Caught off guard
VIOLET
It's that time of the school year again,when excitement flood in the hallways and everyone's talking about one thing --prom. Flyers decorated the walls, announcement for nominations and posters about the upcoming night to remember. It was hard to escape,prom fever was everywhere gripping the entire school. Everyone gathered in a group chattering excitedly about dresses,dates and of course,who might be crowned prom king and queen.
It was funny, I'd never been one to care much for these things but this year,it felt different
I pushed my newly cut hair behind my ear, a small smile tugging at my lips. It was strange how a change as small as a haircut could make me feel... different. Confident, maybe. I had grown to like the way it framed my face.
Just ahead, a small group stood gathered around the school bulletin board where prom updates had been pinned. The theme was written in bold letters: A Night Under the Stars. Posters and flyers decorated the walls, and names of potential prom court candidates were already circulating. It seemed everyone was eager to know who Ryan’s date would be.
“Who else could it be? It’s obviously Evelyn,” one girl said confidently, rolling her eyes as if the answer were common knowledge.
“I don’t know,” another voice chimed in. “I mean, they haven’t been officially together or anything. Do you really think he’ll take her?”
The first girl shrugged, smiling slyly. “She’s always been his prom date. Who else would he take? I bet he’s just waiting for the right moment to ask her.”
The thought of Ryan and Evelyn at prom together made my stomach turn, though I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like I had any claim on him—and after the past events,I've decided to keep my relationship with me purely siblings to siblings and it's going well. We've been relating quite fine ever since that night.
Well,if there's anything I was grateful for, it's that prom came at the time the rumors about me spread. It made students shift their focus and I could breathe now.
“Hey, there you are!” A familiar voice chimed behind me. I turned to see Ashley approaching with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. She squealed and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Whoa, easy there! What’s the good news?” I asked, laughing as I stepped back
“Guess what?” she said, her voice brimming with excitement.
“What?” I replied
“I just said to guess!” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Kyle just asked me to be his date!”
Ashley’s eyes sparkled with joy
"Wow, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!” I grinned, catching Ashley's enthusiasm as she practically bounced on her feet, hands clasped tightly.
"I know! I can’t believe it either!” she gushed. "We’ve been hanging out more lately, and then he just asked me over text this morning! I think I’m still in shock!"
Her excitement was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was good to see her like this, being enthusiastic over a guy after the heartbreak her ex put her through.
“Do you have your dress picked out yet?” I asked, touching my hair slightly
“Not yet. But I’ve been looking online for inspiration," she replied with a laugh. "I want something that’ll totally knock his socks off!”
Her laughter bubbled up just as we heard a familiar, casual commotion in the hallway. I didn’t need to look to know that Ryan was walking through, but I glanced over anyway, catching sight of him with his usual aura. The surrounding buzz of admiration and whispered praises followed him like a magnetic wave.
Ashley nudged me suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Who do you think Ryan will ask to prom?”
The question caught me off guard. “Uh… why are you asking that?” I replied with a faint chuckle. “Isn’t it obvious? It’ll be Evelyn.”
Ashley’s gaze sharpened as she studied me. “You really think so?”
“Of course,” I replied quickly, trying to sound casual. “They’re the perfect match for each other.”
She tilted her head, as if debating whether to press further, but before she could, her expression brightened as she glanced over my shoulder. “Hey, here comes Luke!”
I turned just in time to see Luke making his way down the hall, a familiar smile on his face as he approached us.
."Wow, look at you two,” he said, nodding at both me and Ashley. “When did you both decide to chop off your hair? Trying to start a trend or something?” he teased, running a hand through his own recently cropped hair.
“It’s called a fresh start, Luke. You wouldn’t understand.” Ashley replied as she flickered her hair
“She’s right. New hair, new vibe. You should try it sometime.” I added
Luke shook his head “I think I’ll pass on the trend, thanks. Don’t think I could pull off the short-hair look as well as you two.”
After the laughter settled, Luke’s face softened as he looked at me. “Hey, Vi… mind if we step aside for a second? I actually wanted to talk to you.”
Ashley raised her eyebrows but gave me a nudge. “Go ahead. I’ll hold down the fort here,” she said, winking at us before blending back into the crowds
Turning back to Luke, I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach. “What do you want to talk to me about?”
Luke hesitated, glancing down before meeting my gaze again. The nervous energy radiating from him was palpable “Actually, I…"
Before he could finish, a familiar scent caught my attention—a clean, unmistakable cologne I’d come to recognize instantly. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.
“Violet.” Ryan’s baritone voice resonated from behind me.
I spun around, meeting his gaze. “Ryan?” I asked, my tone coming out more like a question. What was he doing here?
I need to talk to you for a moment,” he said, his eyes locked on mine.
I glanced back at Luke. “Oh, actually… I’m in the middle of something right now,” I began “Maybe we could talk later?
“No Violet. You should listen to him. It's no big deal. We can talk about it later” Luke chimed in and my forehead creased to a frown
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, sure,” he murmured, giving me a reassuring nod before turning and walking away.
Now, standing alone with Ryan, I felt a flutter of nerves in my stomach as I awaited what he had to say.
“I’m sure you didn’t come here just to not say anything,” I said,after what it felt like a minute of standing without any word
His gaze bore into mine with an intensity that made me shudder.
Then, the words that escaped his lips stole the breath from my lungs.
“Be my date for prom.”
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