Page 103 of Romeo

That last part had become especially true since Christmas. I had no idea what had happened.

Joseph could barely get out of my way fast enough whenever we crossed paths, and most of the other boys seemed equally determined to keep their distance.

Probably for the best.

That didn’t make tonight easier.

Granny calmly drank her coffee.

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re being suspiciously quiet.”

“I’m drinking my coffee.”

“Exactly.”

She smiled into the mug. I should’ve known then something was up. Instead, I dropped my head again and let myself be miserable.

Going alone was technically an option. Nobody stopped students from attending without dates.

But I could already picture it. Walking into the gym by myself. Sitting at some table while couples danced around me. Pretending I’d chosen to be alone so nobody would realize nobody had chosen me.

No, thank you.

At home, at least nobody would watch.

The morning crawled by. I watched television without paying attention, scrolled through my phone, helped Granny fold laundry, then checked the time and discovered only seventeen minutes had passed since the last time I checked it.

Jasper hadn’t texted much either.

That shouldn’t have mattered.

It did.

I wondered what he was doing in Nebraska. Working, probably. Maybe riding with the club.

Definitely not thinking about prom at all.

Our conversation earlier in the week had left me irritated enough that I’d called him Romeo before saying goodnight.

If he’d noticed, he didn’t say anything.

Since then, he’d been perfectly normal, which somehow made me even more annoyed.

By mid-afternoon, I’d given serious consideration to putting my pajamas back on and refusing to leave the couch until Monday.

Then somebody knocked on the front door.

I glanced toward Granny. “Are you expecting someone?”

Her mouth curved. “Maybe.”

Before I could ask anything else, the front door opened. Voices carried through the hallway, familiar enough that I sat up.

Then Josie appeared in the living room wearing a grin that immediately made me nervous.

“Surprise!”

Georgie came in behind her carrying a garment bag. Jasper and Jasmine raced around him into the room, eight years old and already talking over each other before they’d even reached me.