They were gold and shiny with embossed letters, like an invitation to a fancy party. “I am so jealous,” I told her, mostly playing.
It had been a full month since that date with Aaron, and we hadn’t had a chance to go on another once since. Not with everything we each had going on.
Not to mention the fact that David was just around all of the time. Sometimes it felt like we were the three musketeers, forget Aaron being my boyfriend.
I handed them back, and she placed them carefully in her bag. “I can’t wait. You have to help me choose a dress. This is Ben’s senior year, and I want everything to be perfect.”
I glanced back at the table. There was still a long line of students purchasing their tickets, and I wished I was one of them.
Scarlett glanced back too. “What’s up?” she asked.
I sighed. “I hadn’t really thought about this before,” I told her. After shutting my locker, we walked together to lunch. “How is this supposed to work? I mean, if this whole thing between Aaron and me is a secret and no one can find out, then that means that we can’t go to prom together.”
Saying the words out loud had a frog appearing in my throat and my eyes tearing up.
This was going to be the winter dance all over again, but so much worse.
This was our junior prom. He was my boyfriend.
And we wouldn’t be able to share a dance or take a cheesy picture together that we’d look back at in thirty years and feel completely mortified over.
We wouldn’t be able to be together on such a special night or create any memories together.
All of a sudden, I was doubting everything.
Maybe this had been the wrong choice.
I hadn’t really thought it through, not this anyway.
We would never be able to go to prom together, and I hated that.
Scarlett stopped me and gave me a hug. “I’m so sorry, Rach.” She looked at me. “There has to be some way to figure this out.” After a second, the flash of hope in her face morphed to disappointment.
There wasn’t a way to make this work.
This was going to be the most special prom yet. The student committee was going all out, they’d rented a special venue, and the theme was absolutely glamourous.
And I was going to be going alone. Maybe not at all.
I had to talk to Aaron about this, but one thing I knew for sure.
It was impossible for us to go to prom together. I just couldn’t see a way around it.
Scarlett and I continued walking towards the cafeteria. “You’ve got a few weeks. Maybe by then… you guys will have figured something out or you guys can tell your brother?”
I shook my head. “I just don’t see how that would help. Him knowing would only make things worse.”
Scarlett exhaled. “What if you guys went out on a date instead?” she tried. “Everyone would be at prom. You guys could do your own thing?”
I shrugged. “I guess, but…” I teared up again at the thought of missing prom, though. “I just wouldn’t be the same. It sucks that we’d have no choice but to miss out on prom. And if neither of us went, I’m pretty sure my brother would get suspicious anyway.”
A knot formed in my chest. Why hadn’t I thought this through better?
I cleared my throat. “You go. I’ll catch up in a few minutes, okay? Bathroom.”
Scarlett gave me this look like she wanted to help me, but she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do. “Okay.”
She left, and I headed in the opposite direction towards the nearest bathroom. I closed the stall and sat down.
Tears fell down my cheeks.
It wasn’t just prom.
It was the past several weeks. Our one-month anniversary had come and gone, and we hadn’t been able to do anything.
We hadn’t been able to go on a single date since our first one ages ago.
Prom was coming up in a few weeks, and we wouldn’t be able to go together.
On a daily basis, we were hardly able to get a moment alone.
In the beginning, it had felt so easy.
Now David was going to practice every day again, which meant that he rode with us in the morning and in the afternoon.
We didn’t have those afternoon car rides home together anymore, not for a while.
The fact was that we didn’t get any time together.
It was impossible.
Before, a moment here or there had been enough.
But this? This wasn’t