She dips her chin. “I didn’t do much. Prom wouldn’t have happened at all without you.”
“Yeah, but you came through when I couldn’t,” I insist. “Last night never would have happened without you. The good parts of last night, I mean.”
“And some of the bad parts, too.” She laughs. A really loud, un-Catherine-like burst of laughter. The kind she wasn’t afraid to let loose when we were kids. “Are we seriously fighting over who deserves the most credit for Morp?”
Folding his arms over his chest, Owen laughs, too. “I think I win that title.”
Catherine and I share a mutual eye roll.
“There he goes,” she says. “As if the Prom King crown wasn’t enough.”
“That’s the Owen we know and love.” I offer my hand to Catherine. “Friends…again?”
She clasps my fingers in hers, and we shake. “Of course.”
When she drops her hand, I throw my arms around her for a hug. Her shoulders tense for a second before she hugs me back.
Dad’s car remote chirps, and he calls my name, anxious to leave.
“One more minute,” I shout to him.
Owen stands behind me, his hands on my shoulders. “We need to go. But, thanks, Cat. You’re the best.”
I raise my hand to fist bump, and Catherine meets me halfway. “I’m happy to know you secretly had my back all this time.”
She grins. “Same here, Evil Skater Girl.”
I gasp. “How did you know my screen name?”
“Just a guess.” Turning to Owen, she winks. “I knew you weren’t hiding out in your bedroom to play video games alone.” She flicks some of the jailhouse grime off her still-gorgeous, but torn, gown. “See you both Monday afternoon. There’s a planning meeting for the graduation committee.”
Owen starts to cough and gag.
“We won’t be there!” I shout after her. “I’m done. Don’t even ask.”
She’s still laughing when her mother drives her out of the parking lot.
“Do you think your mom will drop you off at my house?” I twist back around to face Owen. “We can have a post-prom party for two.”
He leans in and kisses me. The ground shakes gently beneath my feet.
“If you’re planning a party, I’ll be there. Even if you accidentally destroy the universe in the process.”
“The only thing I plan on destroying is virtual aliens. But sometimes…things get out of hand.”
“Slightly,” he agrees.
“It’s not like everything was my fault.”
“Not all of it. I’m pretty sure you’d have trouble finding a way to trigger a tornado and blast fireworks at the perfect trajectory to set a wine barrel on fire. Outside of Immortal Quest, anyway.” He shoots me his most infectious smile.
I press up on my toes and give him a fast kiss. “Best prom ever.”
“History was made.” Stepping back, he bows and holds out his hand, ready to escort me across the parking lot. “Let’s go, Prom Queen. We need to finish our senior year before someone turns us loose on the rest of the world.”
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Acknowledgments
Writing is an up and down business. When you’re down, you need friends to pick you up, and I have one of the best in Theresa Hernandez. I’m not sure how we started along this co-writing path or how we made the hundreds of decisions that need to be agreed upon to create a book together, but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have done this with anyone else. My eternal thanks to her for putting up with my quirks and knowing how to keep us on track through this long process.
My gratitude also goes out to Stacy Abrams, who saw the potential in our manuscript and helped turn it into the best possible book we could write. You’re a pleasure to work with and made our job seem easy.
Also, deep appreciation to everyone at Entangled who worked so hard to bring our words to life; Hannah, Heather, Riki, and Curtis, plus everyone else behind the scenes.
Thank you to all our beta readers who were so willing to provide their candid feedback in polite fashion. Jen Oddo, Tricia Tighe, and Meredith, Carine, Marnie, and Allison, you’re the best! And thank you to our law enforcement consultant Paul Nienhaus, for his expert advice.
Finally, thanks to my husband Dean for always knowing when I need to take a walk and break away from my computer, and to Dean, Matt, and Kristen, my go-to sources for questions about gaming. I’m so grateful for you! - Jen
…
I’d like to second all of Jen’s sentiments. I loved collaborating with her on this project. It’s different than writing alone, and I feel like I’m a better writer for the effort. An extra thanks to Stacy Abrams who believed in our little book and helped us bring it to the world. In addition to the team at Entangled and our wonderful beta readers and consultant, I’d like to thank my husband Ernie for always supporting me, and my amazing kids, Mattea, Noah, and Grayson for reading through it for me and helping my teen characters stay authentic. Mattea, your love of musical theater and endless hours of watching musicals and shows about teens in musicals helped me craft a character who loves the stage as much as you do. - Theresa
About the Authors
Jennifer DiGiovanni writes mostly YA contemporary, with a few superheroes thrown in the mix. When she’s not reading or writing, she likes to try new sports and activities, from archery to ballroom dancing, all in the name of book research.
T.H. Hernandez is a young adult author of six novels, spanning the contemporary, post-global warming/dystopian, and urban scifi genres. She lives in San Diego, California with her husband, three kids, and a zoo-worthy collection of animals. Her latest release, PROM-WRECKED, was co-written with Jennifer DiGiovanni and releases May 2019 from Entangled Teen.
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