A month has passed since my pool party happened, and I feel like I’ve gotten even closer to Amy Carena. On a Wednesday morning, she leaned her head towards me in our second hour.

“Wanna come over to my house after school?” She whispered.

I was surprised that she’d asked me that out of the blue, but I accepted the request. I was able to finally see the room that was in that photo Viveca had sent a month ago, an intimate part of Amy Carena that I never thought I would be able to grasp. Here I was, sitting next to her in our second class of the day, thanking whatever deity might be looking over me right at this moment.

After school, I headed straight for Amy Carena’s house. I drowned myself in my favorite cologne, before all the scent wore off of me under the summer heat. When I finally reached Amy Carena’s doorstep, I was drenched in sweat. I swore I looked like a soggy cat. Amy Carena opened her door, and I was greeted with her ethereal beauty on the other side of that doorway. For a split second, I felt like melting into a puddle right there. 

I’ve never walked through a doorway feeling so out of place. This was the Allards’ house, Amy Carena’s home.

“Am-Amy.” I hesitated, “I never thought I’d get this close with you.”

“Oh, trust me, I feel the same way. The thought of you used to instill a visceral feeling of disgust in me.” Amy Carena yammered on.

“WHAT?!”

“I’m kidding!” she began, “Let me lead you to my room.”

“O-okay.”

We reached her room. This was really happening, I was in Amy Carena’s room. I froze at the doorway while Amy Carena sat on her bed. 

“You can come in,” she chuckled.

It was like I was a vampire, not being able to do anything unless I was given permission to. I awkwardly walked over and stood over her, she then tells me to sit down next to her.

“So, um. Why did you want me over?” I began.

“For company!” she beamed before collapsing on her bed, her pillows and blanket recoiling from the sudden weight she brought onto the mattress.

I sat there for a moment, thinking about what to say. Amy Carena reached for her phone and started typing away, but quickly put it down and apologized.

“Sorry, force of habit.”

“No, you’re fine.”

She looked at me thoughtfully, and I felt my face get hot. She then mentioned how my mom told her mom that I play the guitar. I only knew a few songs, but the thought of me being able to play an instrument seemed to impress her. I was then led to a room in her house where a guitar sat, looking as if it had seen better days. 

“Can you sing too?” she asked.

“I can,” I replied, “but not as good as you.”

“Play something for me.”

I planned to play the one song I knew by heart, but my hands had never shaken so much from something I knew I could do. I took a deep breath and started a down-down-up up-down-up strumming pattern with the A chord. Amy Carena’s eyes lit up, she knew the song. 

After singing a few more songs, and even practicing new ones, Amy Carena and I shared our last chuckles until it was time for me to go. Amy Carena led me back to the door, and we exchanged farewells. Before Amy Carena opened the door, she pulled me into an embrace.

“Thank you,” she breathed, “for today. We should hang out again soon, I had a lot of fun singing with you.”

“Of course,” I replied as I hugged her back. “I have to go now, I promised my mom I’d be back by dinnertime.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later then, Moir.”

“See ya.”

When I walked out that door, I felt her gaze follow me. When I turned to check and meet her gaze, the door was already closing, and the last I saw of Amy was her brown layers sticking out on the sides on the other side of the doorway.