"Hey, Maria, can you help me with theses streamers?" Julie called out as she helped set up the dance. It was Saturday.

A sophomore girl named Maria obliged and helped her with the streamers. It didn't take long before the gym was ready for the dance. Everyone on the committee admired their work for a moment.

"It looks good doesn't it?" Mark asked Julie. Julie shrugged.

"It doesn't look obnoxious at least. It could be worse." Julie told him. Mark rolled his eyes at her.

"Wow way to compliment our good work." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

The teens were allowed to leave and Julie and Mark talked on their way out.

"So did you find a date for the dance?" Julie asked, making conversation with her friend.

"Nah, there's not many guys who want to go out with me. Locking Grove is a small place. Plus I'm not going to settle for anyone, you know. So I'm going to go stag." Mark explained.

"You'll still be able to hang out with Eric and I, at least." Julie smiled at him.

"You and I both know Eric is going to spend the entire night with Emily and you..." His voice trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. He knew Julie wouldn't like it.

"And I what?" Julie asked with a sharp hint in her tone.

"You are going to spend it with a certain new kid. I just know it." Mark told her. Julie's face turned red, redder than a tomato.

"That's not true."

"Whatever you say." Mark rolled his eyes. "It's just he clearly likes you and you like him, so connect the dots."

"I don't like him, at least not anymore than a friend. Love isn't real remember?" Julie crossed her arms.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Mark and Julie departed from the school and went home, separating from each other. The dance didn't start until seven and soon it nearly was that time.

Julie had spent the past half an hour getting ready. She was wearing a pale aqua dress that faded out in an ombré style at the hem. The sleeves of the dress were short and lacy and the neckline was sweetheart. The dress went slightly past her knees, showing off her matching aqua flats. Her hair was done is a bun on top of her head, a braid wrapped around it giving it more elegance.

Ivy picked her up a quarter to seven o' clock and the two carpooled to the dance. Ivy, of course, had refused to wear a dress, but still dressed nicely.

Julie was surprised Anthony hadn't rode with Ivy but Ivy explained how he was giving Romeo and Eric rides.

Soon they were there in the school's gym. It was semi-dark in there with only a few lights, giving it a dim glow. When they entered the song that was playing was I'm Yours by Jason Mraz.

Mark saw the two girls enter and waved his friends over to a table the guys were sitting at. It was in the corner away from the chaperones. Eric was playing on a 3DS, hiding it under the table with Romeo and Anthony watching. Romeo stood against the wall like Mark while Anthony and Eric sat at the table.

"Hey, guys!" Julie greeted her friends.

"Hey," Eric mumbled, hypnotized by the video game. "Aw crap!" He added as he died. His friends laughed.

Romeo turned to look at the newcomers. As soon as he laid eyes on Julie he felt the need to steady himself against the wall. His face grew hot. Romeo gaped. To him Juliet looked like an angel, even more than she did on a regular basis.

Anthony noticed and chuckled under his breath at his best friend. Julie had a questioning look on her face.

"Uh, Cameron, are you okay?" She asked.

He snapped himself out of it. "Uh yeah, I'm fine." His face grew redder. Everyone in the group went quiet for a moment as Romeo and Julie eyed each other awkwardly.

"So Ivy... Do you want to go dance?" Anthony asked interrupting the friends' moment of silence, shrugging and tilting his head towards the middle of the gym.

"Sure that sounds great." Ivy and Anthony headed out to the dance floor.

"Aw crap!" Eric said, dying once more. "Okay I need a break. Anyone want to play for me?" Eric asked. Julie volunteered and he handed it over to the blonde.

He got up to get a drink. Romeo watched Julie play, disappointed. He wanted to ask her to dance but she was now playing a video game. Besides every time he had asked her out in the past she had turned him down, why should one little dance be any different?

He knew that she still hated romance. He knew that she had just started to give him a chance a couple two weeks previously. He knew that she didn't care for him the way he cared for her. Maybe it was time to give up.

Romeo shook the thought out of his head. Why should he give up? He had made vast improvements over the weeks that he had been back at Locking Grove. At first she hated him, then she tolerated him, then she was nice to him, and now they were even friends. No, he couldn't give up, if not for his happiness but for hers. She needed to know that love was very real, very powerful, and was the best thing humans can do. She needed to know about the power of love.

But it was getting harder and harder to be there for her. He knew she would just push him away if things got too real for her and he didn't want that. He didn't want to get hurt and he knew she didn't either.

Romeo went over to the snack table and got a cup of punch. He pounded it down as if he were taking shots. He watched across the room as she played on the handheld, which she blocked from the teacher's and his view.

He took another cup of punch and drank it just like he did the last. Eric saw him and came over.

"Dude, stop being so dramatic. Just ask her to dance. It's super easy. You just open your mouth and speak the words." Eric told him.

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "How come your not dancing with anyone then?" He asked.

"Cause I don't want to." Eric stated in a matter of fact tone.

"I don't buy that." Romeo said.

"Well you should because it's true. I was forced to come. Why would I want to dance?"

"Cause you do." Romeo gave Eric a half smirk.

"I don't."

"Do you want to be the guy who spent the entire night avoiding being social and played video games the whole time? Do you want to be that guy?" Romeo questioned.

"What's wrong with that guy?" Eric asked, offended.

"Nothing usually, but I think he should take a break and try to dance with someone or at least hangout with his friends without the game." Romeo told his friend. Eric scowled slightly. "Look at Emily over there. You like her, don't you?" Romeo pointed out to a table close to their own where Emily was sitting with some of her friends. She looked somewhat bored. Eric nodded at his friend's question as a faint red tint spread across his cheeks. "And she likes you. I'm pretty sure it would make her really happy if you asked her to dance. You want to make her happy, don't you?"

Eric shook his head, in a way that meant he admitted defeat. "You're such a sap, you know."

Romeo sighed. "I know... But can you blame me? My parents named me Romeo for pete's sake." He laughed a little. Eric chuckled slightly too at Romeo's point.

"So are you going to ask her or not?" Romeo asked. Eric thought about it before an evil grin spread across his face.

"I will," He paused for dramatic effect. "If you ask Jules to dance." He emphasized the word 'if'.