Chapter 16 - Talking about the Dance ♡︎

The drive to campus was quiet, the hum of the truck filling the silence, though Olive's heart never quite slowed from the weight of Cole's earlier words. When they finally pulled into the lot, students already filled the campus sidewalks, buzzing with morning energy. Jackie was quick to take Olive's hand as soon as they stepped out, her protective instincts flaring with the same force as always. Alex lingered for only a moment before leaning down, kissing Jackie softly on the lips, and then patting Olive on the shoulder with a brotherly smile. "See you later," he said, before heading off toward the science building with Danny. Jackie watched him go with a dreamy smile before turning her full attention back to Olive, who looked overwhelmed at the crowd of people moving around them.

Cole, of course, wasn't going anywhere. He casually fell into step on Olive's other side, his tall frame and relaxed stride making him stand out in the sea of students. Olive fidgeted with her bag strap, sneaking glances up at him before immediately looking down again, cheeks pink. Jackie noticed, of course, and narrowed her eyes, already feeling her patience with Cole wearing thin.

"Shouldn't you be heading to class, Cole?" Jackie asked sharply, arching a brow as though daring him to challenge her.

Cole smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Maybe I should. Maybe I shouldn't," he replied smoothly, his green eyes glinting with amusement. "But I figure tiny here might need someone to make sure she doesn't get lost." His voice was deliberately casual, but it carried an undertone meant only for Olive.

Jackie opened her mouth, ready with a retort, but before she could fire it off, two familiar voices cut through the chatter of the campus. Grace Wagner and Skylar Summerhill appeared, walking hand-in-hand with Nathan Walter. Skylar looked sharp and put-together as always, while Grace's warm smile lit up her whole face the moment she saw Olive. Skylar, with his free hand, waved excitedly, practically dragging Nathan along.

"Jackie! Olive!" Grace squealed, immediately pulling Olive into another one of her trademark tight hugs that nearly knocked the breath out of her. Olive giggled nervously, her tiny voice squeaking out a soft hello, while Grace cooed over her as though she were the most adorable thing in the world.

Skylar beamed and leaned in closer, clearly brimming with news. "You guys will not believe it. The school dance is tonight!" His tone carried the kind of energy that only someone truly invested in the details of campus life could manage. "It's going to be the event of the semester—decorations, music, food, everything. I've been helping the student council with planning, and it's going to be amazing."

Grace clapped her hands together, practically bouncing on her toes. "Yes! We have to go! Olive, you're definitely coming, right? It'll be so much fun."

Olive's eyes widened, and she stuttered, her hands twisting in front of her. "O-Oh, um... I-I don't know, I've never been to one before..."

Cole leaned down slightly, his smirk widening as his eyes lingered on her pink cheeks. "Guess it's time for your first, tiny."

Jackie shot him a sharp glare, muttering under her breath, "Not if I can help it." But Grace and Skylar were already chattering away about outfits, music, and how Nathan had agreed to dance with Skylar all night.

The group lingered near the edge of the quad, the conversation still circling around the dance and what outfits everyone might wear, when one of the student council members hurried over to Jackie, clipboard in hand. "Jackie, we need you to come help with the final layout for the decorations," the girl said breathlessly, clearly stressed. Jackie gave Olive's hand a quick squeeze, her eyes scanning her like she was about to leave a child alone in a crowded carnival.

"I'll be right back," Jackie promised, her tone both warm and firm as her gaze flicked meaningfully toward Cole. "Stay with Grace and Skylar, okay?" She didn't wait for Olive's reply, already marching away with the council member, her ponytail swishing behind her as if even her hair carried determination.

Grace watched Jackie go, tilting her head curiously before her eyes returned to Olive, who stood fidgeting with her sleeves. "What's up with Jackie?" Grace asked in her bubbly, teasing way, though there was a note of genuine curiosity beneath her tone. "She's like... more intense than usual. It's almost like she's guarding you or something."

Olive blinked, looking startled, and shook her head quickly, her bow bobbing as she did. "I-I don't know what you mean," she stammered, her voice soft and unsure.

Cole, leaning casually against a nearby bench, couldn't resist. His trademark half-smile slid into place, his green eyes flicking between Grace and Olive before settling on Olive herself. "Jackie's just being overprotective," he drawled, his voice low, almost amused. "Because of me."

The words dropped between them like a stone into water, rippling out in different reactions. Skylar raised his brows and exchanged a look with Nathan, who shifted awkwardly but didn't say anything, his hand tightening around Skylar's. Grace's eyes lit up with interest, practically bouncing on her heels.

"What happened?" Grace asked eagerly, her voice rising with excitement. She leaned in toward Olive, her tone conspiratorial. "Did something happen between you two? You have to tell us!"

Olive's face turned crimson, her eyes going wide like a startled rabbit caught in the open. "N-Nothing happened!" she squeaked, her words tumbling out in a rush. She hugged her books to her chest and, without another word, scurried off toward her next class. Her bow trailed behind her as she disappeared into the stream of students.

Cole sighed, his jaw flexing as he tilted his head back to stare at the sky for a moment, clearly frustrated. When he finally looked back down, Grace, Skylar, and Nathan were still watching him, all with different levels of curiosity and suspicion.

"Alright," Cole muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "before you three start making up stories, I'll just tell you. I took Olive to a party last night." He said it flatly, though there was an edge of defensiveness in his tone. Grace's jaw dropped and Skylar's eyes widened.

Nathan, quiet as always, frowned slightly. "A party?" he asked softly, almost hesitant.

Cole nodded, his smirk flickering back into place though his eyes were sharper, like he was bracing for impact. "Yeah. She had her first drink. Got tipsy. And... well," his voice trailed, but his gaze hardened as he made eye contact with each of them, "I kissed her."

Grace let out a squeal so loud that a few students passing by turned their heads. "You kissed her?!" she gasped, clutching Skylar's arm in disbelief.

Skylar was less squealy, but his grin spread wide as he shook his head. "Oh, this is going to get messy," he said, his tone equal parts amused and foreboding.

Nathan just stared at Cole, his brows drawing together, conflicted, but he didn't say anything.

Cole shoved his hands into his pockets, his smirk softening into something more genuine as he added under his breath, "Her first kiss."___

Skylar crossed his arms, a slow smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned against the bench. Grace, however, looked like she had just stumbled onto the juiciest piece of gossip in the entire school. Her eyes were wide, practically sparkling, and she leaned forward toward Cole as though she couldn't contain herself. "Wait—her first kiss?!" she practically squealed, her voice drawing a few curious looks from students passing by.

Cole didn't flinch under the attention. If anything, he looked more smug, though his eyes carried something softer when the words sank in. He gave a small nod, almost reluctant, as though admitting it out loud made it more real. "Yeah," he said, his voice quieter but still carrying that familiar confident edge. "From what Jackie's told me, Olive's never really... done much. She hasn't been out to parties. Barely talks to anyone. And apparently," he paused, his green eyes flicking off toward the hall Olive had disappeared into, "she's never even been to a school dance before. Not once."

Grace gasped so loudly this time that Nathan winced and rubbed at his ear. She clapped her hands together like she was about to plan an entire wedding. "That's it. That's it! We have to make tonight perfect for her," she said, her excitement bubbling over like a shaken soda. "Her first dance! Oh my gosh, we can get her a cute dress, and do her hair, and make sure she feels like the absolute star of the night. This is literally a rite of passage!"

Skylar snorted, shaking his head at Grace's dramatics. "You need to chill out," he said, his tone calm but amused. "It's just a dance, Grace. You're about two seconds away from calling up a limo service and ordering rose petals to scatter at her feet."

Grace smacked his arm playfully, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on, Skylar! Don't you get it? It's Olive. She's sweet and quiet and shy, and this is her first real dance at a school. That's huge! We can't just treat it like any other Friday night."

Cole watched them bicker, his smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. He wasn't going to admit it out loud, but there was something about the idea of Olive experiencing her first dance that tugged at him too. She'd probably be overwhelmed at first, maybe clinging to Jackie's side, her big brown eyes wide as she tried to take in everything at once. But then she'd soften, relax, maybe even laugh. The thought alone made something warm stir in his chest, something he wasn't used to.

Nathan, who had been silent through most of it, finally spoke, his tone quiet but steady. "Grace isn't wrong," he said, his gaze flicking between them. "It's Olive's first time. That matters. We should make sure she has a good memory of it."

Grace beamed at Nathan, clearly taking his side as she whipped back to Cole. "See? Even Nathan agrees! You're going to have to step up, Cole Walter. You can't just kiss a girl, give her her first kiss, and then let her first dance be boring. That's, like, criminal."

Grace suddenly froze mid-thought, her lips parting as something seemed to strike her like lightning. She gasped so loudly that Skylar muttered under his breath, "Here we go again," but she ignored him entirely.

Her wide eyes locked on Cole as if she'd just uncovered the juiciest secret of all. "Wait a second," she said, dragging the words out with a dramatic flair, "does Olive even remember that kiss?"

Cole's green eyes flicked to her lazily, his hands still buried in his pockets. For a moment, he didn't answer, almost as if he was debating whether or not to brush it off. But Grace leaned forward eagerly, waiting, her energy impossible to ignore. Finally, he exhaled through his nose, giving her the truth she was digging for. "No," he said evenly, his voice low and matter-of-fact. "She doesn't. She was too drunk. There's no way she remembers it."

Grace's mouth fell open, her hands flying to her face as though this was the most scandalous revelation of the year. "Oh my god! You're telling me she has no idea her first kiss even happened?!" She pouted dramatically, slumping her shoulders. "That's so unfair! A girl deserves to remember something like that." But almost instantly, her mood flipped, her pout vanishing as a wide, mischievous grin spread across her face. "Which means," she said, pointing a finger at Cole like she was assigning him homework, "you absolutely, one-hundred-percent have to ask her to dance tonight. You owe her that."

Cole blinked at her, his expression unreadable, though his jaw tightened slightly. "Grace—" he started, his tone carrying a note of warning, but she cut him off, too wrapped up in her own excitement to care.

"No, don't even start," she said quickly, waving her hand as though brushing away his protest. "This is destiny. You kissed her first, she doesn't remember, fine, that's sad—but tonight? Tonight she gets to have a moment she will remember. Her first real dance. With you."

Skylar let out a long groan and leaned his head back against the wall, clearly over Grace's theatrics. "You sound like you're narrating a cheesy Netflix rom-com," he muttered, though there was a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Nathan, as usual, was quieter, but even he nodded slightly in agreement. "She's not wrong," he said, his voice even. "Olive deserves to remember something special."

Cole's smirk returned, faint but sharp, as though he wanted to deflect with some cocky remark. But the truth lingered in his silence, in the way his eyes softened when he thought of Olive's shy smile, her soft voice, the way she had clung to him the night before without even realizing it. Grace's words weren't entirely wrong, though he'd never admit that to her.

Before he could respond, the bell rang, loud and shrill, echoing through the halls. Students began spilling past them, laughter and chatter filling the air as the four of them exchanged quick glances. Grace groaned, clutching her books to her chest. "Ugh, fine, but we're not done talking about this," she promised, shooting Cole a knowing grin as she turned toward her classroom.

Cole shook his head, almost amused, and started walking, his long strides casual. "We'll see," he muttered under his breath, but Grace caught the flicker of a smile on his lips before he disappeared into the crowd.