A Prom to Remember(45)

“I don’t even know where to start,” Cora said, tears welling up in her eyes. “And once I start I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

“I’ve got time. Ms. Huang has a substitute today, so I’m sure we won’t miss much if we’re late.”

“I want to break up with Jamie,” Cora blurted out, and then the floodgates really opened. She was crying so hard she couldn’t even make any sound.

Jacinta came over to her and wrapped her in a warm hug. Cora melted into her, and for a second they both just sniffled.

Cora pulled away and took a breath, grabbing for the tissues herself.

“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to be so dramatic.”

“Um, did I or did I not just get super dramatic with you?” Jacinta asked.

“I wouldn’t say super dramatic.”

“Do you feel any better?”

“I do.”

“Do you want to talk more?”

“I do,” Cora said, but then she glanced at the clock. “But we should really get to English, even if Ms. Huang has a substitute.”

Jacinta nodded. “But just know the offer stands. If you need a friendly ear.”

“Thanks,” Cora said. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

The two girls walked in the direction of their English class, making a quick stop to wash their faces in the girls’ room along the way.





Chapter 21

Henry

It was Memorial Day weekend, and Henry needed to pick up his tuxedo from the mall, because he definitely would not have time to before the prom on Friday. Of course the whole place was packed and forcing Henry to play his usual school hallway game of trying not to touch anyone in the long corridors. There were children and strollers and people crawling up the walls, or so it seemed.

If he hadn’t promised to give Paisley a ride home after her shift at work, he would have turned and walked out, abandoning the tuxedo and just wearing his baseball uniform to the prom. Paisley wouldn’t have minded.

When he turned into the storefront of the tuxedo rental shop, it was immediately quieter, cooler, and a more relaxed atmosphere than the mall proper. He took a deep breath. This was far more his speed.

And there at the counter was Cameron Wyatt, obviously waiting for his own tuxedo rental.

Henry scratched at his forehead and cleared his throat.

“Hey,” Cam said.

“Hi,” Henry said, squinting toward the curtain separating the counter from the back of the store.

Cameron drummed his fingers on the counter.

“Have you been waiting long?” Henry asked.

“Um, you know, a little while.”

More awkward silence.

Cameron blew out a long breath.

Henry had the distinct urge to turn around and flee. “I feel like there’s something we need to talk about,” he said instead. This was not the place that Henry had ever envisioned a conversation with Cameron happening, but maybe that was for the better. Less pressure to live up to in his own head.

It was just that more and more lately, Henry couldn’t stop thinking about his former friend, and he didn’t want to have regrets in life.

“All right.” Cameron was obviously taken aback, but Henry needed to get his thoughts out before he lost his nerve.

“I hate talking about this crap, but it sucked that you stopped talking to me, all right? I didn’t know how to talk to you because you know me. That’s not, like, my strongest quality. So I kept waiting for you to come to me.”

Cameron nodded but didn’t interrupt, so Henry continued.

“But I guess I wanted you to know that I don’t hate you or anything. That’s not what the problem is or was. I didn’t know how to deal with you not talking to me all of a sudden, but I definitely didn’t hate you. I just didn’t know how to deal with being ignored.”

“I didn’t know how to deal with everything going on with my mom and her getting remarried. I didn’t like how she was acting, and I didn’t know how to talk about it without sounding like a jealous kid.” Cameron’s cheeks flared with red, as if guys aren’t supposed to talk about their feelings this way. “Anyway, I didn’t know how to deal. It was just a thing that happened. We don’t have to talk about this at all.”

“I’m the one who brought it up,” Henry reminded Cameron.

“Right, yeah,” Cameron said, letting out a long, slow breath.

“I’m sorry I didn’t … I don’t know, try to be friends again, or something. I don’t know exactly what I’m sorry for, and I’m also sorry that I can’t be more specific than that.”

“I’m sorry,” Cam said. “For everything. And that I can’t be more specific than that.”

“In that case, I totally forgive you.”

“I totally forgive you,” Cam said with a shrug. It was like neither boy could stop himself from shrugging after nearly every uncomfortable thing they’d said.

“So, does anyone actually work here? Have you like talked to anyone?” Henry asked, changing the subject.

Cameron nodded. “I gave them my ticket like eight years before you even walked in.”

“Does this mean you’re going to the prom?”