A Prom to Remember(47)

Stewart flinched. “Okay. Fine.”

He turned on his heel and walked away into the crowd. Paisley shook her head and watched him go.

Henry appeared next to her with a too-big grin on his face. “So what was that about?”

Paisley picked up another plastic knife. This one was harder to snap, but she managed to get through it.

“Yikes,” Henry said.

“Stewart Smith,” Paisley said through clenched teeth, “still thought I was going to the prom with him.”

“Aw, poor guy.”

Paisley shook her head again. “I hate boys. They are all the worst. Prom is the worst. And I also hate potatoes.”

“So, you wanna leave?” Henry asked.

“I would love to, but I’m still waiting for people to relieve me.”

“So you wanna make me a chili and cheese potato in the meantime?”

“Listen, Henry. I’m not going to waste another knife, but please imagine that I broke another one.”

“So that’s a no on the potato?”

“I will make you a potato, but only because I have to be here for another fifteen minutes anyway. And also because I recognize this Stewart Smith stuff isn’t really completely your fault.”

Henry grinned.

“But it’s not free.”

Henry frowned and Paisley made him a potato.

“I’m watching you, buckaroo,” she said, handing him his potato. “Your good mood is suspicious.”

“I’ll tell you all about it in the car,” he promised.





Chapter 22

Lizzie

Luke pulled up in front of Lizzie’s house, and she shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun. It was hot for the end of May, but in a good way, like she could feel her bones thawing out from winter finally.

“Hey,” he said as she slid into the front seat.

“Hi.” He leaned over the center console to give her a hug. Even at this awkward angle, Luke was a very good hugger. He hugged with his whole body.

“A million thank-yous for agreeing to entertain me this afternoon,” Luke said as he pulled away from the curb. “Otis remains on lockdown, so I feel like I’m grounded, too. And it’s just too nice to stay home.”

“Totally,” Lizzie said, buckling herself in.

“Do you mind going to the mall?”

“I suppose, if we must,” Lizzie said dramatically.

“I know it’s your day off and all. We’ll avoid the food court. I’m craving one of those sour cream and onion pretzels from that kiosk by the fountain.”

“Works for me,” Lizzie said. They drove most of the way in silence, and Lizzie enjoyed the warm air coming through the open windows. She imagined that she had been a dog in a previous life because it took all her control not to stick her head out and really feel the breeze.

After a quick stop at the pretzel kiosk, Lizzie sipped the biggest lemonade money could buy and Luke ate his pretzel while they wandered around, mostly window shopping. He stopped a few times to check out shoes.

“I’m always in the market for brightly colored sneakers.”

Which reminded Lizzie. “I still need to find something lime green to wear to the prom so Mystery Boy recognizes me.”

Luke gasped. “You haven’t found anything?”

“That’s a little dramatic,” Lizzie said. “I have almost a week.”

“But lime green is so specific. And you have a red dress, so it has to be something just right.”

“You’re right. It does need to be just right.”

After that, their shopping excursion became much more focused. Store after store, Lizzie couldn’t find anything that would look good with her dress.

“Let’s check one more place,” Luke said, pulling Lizzie toward a small boutique-type store with a font so fancy on the sign that Lizzie had trouble reading the name.

Lizzie stopped. “There’s no way. Everything in there is so expensive.”

“Oh, come on,” Luke said. “We have to at least try.”

The answer to Lizzie’s problem was right at the front of the store. A short necklace made of several strands of lime-green ribbon with a fake red rose attached to it. And it was only $9.99.

Luke saw it the same second she did.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “And look at how cute it looks on you.”

Lizzie turned to look in the full-length mirror in the middle of the store. It did look cute on her. It was a much bigger statement piece than she would have normally picked, but at least Mystery Boy wouldn’t be able to miss it.

As they waited in line to pay, Luke got a text message.

“What?” he said to his phone as he read the message.

“What?” Lizzie asked. The clerk rang her up, and when she was done paying she had to lead Luke out of the store because he was still staring slack jawed at his phone.

“What is it?” Lizzie asked again when they’d sat down on a bench in the center court of the mall. “What’s wrong?”

Luke shook his head and handed his phone to Lizzie. “I can’t even read it out loud. I might cry.”

Lizzie took his phone. A line of long texts from Otis filled the screen.



Lizzie’s jaw dropped.