Free Viral by Alex Van Tol

Chapter One
    You only get one chance. Ever heard that saying?
    It’s true. Especially with the important things in life. So when that one chance rolls around, you can’t afford to screw it up.
    Except, somehow, I did.
    Things had been going so well between Lindsay and me. After years of just being friends, something had shifted in the way I felt about her. I didn’t want to be just friends anymore. And I could kind of tell she didn’t either. You know, from the way she looked at me. The way she talked to me. The way we suddenly felt shy with each other when we hadn’t before. The way my heart kind of skipped a beat when her name came up on my phone.
    It took me months, but I had finally worked up the courage to ask Lindsay out. I had it all planned: I was going to ask her at the year-end party at Sara’s place.
    On the night of the party, I was nervous as hell. Which is stupid, really, because it’s what both of us wanted. But still, you want to do things right, you know?
    So anyway, after a few beers everyone was down at the fire pit, and just Lindsay and I were left sitting on the back deck. It was a cool night in late June. Pink clouds. Still air. The universe had even arranged some lightning flashing on the horizon. Perfect.
    Lindsay was lounging on a chaise. I was hanging out on the double swing. She shivered a little. My cue.
    â€œWant my hoodie?”
    She smiled and shook her head. “I’m okay.” But then she rubbed her arms. Cue number two.
    I patted the seat beside me. “Come sit,” I said. I held up a corner of the blanket that was draped over the swing back. I could easily have tossed it to her. But that wasn’t the point. I wanted her close to me. I couldn’t exactly ask her out if she was, like, ten feet away.
    Sharing a swing with my best friend was something I would’ve done without thinking twice just a few months ago. We would have sat together under the blanket and listened to the sounds of laughter drifting up from the fire pit below. Laughed at how drunk other people were. Made fun of teachers we didn’t like.
    But when it actually means something… it’s different.
    She shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “It is getting chilly.” She stood up. Stretched. God, how had I spent all these years not wanting her? She moved toward the swing. “Shove your butt over, Mikey.” I grinned and she sat down beside me. Kicked off her sandals and brought her legs up under her—those long gymnastics-ripped legs of hers. I handed her some blanket and she tucked her feet underneath. She leaned into me. “This okay?”
    My stomach did a flip-flop. “Yep.” Definitely okay. I took a deep breath. “So,” I began. But then I didn’t know what else to say. My mind was blank.
    Lindsay looked up at me. “Yeah?” The lightning forked a little bit closer. The storm was still too far away for us to hear any thunder. “So?”
    â€œYeah. That’s, uh, that’s some pretty great lightning, you know?” I sounded like an idiot.
    She put her head on my shoulder. “It’s totally great lightning, Mike,” she agreed. I heard the smile in her voice.
    I got a grip on myself and tried again. I was going to do this. “Yeah, so, um, I wanted to ask you something,” I said. I lifted a strand of her hair and wrapped it around my fingers. So soft.
    â€œMm-hmm?” she asked. “What’s that?” Her arm drifted across my stomach and rested there. She never used to do that . She hooked her thumb in one of my belt loops. I took another deep breath and let it out slow. Real slow.
    â€œYeah, so, I was wondering…” Another deep breath. A flash of lightning lit up the horizon. Another followed right on its heels. A puff of wind flipped up the corner of the blanket, exposing Lindsay’s legs. Her amazing endless legs. She reached down absently and flicked it back