by Sandy Hall
“Oh hell, yeah. If I said Caillou, then you could be sure I was a psychopath.”
The conversation only got better from there, and when the check came they all walked out of the restaurant together.
Brian grabbed Jacinta’s hand to stop her in the middle of the parking lot. Kelsey and Mike walked ahead of them.
“Thanks for, you know, going out with me,” he said.
He was maybe kind of adorable. “You’re welcome. Thanks for paying. You really didn’t have to do that.”
“That’s what the guy is supposed to do, right?”
“Sure, if you want to be old-fashioned about it.” Jacinta smiled to show him she was teasing.
“So, Kelsey mentioned that you needed a date to the prom.”
“She did, huh?”
“Yeah, I’d be happy to go with you.”
“I’d be pretty happy to go with you, too,” Jacinta said. And she meant it.
“As long as it’s not June first.”
Jacinta’s jaw dropped. “It’s totally June first.”
“Oh, that’s the night of my graduation. It’s private school. We finish earlier than public. I didn’t even think of it.”
Jacinta patted Brian’s arm, comforting him, even though now she was down another possible date for the prom. “It’s okay. I really did have fun tonight. Maybe we could see each other again sometime.”
“Totally,” Brian said with a grin. They exchanged numbers, and Jacinta tried not to feel like the whole night was for nothing.
She slid into the back seat, and Kelsey turned around expectantly. “So?”
“He can’t go to the prom. It’s the same night as his graduation.”
“Oh,” Mike said.
“Oops?” Kelsey said.
Chapter 15
Otis
When Madison texted to see if Otis wanted to go to a late movie Saturday night, he knew he should have said no. His curfew was eleven; he definitely wasn’t going to be allowed to see a movie at ten.
But it was getting late in his senior year, and it was a movie he really wanted to see that probably wouldn’t be in the theater much longer, so he said yes.
And the little voice inside his head cheered, because just maybe he’d get in trouble and maybe then he wouldn’t even get to go to the prom or deal with any of this hotel room stuff. Considering how strict his parents were, it didn’t seem all that far-fetched.
For example, one time his older sister told them she was going to a daylong volleyball camp and went to the beach instead. She was grounded for the rest of the summer. Like seriously grounded. On-lockdown grounded for over a month. She practically wept with joy and kissed the floor on the first day of school.
Otis had never really gotten into big trouble with them, so maybe it was time to see exactly how strict they were.
He slipped past his mom in the living room just after nine and said he’d be right back, making sure to close the door quick before she could ask any questions. His dad was out of town on business, and his mom always went to bed early. She’d never even notice what time he got back as long as he didn’t wake her up.
Madison and Otis bought their tickets and went into the theater. Otis put his cell phone on silent as soon as he got into Madison’s car and decided not to look at it out of fear his mom might be asking too many questions.
The movie took his mind off the situation completely and eased his worry, especially when he saw that he didn’t have any texts from his mom after the movie was over. There was no way she’d still be awake when he got home.
When Madison invited him back to her house after the movie, he didn’t even think twice about saying yes. Madison’s mom was loose about Madison’s curfew and she wasn’t even home when they got there. In fact, what eventually woke Otis up after he and Madison fell asleep watching Netflix was Madison’s mom setting off the burglar alarm coming into the house.
When he got back to his house, he tiptoed through the front door. The TV was off and there was a pile of pillows and blankets on the couch. He was sure his mom was under it, which meant he was definitely, 100 percent going to win this round.
He was patting himself on the back, literally, as he stepped into his room and slipped off his shoes.
But when he turned on his bedside lamp, there was a mound under the blankets on his bed, in the shape of his mother. The shape was unmistakable.
He panicked. There was no way around this. Unless he pretended he’d been in the basement all night or something. But they didn’t have a finished basement, so unless he had been down there using the treadmill or doing laundry for the past—he glanced at his alarm clock—six and a half hours, neither of which his mother would buy, he was screwed. Completely screwed.
(So screwed he might not be allowed to go to prom and could avoid having to talk to Luke about the hotel room. That was the silver lining.)
His mom was still definitely asleep. Maybe he could curl up next to her and convince her she had sleepwalked into his room.
As he was going through a variety of other scenarios, she woke up and stared right at him.
“Well, hello, Otis.”
“Hi, Mom.”
She sat up, throwing off the quilt his oma had made him when he was five.
“Fancy seeing you here, in your room, at four in the morning.”
“I was in the basement,” he said, his voice high pitched and squeaky like he’s twelve.
She tsked. “Keep your voice down and don’t wake up your sisters.”
“Okay,” he said. And then he decided to try a different tactic. He yawned and stretched. “Well, I’m exhausted. Guess I should get back to sleep.”
“Where were you?”
“The basement?”
She stood up and shook her head, walking slowly to the door.
“You’re grounded,” she said over her shoulder.
“Wait, for how long?” Otis asked.
“Let’s say forever.”
“Can’t we negotiate this?” he asked, his hands going clammy at the thought of having to tell Luke he couldn’t go to the prom with him. He’d made a huge mistake.
“It’s four o’clock in the morning. I’m not negotiating anything. You snuck out of the house, didn’t tell me where you were going, then lied when you got home and ruined my sleep. You wouldn’t have pulled this if your father was home.”
He couldn’t deny that.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m sure you are, but we’re done discussing this.”
As she pulled the door closed behind her she said, “Good night.”
Otis threw himself down on his bed.
He knew enough to let it go for now. There was no reason to try to discuss it with his mother. But he would bring it up in the morning, and if that didn’t work he would wait until his dad got back and figure out a way to make them listen about the prom.
He flipped over onto his side and squeezed his eyes shut.
Except maybe it was fate getting him out of the whole hotel room mess and whatever embarrassing situation was sure to happen there.
If he couldn’t go to the prom, he wouldn’t have to talk to Luke about how nervous he was at the prospect of what the hotel room entailed.
He’d put in an effort, because that’s what Otis did. He was stubborn and he loved a good debate. But if didn’t work, it didn’t work.
He’d have to accept it and so would Luke.
Lizzie
When Lizzie arrived at Madison’s house Sunday afternoon, Luke’s car was sitting out front. If she had known Luke was going to be there, she would have asked him for a ride instead of waiting for her dad to get up after working the night shift.
Madison’s mom let her in, and Lizzie ran up the stairs to Madison’s room where she could hear an argument in progress.
“All I’m saying,” Luke said through the crack in the door, “is that he wouldn’t have gone out last night if you hadn’t invited him.”
�
�Well, all I’m saying is that if he knew he’d get in trouble he shouldn’t have said yes!” Madison retorted.
Lizzie knocked loudly on the door. “I’m coming in!” she yelled through it.
Madison was standing on one side of her unmade bed, and Luke was standing on the other. If Lizzie hadn’t known better she would have thought they were having a very heated argument about the best way to make a bed.
“So,” Lizzie said in a sugary-sweet voice, dragging out the o. “I take it everyone is having a lovely Sunday afternoon?”
Luke crossed his arms and huffed out a breath. Madison slumped into her desk chair and stared out the window.
“I feel like I’m about to play referee here.”
Madison turned to look at Lizzie. “Otis and I went out to a late movie last night, and he got caught sneaking back in. Luke thinks this is somehow my fault.”
“It’s totally her fault that Otis got into trouble! He might be grounded from the prom,” Luke said.
“I’m confused. How is this Madison’s fault?”
“Thank you!” Madison said. “That’s what I want to know, but he doesn’t have a good answer for that question. His logic is baseless.”
“Madison lured Otis out of his house.”
“Why would she lure him out of his house?”
Luke scoffed but didn’t answer.
“No, I’m serious. This is a serious question. I don’t understand your use of the word lured here.”
“Neither do I,” Madison said.
“Well, I guess,” Luke said, “she lured him out by offering to go see some dumb movie that I didn’t want to see, so of course he went with her.”
Lizzie looked at Madison. “I didn’t want him to get in trouble. You can even read the texts. I specifically asked if he would get in trouble for going out late.”
Lizzie read the texts. “This is pretty damning evidence that she was not trying to get him in trouble,” she said to Luke.
Luke sat down on the end of Madison’s bed. “I know.”
Lizzie turned to Madison. “And since when are you allowed out so late?”
“My mom was on a date, and I knew she wouldn’t be home until really late.”
“Oh,” Lizzie said. “She did look a little tired when she let me in.”
Madison nodded.
“Anyway,” Lizzie said. “You both realize you’re being ridiculous, right?”
“Yes,” Luke said.
“Yeah,” Madison said.
They both seemed so resigned.
“Hug,” Lizzie demanded.
Madison got up and sat next to Luke, giving him an awkward side hug that lasted all of three seconds.
“Hug like you mean it,” Lizzie said.
This time they hugged full on and Luke rubbed Madison’s back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Otis has just been really weird lately. Like he doesn’t want to go to the prom with me.”
Madison pulled away from him. “Don’t be silly. Of course he wants to go to the prom with you.”
Luke shrugged.
Lizzie sat down and leaned her head on his shoulder. Madison did the same on his other side.
“Otis likes you a lot, and he wants to go to prom with you,” Lizzie said.
“Thanks, guys,” Luke said. “Now let’s talk about something better. Like how is Mystery Boy, Lizzie?”
“He’s fine,” Lizzie said, sliding to the floor. “But prom is so expensive!”
“Oh,” Madison said. “Otis and I were talking about everyone chipping in and getting a limo.” She turned to Luke. “See! There’s proof he wants to go to the prom with you.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “That’s just proof that he wants a limo.”
“So you’re telling me that I just used the majority of my most recent Hot Potato paycheck to buy a ticket to the prom and now you want me to chip in for a limo?”
“Well, maybe we could just go in Luke’s car,” Madison said.
“I didn’t even know you decided you were going to prom,” Lizzie said.
Madison shrugged. “I need to see what happens with Mystery Boy. Obviously.”
Lizzie smiled and shook her head. “But seriously all this money for one night! Such a waste.”
Luke looked her earnestly. “You’re going to be one of those people who get married at city hall, aren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s financially reasonable. I’ll use the money I would have otherwise spent on a wedding to go to grad school or something.”
“So wise,” Madison said.
Lizzie wasn’t feeling very wise. She felt like she was hemorrhaging money. Hopefully Mystery Boy would be worth it in the end.
“Hey, not to totally change the subject,” Madison said. “But do you guys ever think that Cora Wilson might be into girls?”
“I have never once thought that about Cora Wilson, because she’s been in a relationship with Jamie Fitzpatrick since birth,” Luke said. “But I realize how closed minded that sounds and am therefore open to the discussion.”
“I agree with Luke,” Lizzie said. “On both counts.”
“Well, I would like to discuss this with the group.” Madison grabbed a notebook from her bag. “I have a list I’ve been keeping in biology since we’re lab partners. I think my gaydar is finally starting to work.”
Chapter 16
Cameron
“Do you have the book we need for English?” Landon asked from the door of Cameron’s room.
Cameron turned in his chair to look at his stepbrother. The two boys weren’t friends at school, and when their parents got married last year it didn’t exactly make them friends at home, either. Suffice it to say, this was not a usual occurrence.
Cameron went through his backpack while Landon lingered by the bulletin board on the far side of Cameron’s room, acting very interested in Cameron’s work schedule that was tacked there.
“Here,” Cameron said. Landon walked over and grabbed the novel, practically skipping out of the room without so much as a thank-you.
“Hey, wait,” Cameron said.
Landon turned around.
“Do you think everyone at school hates me?” Cameron asked. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to say, but the opportunity to talk to Landon about this had never really presented itself before. Landon might actually be able to give him the best, most unbiased answer to this question.
Landon had approximately the reaction that Cam would have expected, had he planned to ask the question in the first place. He glanced longingly at the door and the hallway to freedom, but then turned around.
“Hate is a really strong word,” Landon said.
“Then what word would be better?” Cameron couldn’t shake the feeling that Laptop Girl would take one look at him on prom night and run screaming in the other direction when she realized that she’d been communicating anonymously with the school pariah all year long. When he’d chosen the full-on hermit life, he obviously hadn’t factored Laptop Girl into the equation.
“I think you act weird, so everyone acts weird.”
“Have you ever heard anyone talking about me?”
“Well, yeah. They’re not exactly delicate around me. I honestly don’t think most people even know our parents are married.”
“So what do they say?”
Landon shrugged. “I heard someone say you were dealing drugs and that’s why you stopped talking to people and aren’t around anymore.”
“What? Who?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see them. I just heard them. I wasn’t exactly running to find out who it was and defend your honor.”
Cameron rolled his eyes. “Thanks for that.”
“Honestly, Cam. I haven’t put that much thought into this.”
“You thought about it enough that when I asked if people hated me you had a pretty good answer.”
Landon sighed and took a seat on Cameron’s bed. “When someone changes like you did, and totally falls off the grid, people are going to talk.�
�
“But why would they assume I was doing drugs?”
Landon shrugged. “Why not? People love to gossip. I mean, I don’t love to gossip. But it’s part of human nature.”
“Okay.”
“Like the other day I heard that Amelia Vaughn asked Henry Lai to the prom. And apparently that’s true.”
“That doesn’t sound true.”
“I know! That’s why it was so crazy. So I ended up asking Amelia about it. And it’s a real thing.”
“Are they, like, dating?” Cameron could not imagine Henry even talking to Amelia without having a mild panic attack, forget actually going to the prom with her, or dating her.
“I don’t think so,” Landon said. “I didn’t get that impression at least.”
“People really do love to gossip.”
“And sometimes the rumors are true.”
“Well, except for the people who have been saying that I’m dealing drugs. They’re lying.”
“Well, yeah, but they’re obviously an asshat who’s looking for attention.”
“I messed up,” was all Cameron said in response. He had a lot of thoughts happening all at once. But he had obviously messed up if he somehow ended being a rumored drug dealer.
“I guess. I don’t really understand why you decided to become a hermit senior year. But you probably aren’t totally messed up.”
“You really think so?”
“Believe me, I’m a certified peer counselor.”
“Oh my god. You’re not going to try to score some kind of volunteer hours on this, are you? Are you using me as a charity case? I knew you were being too nice.”
Landon held up his hands defensively. “I swear I’m not. You asked and I answered. Teen angst happens to be something that I was trained to discuss, but that’s not why I’m discussing it with you.”
Cameron narrowed his eyes at his stepbrother. “Why do you always talk like a middle-aged man?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know I did that,” Landon said with a shrug.
“Well, whatever. High school’s almost over anyway,” Cameron said, speaking his most recent motto out loud.
“Exactly.” Landon was about to leave, but then he stopped. “Are you really going to the prom?”
“Um, yeah, seems like it.”
