Wishes don’t come true.
Not the ones made on candles pushed into birthday cakes or those whispered in the dark with hands pressed together. Especially not the ones made on dandelions. Yet here I was—once again—being pulled forward by my ache for something more. I stepped onto the grass, my shoes sinking into the soft dirt, still moist from the recent and rare California rains, and reached for the puffed-up dandelion just off the path.
I spun the soft green stem around eyeing the perfection of the individual spores. Raising it to my mouth, I pictured Finn’s familiar face then twisted the stem between my fingers and blew until all the tiny white parachutes spun away on the breeze. Once again, my hope was in the hands of the universe to do or not do with it as it wanted.
With the empty stem tucked between my fingers, I returned to the sidewalk. Absence floated beside me like a shadow as I followed the splintered cracks in the pavement on the way to my locker. The sound of Finn’s voice calling goodbye to someone drifted in my direction, interrupting my thoughts. Before I could catch a glimpse of him, he was beside me.
The dandelion in my hand was barely cold from my wish—one wrong move could jinx everything. I pretended not to notice him.
“Goodnight?”
Finn was the only person who called me this and had since third grade. When the teacher called “Claire Goodnight” during roll call, Finn had turned in his seat, searching for the girl with the strange last name. Later at recess he told me my last name was cool and asked if he could call me that instead of Claire. With a slight nod, I’d granted him permission. A crooked-toothed smile filled his face and as he ran away to the playground, he pulled a piece of my heart with him.
Now, after nearly ten years of avoiding each other’s eyes, we stood face to face.
He smiled and my heart somersaulted. “Are you alone?”
“Um, yes?”
“I meant are you meeting someone?”
I shook my head.
He glanced to his feet then back up again. “Do you mind if I walk with you?”
“No.” Goosebumps raced over my skin and, even with the cool breeze, sweat rose from my pores.
“You’ve been alone this year.” His long legs fell into pace with mine as I began to walk again.
His words stung and I didn’t reply.
“I mean Julia moved away—right?”
My face relaxed. “You noticed that?”
“I did.”
My best and only friend moving over the summer had knocked me off balance and now, halfway through senior year, I still hadn’t found my center. I’d give almost anything to have her back, but without her I’d rather be alone.
“Did you have a question about the English homework?” I asked. That was the only class we shared.
“English homework?” He scrunched his eyebrows. “No.”
“Oh?”
“I’m on my way to meet someone. It looks like we’re going the same way.”
In the curious expressions and low whispers fluttering around us I imagined everyone wondering why Finn Peterson was with me instead of Kelly McIntyre—my least favorite person. Up until a few days ago, she’d been Finn’s girlfriend. My stomach twisted whenever she pranced around, all bubbly with her shiny blond ponytails, wearing his letterman’s jacket like she owned him. If someone like her was his type, then my introspective ways and wavy brown hair didn’t stand a chance.
I stopped at my locker. “Here I am.”
“Cool,” he said, but didn’t turn to go.
With shaking fingers, I turned the combination lock right, left, right and pulled open the door, pretending to look for something deep inside.
He knocked, three soft taps on the metal, and I jumped, banging my head. He quickly pulled the scratched-up door all the way open, exposing me. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”
I rubbed my head. “Yeah. Did you forget something?”
“Sort of. Actually, it was you I was looking for. I wanted to ask if you’d go out with me.”
It was entirely possible this was just another one of my daydreams about Finn—but the hot flush that rushed up from my neck to my cheeks was very real.
“Um.” I wanted to jump up and down, screaming Yes! Or more properly just smile sweetly and say “yes.” Every wish I’d ever made for Finn—the boy whom I’d known, practically my whole life, but didn’t really know at all—flashed through my mind. My long-time wish was finally coming true, and all I could say was “um?”
He stood still, eyebrows slightly raised, an awkward, unsure smile on his face. Had I not sensed his fear of being turned down I might’ve assumed I was being punked.
“You’re not gonna make me ask you again, are you? The first time was hard enough.” Again, his eyes shifted to his feet.
“If I promise to say yes, will you ask again?” My boldness shocked me.
His eyes brightened and he cleared his throat then, in a rush, asked. “Claire Goodnight, will you go out with me on Saturday night?”
“Okay,” I said.
“That’s a yes, right?” he asked.
“I promised, didn’t I?”
“Can I pick you up at six?”
I had a shift Saturday night, but I wouldn’t let that be an obstacle to my wish coming true.
“Okay.” I wanted to smack my hand against my head to shake some more words loose.
“Okay.” He laughed, volleying the word back to me.
As we exchanged numbers, our fingers touched, and prickles of electricity ran all the way to my elbow.
He walked me to my car. An uneasy silence hung in the air, but a heat radiated between us. I looked at my watch. In twenty minutes, I’d be late to work.
“You need to go?” he asked.
“Work.”
“I’m headed to practice. Gotta get ready for the game tomorrow night.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “Let me text my boss real quick so he doesn’t worry,” I said.
I’d never been late before, and Tyler would wonder what was up if he didn’t hear from me. I sensed Finn’s eyes on me as I typed.
“That’s a thing to text your boss?”
“He’s a friend too,” I said, sliding my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and noting the cloud that passed over Finn’s face. Was that jealousy?
By now the parking lot was practically empty, and the white lines of the parking spaces stretched out around us.
He touched his finger to my nose. “See you at school tomorrow, Goodnight.”
“Yes.” I ached for him already. Saturday was only two days away, but that felt like forever.
He opened the door for me, and I got inside. As I drove away in my grandmother, Mimi’s, old white Honda, I was reminded that this was yet another thing I wouldn’t be able to tell her.
After I waved goodbye to Finn, I turned on the radio to drown out the unsettling voice telling me this was too good to be true.
