The next morning, Chase found himself leaning against his locker, the truth being pushed out of him.
“Hey man,” Matt asked. “What’d you do yesterday afternoon?”
“Oh, went home and studied,” Chase lied.
“Hey, Zoë’s pretty cute,” Andy said. “Why don’t you ask her out?”
“I don’t know. It would be awkward,” Chase said. “But, I think you should take a chance with her friends. Ask them out. You would make a cute couple.”
“Really?” Matt asked.
“Yeah,” Chase said.
“Do you have a date to the Sweethearts Dance yet?” Andy asked.
“No, and I haven’t planned on asking anyone,” Chase replied.
“Ask Zoey,” Andy suggested. “I’m sure she’d say yes.”
“Again, awkward,” Chase said. “Man, you two are mentioning Zoey a lot this morning. Did you see or hear something I should know about?”
“Well, we saw…,” Matt began, but Andy punched his stomach before he could say anymore.
“What we mean is…we know you like Zoey a lot so we thought you’d want to ask her to the dance.”
“That’s a nice offer, but I’ll pass,” Chase said.
At the same time at Zoë’s locker, Zoë’s friends were putting her through the same thing.
“So Zoë. Did you do anything interesting yesterday evening?” Maggie asked.
“Oh, the same,” Zoey lied. “Did all my homework while trying to keep my pesky sister out of my room.”
“Really?” Maggie asked suspiciously.
“Yeah. What were you... following me around after school or something?” Zoey asked.
“Hey, Chase is a cutie isn’t he?” Veronica asked. “And you hang around him so much.”
“Yeah, I do,” Zoey said, reaching into her locker. “What’s your point?”
“You’ve been crushing on him for years, and we know that,” Maggie said.
“You do?” Zoey asked, turning back to her friends.
“Like…duh,” Veronica said. “From your flirty behavior around him, how could we not? We also realize you want more from him. You’re trying to lure him to the next step.”
“What are you talking about?” Zoey asked.
“Zoey, just admit it,” Maggie said. “You’re in love with Chase.”
“Okay, I seriously think you should…,” Zoey began, but stopped when Matt and Andy came up to them.
“Hey,” the boys said.
“Hi. Can we help you?” the girls asked.
“Can we talk to you?” the boys asked Veronica and Maggie.
“Sure,” the girlls replied.
They turned and headed down the hall so they could have a privet conversation.
Chase came up and slipped his arms around Zoey.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Hey,” she replied. “We were just talking about you and you are such a cutie. And, once again, my friends were pressuring me into revealing my true feelings about you. They still want to crack it out of me. Why can’t they let it go?”
“Yeah, I heard your name being mentioned a lot this morning,” Chase said. “They are just getting anxious!”
“Why can’t we just tell them?” Zoey asked. “They’ll keep bugging us until we tell them the truth. By the way, what are your friends doing with my friends anyway?”
“Asking them to the Sweethearts Dance because I told them to,” Chase said. “That reminds me…I have an invitation for you.”
The next morning, Maggie and Veronica went to Zoë’s locker where the three girls meet every morning and the girlls saw a piece of paper sticking out. They grabbed it and were shocked at what was written inside.
Dear Zoey,
Will you be my Valentine? Also, I would like to take you to the Sweethearts dance on Friday. Would you be my date?
Yours Truly,
Chase
They couldn’t believe what they read and instantly began whispering. But they saw Zoey coming, so they slipped the note back where they found it.
After lunch, Chase’s friends were waiting for him at their normal meeting spot, Chase’s locker.
They were a little early, so they stood there chatting when all of a sudden Andy said, “Hey dude. What’s that?”
They both turned to see a slip of paper sticking out of his locker, and they both grabbed it. They read it with shocked expressions on their face.
Dear Chase,
Be mine. I would love to be your date to the Sweethearts Dance for now I long to be on the dance floor with you, just you and me together dancing in the spotlight. For you are the cutest boy I have ever met.
Sincerely,
Zoey
“No way,” Andy said. “Chase said he wasn’t going to ask Zoey to the dance. And “Be mine”? What’s that about?”
“I think he asked her to be his valentine,” Matt explained.
Chase came up to them and his friends put the note back.
“Hey man. What took you so long?” Matt asked.

“Oh, I took Zoey out to lunch,” Chase said. “Hey, did you find a note in my locker? I’m supposed to get one.”
“Here,” Matt said, handing it to him.
“Yes, she said yes,” Chase said.
Zoey and Chase were excited they were going to the dance together and their friends finally knew the whole story.

Zoe skipped happily into school Friday morning and her friends, who were standing at her locker as usual, seemed interested in Zoë’s happiness.
“So, why are you so perky this morning?” Maggie asked.
“Oh, I have great news I’m just bursting to tell you!” Zoe replied.
“Oh, well, we have some news too,” Veronica said. “Matt asked Maggie to be his date to the Sweethearts Dance and Andy asked me to be his date to the Sweethearts Dance.”
“You mean Chase’s friends?” Zoe asked. “Wow, I did not see that coming. But I’m going to the Sweethearts Dance with Chase!”
“Really?” her friends asked, acting like they knew nothing about it.
“Yeah. Did you expect to hear that?” Zoe asked.
“Well, why wouldn’t he ask you?” Maggie asked. “I guess we can just expect some things to happen.”
Only a few moments later, Chase, Matt and Andy came over to the girls and Matt stepped foreword and said, “Well, a good morning to you Maggie and Happy Valentines Day. I present to you, being a gentleman, this bouquet of roses.”
Maggie took them and gave Matt a hug.
Then Andy stepped towards Veronica and said, “My date deserves the best man she could get, so I give to her the best I can get.”
Veronica smiled as he handed her a bouquet of red and pink roses and blew him a kiss.
Chase smiled at his friends, only being thankful they had dates. But when Zoe turned to him, he slipped his in his pockets and smiled shyly at her.
“Hey Chase,” she said. “Happy Valentines Day.”
Chase reached out and pulled Zoe to him and she asked, “So, are we telling them now because it seamed to me when I was talking to my friends before you came they seemed like they knew something.”
“Well, I doubt it, and I have your gift but I’m afraid to give it to you in front of our friends,” Chase whispered.
That night, Zoe was getting ready for the dance and she was glad her older sister Maddie was home from collage to help her.
“So, the Sweethearts Dance,” Maddie said. “I’m surprised you’re actually going to a dance Zoë. Did you get yourself a date?”
“Yeah. Someone actually asked me,” Zoe replied.
“Really? Who would have the brains to ask my little sis Zoe to a dance?” Maddie asked.
“Why don’t you guess and find the surprising answer,” Zoe said.
“Okay. You’ve always had a secret crush on Brian Hanson. Did he ask you?” Maddie asked.
“No way!” Zoe cried. “They are so weird! And I only have a crush on him because he has pretty blue eyes. And Brian has a girlfriend.”
“Oh, that explains so much,” Maddie said sarcastically. “You know, I can’t think of any other cute guys at your school.”
“Um, Chase Mathews,” Zoe reminded her.
“Oh my gosh Zoe! Chase Mathews asked you to be his date to the dance?” Maddie asked. “Oh, it totally slipped my brain.”
“Yeah,” Zoe said. “And he actually knows I have a crush on him and he actually likes me back. But, Maggie and Veronica don’t know.”
“Why are you keeping this from them?” Maddie asked.
“I don’t know,” Zoe admitted. “I really want to tell them because they are forcing it out of me!”
“Then do it,” Maddie said. “Zoe, the reason they are forcing it out of you is because they want you and Chase to be together.”
“Well, he also doesn’t like being around me when my friends are around,” Zoe said. “He loves his “alone time” with me.”
“Well, that’s sending a message saying he’s getting ready to ask you out,” Maddie said.
Right at six, Chase knocked on Zoe’s front door and her little sister Hannah answered.
“Hey Hannah,” he said. “By any chance, is Zoe home?”
“Zoe! Chase is here!” Hannah called.
Zoe glided down wearing a satin pink gown and her hair was French braided down her back, and Chase couldn’t help but gaze at how gorgeous she looked.
“Hey Chase,” she said.
“Hey Zoe,” Chase said. “Wow, you look…wow I’m speechless.”
“Hi Chase,” Maddie said, joining them. “Long time no see.”
“Good evening Maddie,” he replied. “Collage seems to be going smoothly?”
“Yeah. Its all working out,” Maddie said.
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to say this all day Zoe,” Chase said. “Happy Valentines Day.”
He handed her a bouquet of red and pink roses, and she drew a step closer to him.
“Thank you, I love them,” she whispered. “And you couldn’t give these to me this morning because…”
“Because I have another little gift that would make our friends freak,” Chase explained.
“Oh? And that is…,” Zoe asked.
Chase slipped out a box and said, “Close your eyes.”
Zoe closed her eyes and Chase slipped his other gift to her around her neck. When she opened her eyes, she immediately kissed Chase on his cheek.
“Oh it’s perfect, thank you,” she said.
“There’s more,” Chase said, as he turned it over.
In swirl script were two lines engraved in the heart.
Be my Valentine
I love you
“That’s the most romantic phrase anyone could ever give to me on such a great gift,” Zoe said. “I love it.”
Before they headed out, Maddie said to Chase, “Don’t be surprised if she tells you she loves you tonight.”
Arriving at the dance, the music was slow and romantic, just the way they both liked it and immediately, Chase asked Zoe to dance with him.
Slowly they began, for the song was slow and they enjoyed every minute of it as Zoe began to talk.
“Oh, this feels awkward,” she said.
“Why?” Chase asked.
“Well, I’ve been crushing on you my entire life and I’ve never gone to a dance or danced with a boy before,” Zoe admitted. “But you know, now that I’m experiencing it, it so nice, so natural. It makes me feel like I want to kiss you.”
“Well, wait…you’ve never been to a dance?” Chase asked.
“No boy ever asked me, so I never went,” Zoe said.
They continued to dance. Not worrying about the future. Not worrying about the past. The only thing they cared about was the moment they were in. The time went by so fast that they didn’t realize their friends had arrived, and were watching them dance. They only had eyes for each other.
“Wow. And to think these two weren’t meant for each other,” Maggie said. “They are totally smitten with each other.”
By nine, Chase and Zoe were still dancing, but they had a strange feeling that they were being watched and they stopped dancing.
“Why is everyone staring at us?” Zoe whispered to Chase.
“I am proud to announce tonight’s Sweetheart Couple!” the principal said. “Zoe and Chase!”
Everyone cheered as they were crowned.
Then everyone backed away as they began to dance in the spotlight, looking like the most obvious couple to the whole school.
By midnight, they had danced the night away in each other’s arms, but Chase wasn’t ready to take his sweetheart home. ..Not yet anyway.
He took her hand and brought her down to the beach.
“Oh, it’s so pretty here,” Zoe said. “But why are we out here? The dance is over and I…”
But Zoe stopped when Chase began to move, and Zoe had no choice but to follow his lead.
The one thing that captured her that she somehow didn’t notice when they were at the dance was his hair. She moved her hand up to his hair and felt it between her fingers, noticing with his hair slicked back, Chase looked as handsome as she’d ever seen him. He smiled tenderly at her, and it was a night that swept them off their feet.
At last, Chase finally felt like it was time to take her home.
Walking back, Zoe said, “Well, it was an amazing night Chase. It really was.”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine how this night would have turned out if I asked another girl,” Chase said. “Cause you are the only one for me.”
They continued strolling back just gazing into each others eyes, not letting each other speak. They simply just looked at one another, lost in the moment.
On her doorstep, Chase asked, “Oh, and remember when we were dancing, you said you’d kiss me?”
“And what you’re thinking right now is a kiss in the moonlight to end this perfect night is all you want?” Zoe guessed.
“You are exactly right,” Chase whispered.
They began to lean towards each other, and Zoe said, “Oh Chase. I love you.”
As they were about to kiss…
“Zoe and Chase sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes Zoe with the baby carriage,” Hannah said.
They both looked up and smiled.
Chase gently touched her hair and said, “Another day. I love you too, and it feels great that I finally said that to you.”
He kissed her cheek as gently as he touched her hair.
“Good night my sweetheart princess,” he said.
“Good night my sweetheart prince. Sweet dreams,” Zoe said.
He turned and began to head home, as they both knew that they would remember this night forever and always.

“His hair was so slick, he was so dreamy,” Zoe gushed. “And dancing with him made me feel like I was in another world. He kissed my cheek, and I melted. He swept me off my feet.”
“Really?” Veronica asked. “And even though you’re saying all this, you still can’t admit you’re in love with him!!?”
“Hi Veronica, Maggie,” Chase greeted them. “Zoe.”
“Well, uh, we’ve got to go to class,” Maggie said. “Later Zoë.”
They rushed off and left Zoe and Chase standing in the hall.
“So, I came over to invite you to join me on another beach stroll,” Chase said. “Are you interested?”
“Sure,” Zoe said.
The bell rang and they both smiled, as Zoe began to head to class, but Chase pulled her back.
“Oh Chase,” she said. “What are you doing?”
With his arms around her, he whispered, “My sweet princess. Stay here, with me.”
“Oh Chase, that would be skipping class, and I’ve never skipped class before,” Zoe said. “My handsome prince, you love me and that is all I know. But we will have to wait to see each other again after the sun goes down.”
He kissed her cheek and he finally released her, watching her longingly as she began to walk down the hall and into class.
“Dude, you took Zoe to the dance, you two were crowned the Sweetheart Couple, and you two were dancing like you two were the most obvious couple in the whole room,” Andy said. “I can’t believe you still won’t tell us the truth.”
It was lunch and Matt and Andy began again.
“Yeah, she was one hot chick Ffridaynight,” Matt said. “Oh man I wish she was my date.”
“Hey, she was my date and Maggie wasn’t good enough for you?” Chase asked. “I’ll tell you guys when the time is right.”
That afternoon, Chase snuck up behind Zoe and whispered, “Guess who.”
“Hmm, Abraham Lincoln?” Zoe guessed.
“No, it’s Chase,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“I knew that,” Zoe said. “I was just playing with you.”
Another late afternoon stroll. They began to walk, as the air was cooling down making them feel a slight chill.
When Zoe shivered, Chase just said, “Oh, here. Just cozy up against me.”
Zoe nuzzled into him and Chase wrapped his arms around her and Zoe felt his body heat on her skin and she stayed by his side all the way.
Watching the sunset on the sand, Chase whispered, “Zoe, you are perfect in every way. Love is an emotion I cannot describe. But with you by my side, my words can flow and you will forever be mine.”
“Oh Chase, although I’ve always seen you as a crush, when I look in your eyes now, I see the eyes of a boyfriend I know I can trust,” Zoe said. “Love is divine and your heart will always be with mine.”
Walking back to Zoe’s place, their eyes were locked on each other’s faces and knew the present was the only thing that mattered.
Another time, Chase kissed Zoe on her cheek and watched her slowly disappear into her house.
From the living room window, Zoe watched Chase disappear in the moonlight becoming one of the shadows. Although she knew she loved him, she felt like he was trying to put her in a position she didn’t want to be in and she had to say something.

They went on and Zoe enjoyed it all.
The sunset walks and kisses on her doorstep.
But at the same time, it was all too fast for her. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she knew she had to tell him, so finally, she did.
“Hey Chase,” she said softly.
“Hey Zoë,” he said. “So tonight I was thinking…”
“Chase, I love you and you know that,” Zoe said. “But this is all too fast for me. I think we need to take a break and maybe get back to it in a little while.”
“What?” Chase asked. “What…what are you…dumping me? I haven’t even tried really asking you out I…”
“Don’t say anything,” Zoe said. “I just have all these mixed feelings right now, I think this is for the best.”
“No Zoe we can work it out. We can get through it together,” Chase said. “Don’t do this to me.”
She began to walk down the hall, her face streaming with tears, as she walked to out the doors of the school.
“Zoe please I…,” Chase tried calling to her but she never looked back.
He looked in his hand, and there sat the necklace which she dropped in his hand before she left.
“Dude, you okay?” Andy asked as he, Chase and Matt began to walk home.
Staring into his palm, Chase whispered, “She dumped me.”
“Zoe what?” Andy asked.
“She thought I was moving too fast with her, so she dumped me,” Chase said.
“Oh man, I feel your pain,” Matt said. “But we have something to tell you…”
“Later guys,” Chase said, as he turned to go walk along the beach.
“When are we going to tell him?” Matt asked.
“Tomorrow at lunch,” Andy said.
The next day at lunch, Andy, Matt and Chase sat down at their normal table and Chase barely touched his food.
“Look Chase, we’ve kind of known about you and Zoe’s little romance,” Andy confessed.
“Its not like we meant to know, but we were eager,” Matt said. “We saw the notes when you were getting Zoe to go to the dance with you.”
“Well now that’s over because Zoe won’t even talk to me,” Chase said. “Do you know what it feels like? To think you’re a beast because the girl you love thinks you’re trying to force her into a relationship? I love her. I love her with all my heart. And now its all ruined.”
“Wow. That is tough,” Matt said.
“I’ve gotta go and think this over,” Chase said. “But thanks for being truthful even though you knew I’d been untruthful, I apologize. But now, I’ve got some thinking to do.”
As he was in class, all Chase could think of was how to win Zoe back.

Zoe spent many hours lost in thought of Chase, and she knew now it was wrong of her to dump him. She just let her conscience take over and apparently, this is where she now lies.
Her days were spent leaning against her locker, daydreaming about the life she would have if she and Chase were together.
“Oh Chase. You are such a good kisser,” Zoe sighed.
“Hey Zoë,” Maggie said.
“Oh Chase, I could spend the whole night in your arms,” Zoe said. “You are so dreamy!”
“Uh, hello!” Veronica cried. “Earth to Zoe Harrington.”
Zoe snapped out of her dreaming and realized where she stood in reality. “Oh, hey girls,” she said.
“We need to talk to you,” Maggie said. “We realize from what you’ve been daydreaming about, you obviously have feelings for Chase.”
“Well, we were in total sweethearts heaven until a few days ago I told him I felt like he was pushing me into something uncomfortable, but it was my stupid conscience,” Zoe said. “I love him. I love him with all my heart and I want to be with him forever. My life feels complete every time he’s around me. He’s just…the one.”
“Wow. You’re talking about him like you’ve never talked about him before,” Veronica said. “But we’ve known you two were in love when we snuck a peek at that letter Chase sent you about the Sweethearts Dance.”
“Oh, I knew something was up that morning,” Zoe said. “But you can forget that now. I feel like Chase hates me now because I broke his heart.”
She went on day by day. It was torture. Chase was all Zoe had on her mind. She wanted to change the past and make sure she never broke his heart by letting her conscience over power her and say things she knew she’d never say, but she knew she was no wizard with a magic spell to transport herself back in time. She needed him now more than she ever wanted him at her side. And what made her agonize the most was seeing him at school in the hallway everyday. That only made her want to jump in his arms and he’d carry her off like a fairytale princess story ended and they’d ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after.
No. She no longer believed in those stories and those happy endings that only happened in books.
This is reality and reality doesn’t have any Prince Charming and Cinderella “fit the shoe on the girl’s foot and I’ll marry her”.
To her, none of that was real.
Though she believed all that would happen when she and Chase were happily flirting, it was clear to her now that would never happen. Never, never, never!
Well, that was until a week after their break up when Zoe went down to the beach and saw him. “Hey Zoë,” he said.
“Hey.”

They stared at each other, not knowing what to say. It was hard to believe it had been a whole week since they had separated.
They stood, not moving, and not knowing where to go next.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Chase moved towards Zoe and drew her to him, resting her body against his and Zoe didn’t pull away.
“I’m sorry I was so mean to you last week,” Zoe said.
“You weren’t mean,” Chase said. “You were just scared. I’m sorry too. I thought I was just taking little steps until I could finally ask you out.”
“It was my conscience that over powered me,” Zoe said. “I bet you hated me after that.”
“We’re here now, so how could I have hated you?” Chase asked. “You were all I could think about for the past week. My friends told me that they saw your reply to my invitation to the Sweethearts Dance.”
“So did mine,” Zoe said. “And all I could do was dream of the relationship we’d have if we were together.”
“Well, you no longer have to dream,” Chase said. “Zoe Harrington, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Oh I would love to,” Zoe said.
Then Chase reached in his pocket and drew out the necklace and put it back around Zoe’s neck and she knew she’d wear it forever.
Then Chase leaned towards Zoe and finally…finally their shared their first kiss and the world melted away to both of them as all they could feel were each other’s soft lips.
They separated and Zoe said, “Wow. You are as good of a kisser as I imagined you were.”
“Thank you,” Chase said. “And, I would like to tell you this again…I love you.”
“I’ve been waiting a week to hear that from you again,” Zoe said. “I love you as much as you love me.”
“Will you be my sweetheart princess?” Chase asked.
“As long as you’re my sweetheart prince,” Zoe said. “Oh, my life has hope for a fairytale ending.”
“Oh, our relationship will always be a fairytale ending,” Chase said. “And now, I believe we need to tell our friends about this.”
The next morning, Zoe and Chase came into school with big smiles on their faces, looking happy with Chase’s arms wrapped around Zoe.
“So, give us the good news,” Maggie said.
“Well, me and my sweetheart princess are at last, an item,” Chase said.
“It’s a fairytale ending after all,” Zoe said dreamily as Chase leaned in to kiss her.
“Oh, we’re so happy for you guys,” Andy said. “And everyone voted you two the Sweethearts Couple, and at last, it’s true.”
It was a fairytale ending.The perfect one that Zoe and Chase could only dream of, had finally become a reality. It would be sweetheart heaven for them both for as long as they could make it last…