Phones came out.
Jada appeared beside me, close enough that her shoulder brushed mine. “Don’t give them fear.”
I swallowed and lifted my chin.
Noah looked at me. “We can still go.”
“No,” I said, though my voice came out thinner than I wanted. “We came to prom. I’m nervous, but I’m okay.”
Jada nodded toward the dance floor. “Then go dance!”
I almost laughed. “Right now?”
“Right now.”
“We can still go.”
Noah held my hand a little looser, waiting for me to choose.
That mattered, so I stepped forward.
We made it maybe five steps before the footballers showed up. Chad moved in front of us. Nathan came up beside him, already smiling like he’d found the funniest thing in the room.
Ali lingered behind them, quiet enough to pretend he wasn’t part of it.
Chad looked me up and down. “Wow.”
I stopped. “Use a full sentence.”
We made it maybe five steps before the footballers showed up.
His smile twitched. “Big entrance.”
“Move, Chad,” Jada said.
“I’m not in your way.”
Nathan looked at Noah. “You really walked in with him like that?”
Noah’s jaw tightened. “Of course I did.”
Chad gave a short laugh. “Come on, Damien. You knew people were going to say something.”
“I knew you would,” I said. “That’s different.”
“I’m not in your way.”
