A Prom to Remember(18)

Jacinta

Kelsey and Jacinta were ensconced in a pile of blankets on the couch in Kelsey’s family room watching 13 Going on 30 on Saturday night.

“I love this movie,” Jacinta said, shoving another handful of popcorn into her mouth.

“Seriously,” Kelsey agreed. Kelsey’s parents were upstairs, and her younger brother and sister had finally gone to bed, so it was definitely time for the sharing part of the evening, Jacinta decided.

“I need to work on operation: PROM,” Jacinta said.

Kelsey paused the movie and looked at Jacinta, obviously confused. “Wait, what? You want to go to the prom? Since when?”

“I’ve sort of always wanted to go to the prom,” Jacinta admitted.

“You don’t really seem like the prom type,” Kelsey said.

“Thanks? I mean, I’m on the prom committee. Obviously I’m interested.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. But you’re not super into dating, or fancy dresses, or dancing.”

Jacinta shrugged. “I could be.”

Kelsey nodded. “Well, you need a plan.”

Jacinta grinned. This was why she always came to Kelsey with stuff like this; she was so good at synthesizing what needed to happen and what the order of operations should be. She started ticking things off on her fingers.

“You need a dress, shoes, all that stuff.”

“Yes.”

“Did you buy a ticket?”

“Not yet. I don’t want to buy a pair and then not find a date and end up with too many tickets. Besides Cora said that due to some mix-up with the venue we have more tickets than we’ll ever need anyway and we’re going to have to use whatever money we have in our class savings to buy up the rest.”

“So what you’re telling me is that we’re going to have our class reunion at Chuck E. Cheese.”

“Maybe if we put it in a high-interest savings account we’ll be able to afford Chuck E. Cheese. We might be looking at something more like the school gym.”

“That doesn’t actually sound all bad to me,” Kelsey said, taking a bite out of a Twizzler. “Wouldn’t it make sense to go back to school for a reunion?”

Jacinta shrugged; they’d gone way off topic and she was having trouble honestly caring about their ten-year reunion with the prom looming. “So, most of all I want a date.”

“You don’t need a date.”

“Yeah, I know, like I said. I want a date, Kelsey. I’ve never even been on a date. I deserve a date to my prom.”

“Hmm,” Kelsey said.

“I was thinking about asking Henry Lai?” Jacinta’s cheeks warmed at the mention of his name.

“Oh,” Kelsey said, her eyebrows knitting together.

“My mom thinks I should ask him,” Jacinta jumped in, wanting to preemptively defend herself. “She’s way too into the whole idea. But I think he would say yes.”

“I wasn’t judging you.”

“Then, what?” Jacinta asked.

“I don’t know, do you think he’d be fun? He’s so serious all the time. Maybe you could go with one of Mike’s friends. Wouldn’t that be more fun for everyone?”

“Maybe for you and your boyfriend, but I think I’d rather go with someone who I actually know.”

“Yeah, right. That makes sense,” Kelsey said.

“Sorry. I’m sure Mike has great friends. But I don’t want to go with someone just for the sake of going with someone. I’d rather go alone if that’s the case.”

“But you literally just said you want a date so much that it feels like you need a date.”

“I know,” Jacinta said, frowning. “I know. I’m sort of all over the place. I guess I’m hopeful about finding a date and not having to go with a stranger.”

“Well, if you can’t find someone, I could set you up. The choice is there.”

“Maybe,” Jacinta said. “If you think I’ll like them and not just because they’re convenient for you and Mike.”

“Wow, Jacinta,” Kelsey said. “I’m really impressed.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know exactly how to say this, but you don’t usually give your opinion. Or it feels like you don’t. But lately you’re, like, giving your opinion and I think that’s cool.”

Jacinta smiled and sat up a little taller. “Thanks,” she said.

“You are totally welcome.”





Chapter 9

Henry

“So, we have a bit of an issue,” Paisley said early Monday morning. She’d been waiting for him to come through the back doors of the school, because that was where he always came in.

“I don’t like issues this early on a Monday,” Henry said as she fell into step with him on his way to his locker.

“Who are you? Garfield?”

“Such timely and humorous jokes,” Henry said, yawning.

“It’s just that remember when I told you that I sort of mentioned your name for prom king a couple weeks ago?”

“No,” Henry said. “You never told me. Was that the thing you had to tell me but never told me?”