The Spring Dance was getting closer, and all the girls were getting excited. I would never admit it to Tom or Matt, but I was just as excited as them, but only because I was going with Juniper. Normally I wasn't into dances at all- I was a terrible dancer and I knew it.

I watched Juniper's blonde head disappear into the crowd, already impatient for sixth hour. Was it wrong to miss her after an hour? Was that too obsessive? I hoped not, because as much as I wished I didn't, I did.

I always said hi to her when she walked into Gym. She was always later then me, because I practically ran to get there, just so I could see her walking in and not miss a second with her.

"Hey Juniper!" I said.

"Hey Andy," she replied, smiling happily. I smiled back. And then, she stepped forwards and wrapped her warm, tanned arms around me. Her hands slipped under my arms and held me tightly. It was only for a second, but it sent a shiver of energy down my spine. Her body pressed against mine was warm, I could smell her hair as her head touched my chest. Her hair didn't smell of fake fruit, like shampoo- it smelt like nothing I'd ever smelt before, natural and beautiful, almost like... a tree. I wanted to put my arms around her, to pull her in and hold her tightly. But before I could even consider this properly, she had pulled away. I was still surprised she'd even hugged me. She seemed shocked too, like she'd done it without thinking.

"Sorry," she said, acting nonchalant.

"No, it's okay." I said. I could feel a grin spreading across my face.

She looked at me for a moment, seemed to decide something, and changed the subject.

"So, did we bore you to tears at lunch today?" she asked, teasing.

I rolled his eyes, playing along, although my mind was still reeling. Had she hugged me like I saw girls hugging each other all the time- as friends. Or did she consider me something more?

"I don't know how you can talk about clothes for that long!" I said.

"I'm in fashion, remember. I could talk for hours. Days, if I didn't require sleep." she said.

I smiled. "Are you looking forward to going? To the Spring Dance?" I asked her. Are you looking forward to going with me as much as I'm looking forward to going with you?

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah. It'll be great."

"What song are you going to sing?" I asked her. I'd heard her discussing it with Steph, Kate and Alex.

She shrugged.

"Not sure yet. I was going to ask-" She paused.

"Going to ask who?" I asked, wondering why she'd stopped.

"Um, Steph and Kate and Alex." she said quickly.

"Yeah, they'll have lots of ideas." I said. Steph had always fancied herself as an expert in music. "Are you going to do a new song?"

"Not exactly new," she said, "I was thinking a song that's a few years old. You know- a really good song people still like."

I nodded. "Sounds good." I said. I watched her face as she turned to listen to the coaches instructions. What had the hug meant? Nothing? Or something? I hoped it was the latter.

The days leading up to the Spring Dance were uneventful, but exciting nonetheless. The feeling in the school was electric. We had a bludge Gym lesson- just mucking around with any equipment we wanted- and then got let out early. I had organized with Juniper to pick her up at seven, but I reminded her, just in case. I could tell she was excited too, but I didn't know if she was excited to be going to the dance, or excited to be going with me.

I drove home faster than I usually did. I had done most of my homework the night before, and so I only had a little bit to do. I rushed through it, not bothering to check my work, and then had a shower. I washed my hair, but when I dried it, it stuck up all over the place. I tried to flatten in, but went overboard, slicking it back too much. I fiddled with it for ages, and in the end opted to leave it how it was. Hopefully Juniper liked the messy look.

I got dressed- I had rented a tux the week before. When I went out to the kitchen to make something to eat before I left, my mom insisted on taking a photo.

"So, who are you taking to this thing Andy?" my dad asked from the couch.

"Um, just a girl called Juniper," I said, reluctant to bring it up in front of my mom, who would no doubt start asking me about her again.

"Juniper? Unusual name,"

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, have fun then," my dad said to me, "Have a good time with Juniper,"

"And stay safe," my mom added, "Don't drink, and don't accept anything from people you don't know,"

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes mom," I said.

When I had escaped my parents, I drove to Juniper's house. Although it wasn't a house at all- it was her shop, Forks Fashion Boutique. I pulled up in front of it and honked the horn to let her know I was there. I wasn't sure if she'd have a doorbell or not.

I got out of the car. It was drizzling so I got an umbrella out of the back and unfolded it. I looked towards the door again. Juniper was standing there, just outside the door. I stopped, staring at her. She was wearing a green dress- a green the exact same shade as her eyes. She was wearing light blue high heels. Her hair was straighter than usual, I noticed. I thought she was wearing something on her eyes, but I couldn't tell. She wasn't wearing as much makeup as most girls did- she looked beautiful without it.

"Hi," I managed to say. I had been completely tongue tied up until then.

"Hey," she said. She turned to close the door and I let my eyes rake over her once more. She had an amazing body. But then she turned to look at me again with those eyes, and I knew which part of her I preferred. She took the few steps walk to where I was, standing in the middle of the pavement like an idiot.

"Um... you look b-beautiful." I stuttered out. I sounded stupid, and I knew it, but she seemed pleased with the compliment.

"Thanks." she said, and smiled. That smile made me melt. "You look nice too." she said.

She took a step closer, and for one wild moment I thought she was going to hug me again. Then I realized she was probably just stepping under the umbrella.

"You wanna get going then?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I agreed.

I quickly went round to the passenger door and opened it for her. She seemed really pleased by this too, and thanked me. I got in and started the car.

"You excited?" she asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess." I said, trying not to sound too excited, even though I was. "It should be fun. Are you?"

"I've never been to one of these before." she said

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

"They aren't big in Australia." she said. "I did go to a social once, but I had to leave early."

"Why?" I asked.

"My drink got spiked." she said. She didn't say it like it had been a big deal, but something in her expression made me think it had been at the time.

"Were you okay?" I asked, worried that she might be worried about this happening a second time.

"Oh, yeah, I was fine." she said.

I had a feeling that there was more to the story then she was telling me, but I didn't push her for information.

We arrived at the school a moment later- it wasn't a very long trip really. The school was in darkness, but the path to the Gym was lit up. I parked as close to it as I could and got out. I ran around to Juniper's door to let her out. She smiled in thanks, and then we walked in with all the other people. I couldn't see who was who- it was too dark. We followed the crowd into the Gym. I looked at Juniper. She was gazing around, seemingly impressed. I had been to a Spring Dance before- last year Steph and I had gone together, just to see what it was like. They had set it up the same way- one half the dance floor, the other the couches and bar. This year they had a stage, for Juniper and the other performers, I realized. I wondered if she was nervous, but she didn't look it.

"Would you like a drink or something?" I asked her, talking a little louder than usual to be heard over the music. She nodded and we went to the bar. I noticed that people stared at us as we passed. Well, most stares were directed at Juniper. I had the uncomfortable feeling that whenever anyone looked at me they thought 'Why is he with her?'. But Juniper seemed to be ignoring their stares and murmured comments, so I did the same.

I got two glasses of punch and gave one to Juniper. We sat on one of the little couches. Juniper's eyes wandered around the gym again.

"This is really good," she said. She sounded impressed.

"Yeah, they go to a bit of trouble." I replied.

She nodded, still gazing around. I let my eyes wander too, looking for Alex or Tom, who had said they'd be there. I looked at each little couch, but didn't see them. The couple on the couch next to us- a boy and a girl I didn't recognize- were kissing. Their bodies were pressed up against each other, and I remembered how close mine and Juniper's bodies had been when she hugged me. I remembered looking at her lips, imagining kissing them. And suddenly, when I looked at the couple, I saw me and Juniper. It was our lips locked together, my hand on her back, and her arms around my shoulders. I realized I was staring at them and looked at Juniper instead. She was looking at me, and I realized I'd been caught staring. I felt my cheeks grow hot and I dropped my gaze.

Luckily, Alex and Tom chose that moment to arrive.

Alex squealed hello to Juniper, and then the two of them started talking about Alex's dress.

Tom rolled his eyes in their direction.

"The amount I have heard about that dress," he said, shaking his head. Then he looked at me slyly.

"How's it going?"

"How's what going?"

"How's it going with Juniper. You guys... done anything yet,"

I shook my head.

Tom shrugged and smiled.

"Don't worry man," he said. "Hey, at least you know she likes you,"

I frowned.

"How do I know that?"

"Well, she's here with you isn't she?"

Tom had a point. Juniper wouldn't have invited me if she didn't like me at all. I suddenly felt a bit better about myself. Who cared what everyone else thought- Juniper was the one that mattered, and she liked me.

"Hey Andy, do you wanna dance?" she asked me suddenly.

Behind her, Tom gave me a thumbs-up.

I hesitated. I wasn't a great dancer- in fact, I was pretty terrible. But I knew she'd go, with or without me, and I wanted to see her dance.

"Um, okay." I said.

She smiled and before I knew it, grabbed my hand. I tried not to let my expression betray my surprise as she pulled me towards the dance floor. Then she dropped it and walked along beside me. I wanted to take her hand again, but I would look stupid if she dropped my hand and I grabbed hers.

She led me right into the middle of the crowd. I would have preferred to be on the edge, where no one cared if you bumped into them. Juniper slipped between people easily, looking behind her to make sure I was following. I tried not to crush anyone as I moved through.

Finally she stopped. We had more space than I would have thought, but I was still nervous. I would look stupid dancing. Then again, I looked stupid just standing there as well.

Juniper raised her hands above her head, her whole body moving as she started to dance. She managed to effortlessly keep in time, and not touch anyone else as she moved.

"Come on!" she shouted at me, over the noise. She grinned at my uncertain face. "Dance!"

She laughed at me, and I felt myself blush again. She reached out and took both my hands in hers. Her hands were warm and soft, and her fingers held me with a nice pressure. She began to sway slowly, and I followed her, trying to not look stupid. She smiled at me encouragingly. I found I was enjoying myself. Dancing with Juniper wasn't hard at all really. It was almost fun.

The song changed to a slower one. Around us, couples joined together to slow dance, their bodies close. I glanced at Juniper, wondering if we were going to do the same thing. Hoping we were. As our eyes met, I blushed again. I cursed myself for going red so easily.

She took a step closer to me, raising her arms and laying them on my shoulders. Her hands held the back of my neck gently. I allowed my arms to encircle her, putting my hands on her back. I was careful to keep my hands high- I knew she wouldn't like it if I put my hands all over her butt.

We swayed, slowly. I knew she was leading but I didn't care- she was obviously the better dancer. I gazed into her eyes. They were so beautiful, I felt like they couldn't be real, like they were going to disappear if I looked away.

We danced for a long time. The music sped up again after the slow dance and we came apart a little, but Juniper kept a hold of my hands for most of the time.

The performances started, and Juniper and I went to sit down on one of the couches. The band and the soloists were all terrible. I knew Juniper would be better- I had never heard her sing, but I could tell she was a good singer.

Juniper was the last performer of the night. She went just before the end of the girl before me- some sort of Dominatrix wannabe- and Mrs. Trillson announced her. She didn't look nervous at all- she was calm and collected. She looked amazing, standing on stage in her green dress. I whistled and cheered along with Tom and Alex as she started. She held the microphone in her left hand. Then the music started, and she sang.

Her voice was incredible. I had never heard anything like it. She could put half the professional singers out of business. Her voice was strong and rich and beautiful, just like her.

She didn't dance at the start, but then as the first verse began, she did. Naturally, her dancing was better than any of the other performers. People were starting to return to the dance floor, and some were standing right in front of the stage to watch her. I got up off my couch and moved to a better position as people started to crowd in front of me.

When the chorus started, she launched into an energetic dance routine. I didn't know how she managed to do it and sing at the same time, it looked so complicated. But she did it easily, seemingly without thinking.

She was a very dramatic dancer- she paused for a moment, completely still, and then started to dance again, even more energetic than before. Her facial expressions didn't seem to match the song all that much- occasionally she would looked really worried- but it didn't lessen the performance. Her eyes found me in the crowd. I waved. She didn't wave back of course, but she smiled in my direction.

She finished the song and climbed off the stage after bowing to the applause of the audience.

"That was so good!" I yelled when she reached me.

"Thanks," she said, grinning.

I would have thought she'd want to sit down, that she would be exhausted after that performance, but she didn't seem to be at all. She grabbed my hand again and pulled me towards the dance floor. We didn't stop dancing until half the people had left and we decided to go home. We danced together, and with Alex and Tom. We laughed and sang along to the music, especially towards the end of the night when they started playing old nineties songs. We joined hands and spun around the emptying dance floor, and everything was a blur except for her laughing face.

I drove Juniper back to her shop. She told me not to get out of the car, but I did, and went round to open her door. I walked her to the door, still laughing about the night. She opened the door and turned to face me. I stood there, just outside, while she stood in the doorway.

"Goodnight, Juniper." I said.

"Goodnight Andy." she replied. "Thanks for taking me. I had a really good time."

"Technically you took me." I said, laughing.

"Thanks for coming then." she said, laughing with me.

Our laughter ended, and we stood there, silent.

"See you on Monday then." I said.

"Yeah." she replied.

I hesitated, unsure if I should leave. Once again I found myself staring at her lips, imagining how they would feel. But she made no move towards me, and I knew I should go.

"Bye." I said, turning to leave. I hadn't taken a step away before she called after me.

"Wait," she said. And then she took my shoulder, turning me towards her and pulling me close. Then she leaned forwards and pressed those soft pink lips against mine.

Her lips were as soft as I'd imagined- no, they were softer. I wrapped my arms around her small body, pulling her into me. Her arms snaked around my shoulders, one of her hands holding my neck tightly while the other held my head, her fingers gently pulling at my hair. She smelt good- that natural, beautiful smell I'd smelt earlier.

We kissed for a long time. How long exactly, I didn't know. However long it was, I wanted it to last longer.

"I'll see you at school." she whispered into my ear.

Then she turned and quickly walked inside, closing the door behind her.

"Goodnight," I breathed, but she was already gone.

I stood on the doorstep for a moment, then I walked back to my car. I drove home in a daze, playing the kiss over again in my mind. I still couldn't believe it had even happened. But I was sure of one thing. Juniper liked me, as more than just a friend. She liked me. She really, really liked me.