Autumn looked around Miss Devons' crowded classroom for Aria when they entered, but there was no sign of her. She usually beat them here, since she actually went to school in the same building.
"Where do you think Aria is?" Autumn wondered aloud as she continued surveying the room.
"She's talking to her Valentine date," Cody told her with a wide grin as he joined them. His shredded pants and denim jacket looked like they were being held together by a few stray threads of varying colors. He had the bull ring in his nose today, and Autumn's hands twitched to give it a tug.
"She has a date?" Autumn asked in surprise. "Who?"
"Do you know Leslie Holmes?" Cody asked, leering suggestively. "Yeah, she's going for the cream of the crop here."
"You're such a pig," Autumn muttered with a shake of her head. "So how did she take getting asked out?"
"I should have recorded it," Cody laughed evilly. "She thought I was playing a joke on her at first. As soon as she read the note, she started stuttering and shaking like all of the other love struck puppies running around today."
"So what are they doing now?" Autumn asked curiously.
"Aria's telling Leslie that she accepts her invitation," Cody replied with a suggestive grin. "I'm not sure what they're doing after that, but a gentleman never asks about such things."
"I'm pretty sure you don't qualify as a gentle man, regardless of how limber your verbal acrobatics might be," Autumn told him pointedly. "Who are you going with?"
"Huh?" Cody asked, suddenly looking extremely awkward. She had never seen him awkward before.
"Did I stutter?" Autumn asked dryly. "Or was the question a little too difficult for you to understand?"
"He's going with me," Heidi told her with an amused look in her eyes.
"Shut. Up," Autumn scoffed, staring back and forth between them. "Are you serious? You asked Cody out? Cody?"
"Actually, he asked me out," Heidi replied with a wide smile as Cody squirmed uncomfortably. "I thought it was very sweet."
Autumn's mouth moved, but no words came out as she stared back and forth between them. She would have never guessed someone would have the temerity to ask Heidi out. It would have been like asking God out. She couldn't imagine a couple that looked less congruent. Not that Heidi was limited by such primitive thought conventions, but it was still a visually jarring image.
"Who are you going with?" Cody asked Autumn in a clear effort to change the subject.
"I wasn't planning on going," Autumn replied with a shrug. "I'm not really into the whole ballroom dancing thing."
"Excuse me," a thickly accented voice spoke behind her.
Autumn turned around and found Stefan, the German exchange student, watching her with a hopeful grin on his face. "Would you do me the honor of being my date tonight, Fräulein?"
Autumn felt her face flush as she stared back at him with a mouth that was suddenly dry. "Uh, date?"
"Ja, a date," Stefan confirmed with a nod.
Autumn stared back at Stefan wordlessly, still in shock. Stefan was seventeen and one of the most popular boys in the high school. Why would he settle for her over one of the many high school girls?
"She would love to go out with you," Cody answered for her with a chuckle. "She's just a bit tongue-tied right now."
Autumn turned and glared at Cody balefully before turning back to Stefan with a smile. "I would love to be your date, Stefan. Thanks for asking."
"Wonderful," Stefan's grin widened as he stared down at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "I must confess, I'm amazed that a woman of your beauty hasn't already been asked out dozens of times."
"Everyone else has been too intimidated to ask her," Heidi informed him with a wink at Autumn. "You're too pretty for your own good."
Autumn blushed as she stared back at Heidi doubtfully. She and Heidi were about the same height of five feet nine, having grown several inches since the start of the school year. They were both taller than all of the boys at the middle school and many of the boys at the high school. Autumn could no longer be considered even slightly overweight. While she still felt like she could lose a few pounds around the hips and waistline, she was well within the weight ratio for her height. Aria spoke regularly about how striking Autumn's features were, but she was pretty sure that was Aria's way of making her feel better.
"Trust me, it's not an emotional support thing," Heidi told Autumn with a smirk. "She's not exaggerating at all when she says how beautiful you are. If Cody hadn't asked me out, I would have asked you out."
Autumn laughed nervously as her ears burned brighter. "So are we still going to practice today, or are we cancelling it to get ready for the dance?"
"I'm in favor of cancelling it to get ready," Heidi said, glancing at Stefan and Corey. "Any objections?"
"Fine," Corey huffed with a put upon sigh. "We'll just go primp and preen until tonight. Stefan, would you mind doing my hair for me?"
"Only if you'll paint my toenails for me," Stefan replied without missing a beat.
"Alright, let's leave these two comedians to their amusements and go get ready," Heidi suggested with an amused look at the two boys.
Autumn followed Heidi out of the classroom with a swarm of butterflies playing tag in her stomach. This promised to be an interesting night.