Page 2 of Who the Heart Chooses

“Shut up, Easton.”

“Never.”

The crack of her smile tells me she’s just engaging in our normal repartee, but inside, my mind is racing.

So, Lennon isn’t completely opposed to having a date for prom.

But is that reason enough to jeopardize the friendship we’ve been building since fifth grade?

When my mother moved me and my brother, Owen, to Garnet Valley when I was eleven and he was fifteen, Lennon was the first kid to come up to me and offer her friendship, no questions asked. We cemented it over a game of tetherball, and the rest was history.

I wasn’t what you’d call a shy kid, but I was definitely wary of being the new kid in such a small town. It was a far cry from the massive school I came from in Dallas, Texas, and I was terrified of sticking out like a sore thumb, or worse, not making any friends.

Lennon made sure that never happened, though. She took me by the hand, bossed me around, guided me through elementary and middle school politics, and never let me feel alone. Having her in my life has made everything brighter—even if we love to argue with each other like our lives depend on it.

My mother describes our connection as a firefly friendship: an intense bond that springs up without warning and burns bright, strong and mesmerizing, before eventually fading away like most young friendships do.

But I refuse to let our friendship fade, which is why I’ve kept my feelings to myself.

Lennon has been my constant for years—until one day I started to look at her differently.

The shift was subtle. A twinge in my chest here, a tingle below my waist there.

Now, with graduation upon us, I’m starting to wonder if my fear of losing her will cost me the chance to have her.

“But it would have to be the right person who asked me,” Lennon says, pointing a finger in my face. I rear back so she doesn’t jab me in the eye. “I don’t want to feel pressured again by anyone.”

Holding my hands up in surrender, I nod. “I know, Lennon.”

Her words take me back to the secret she told me a few months ago. She lost her virginity to her last boyfriend, Justin, and the asshole dumped her two days later. I’ve never wanted to beat the shit out of someone more.

She never let me see her cry, but Elodie told me Lennon took it really hard and spent almost a week curled up in her bed in tears every day after school.

When she finally told me, the first thing I wanted to do was show her that there are guys who aren’t only after one thing, but she swore off boys immediately and thanked me for being her friend.

I had never hated and appreciated that word in equal measure.

We never spoke about the mysterious black eye Justin sported for a few weeks after Lennon told me the truth.

“Not all boys would pressure you for that, Lennon.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think those boys go to Garnet Valley High School.” She pops another chip into her mouth and then takes a bite of her sandwich.

Needing to change the subject, I pull out the brochure we got in our English class today. “Have you thought any more about Garnet Valley Community College?”

Lennon sighs dramatically. “God, you sound like my mother.”

Great. Can’t hear that enough from the girl you want to date.

“Your mom just wants to make sure you’re thinking about your future, Lennon.”

“Yeah, well, I have plenty of time to do that, don’t I?”

“Maybe. But the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to figure out what comes next. Don’t you want to be out on your own? Don’t you want freedom to live by yourself and do as you please?”

Lennon wipes her mouth with her napkin. “Who says I can’t still do that without a college degree?”

“You can. I just…”