A Prom to Remember(58)

If he didn’t come, all she had to show for this night was a dress she might never wear again, a ticket she wasted money on, and a sinking sensation in her stomach that she had done something wrong, that somehow this was her fault.

When the timer on her phone went off, she had to face the reality of the situation. It was 8:20 and she had been stood up.

Lizzie had let her hope get the better of her.

Cameron

Of course there had been traffic on the way to the prom.

Jacinta was driving as fast as she could now that the lanes had cleared up, but it still felt too slow to Cameron.

“We’re so late,” he said as he fiddled with his tie in the vanity mirror and tried to watch a YouTube video about tying bow ties at the same time. He honestly didn’t understand why they were still trying. They needed a miracle.

Jacinta glanced over at him. “You know there’s no shame in a clip-on bow tie.”

“Yeah, but the tux rental place just gave me this one. I didn’t ask for it or anything.”

“I don’t think your mystery date would mind if you didn’t have a bow tie. She’d definitely understand.”

“I want things to be perfect,” Cameron said. But that was good news about the bow tie, because he was honestly getting a little carsick trying to look in the mirror while trying to tie it.

“So late,” he muttered again, looking at the clock.

“We know we’re late. Repeating it won’t make us less late. And it’s not the point anyway. We’re going because you need to get you-know-who’s attention.”

“She’s not Voldemort. You could just tell me who she is.”

“And take all the fun out of this?” Jacinta asked. She peeked at her phone while they were stopped at a red light. “I am a little worried that when she realized you weren’t gonna show up she left and maybe joined a religion that doesn’t allow phones, because it’s been twenty minutes and she hasn’t responded to my good-news text.”

“Can I see what you wrote?”

“Hell, no,” Jacinta said, shoving her phone out of his reach. “Then you would see the contact information.”

Cameron was nearly bouncing in his seat at the thought that the identity of Laptop Girl was that close at hand.

“What are we gonna do if she left? Do you know where she lives?” he asked.

“I do know where she lives. But we’re not going to stalk her. We’ll figure it out. She’s bound to check her phone at least one more time tonight.”

“Before the full indoctrination takes hold,” Cameron said.

It took a second, but then Jacinta burst out laughing.

“This isn’t worth it,” Cameron said, heaving out a frustrated sigh. “She’s not going to be that into me anyway. She’s probably heard that I sell drugs behind the pizzeria. And Ms. Huang is going to think I’m totally irresponsible.”

“Hey, whoa. What’s with all this pity party stuff? Ms. Huang is going to understand that you have other responsibilities and you were at work. Voldemort is just going to be psyched you showed up. She’ll understand about work, too.”

“The Voldemort thing isn’t exactly relaxing me.”

“You started it,” Jacinta said simply.

Cameron had to smile. He almost had no choice. It felt better to smile than to keep worrying in the same thought circles. He couldn’t seem to relax his shoulders, like they were creeping up to his ears with each passing minute.

“And for the record, since I didn’t address it earlier, no one thinks you sell drugs from behind the pizza parlor. I’ve never heard anything like that. From anyone.”

“That’s good news at least.” Cameron patted the arms of his button-down shirt, feeling wrinkly and disheveled.

As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Jacinta looked over at him. “You know, maybe instead of trying to look perfect you should leave the top couple of buttons open and roll your sleeves.”

He shrugged and did as he was told as they got out of the car.

“Just calm down,” Jacinta said.

“Easy for you to say.” He leaned against the hood of her car. “Do you have any other pearls of wisdom?”

She walked up to him and messed up his hair. He’d wet it down in the bathroom, trying to make it look more presentable.

“There,” she said. “Now it matches your look.”

“What’s our next step?” he asked.

“Now we wait,” she said, looking at her phone.

Cameron shook his head. “I can’t wait. I’m going to try to get in. Maybe no one is watching the door.”

Cameron jogged across the parking lot with Jacinta trailing behind him.

When they got to the front door, Mr. Muehler, the shop teacher, was standing there.

“You kids are late,” he said.

“But we got held up,” Cameron said.

“Unless you were literally held up, at gunpoint or something, and have a police report, I can’t let you in. Ms. Huang’s orders.”

Cameron shook his head, wishing he could somehow persuade this man to let him in. Maybe if he explained it was for true love.

Not that he was in love with Laptop Girl.

And not that Mr. Muehler seemed like the kind of guy that would get all gooey about teenagers in love.