for you guys to perform,” Sam said. “It’ll be great!”

“Great?” I repeated. “Yeah, great for Missy.”

“You aren’t worried about her, are you?” Sam asked. “What could she possibly do to you?”

Oh, probably nothing too serious. Force all the other kids to boo us? Bombard my head with tomatoes? Send Fabio to pee on my leg?