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“It was kismet,” I said, hoping that was believable. “He’s had a crush on me for a while. So I asked him to the dance.”

“Does Leo have a last name?”

“Of course. It’s Moore.”

My dad seemed lost in thought again. “And you want to go with him? Instead of Axel?”

“I want to go with someone who likes me back. And that isn’t Axel.”

“I really could talk to him...”

“Dad, I would literally die if you begged Axel to take me to the dance. He doesn’t like me and he never will. No matter how much I love him.” My own words surprised me. I’d been trying so hard to let this go. And failing miserably. Sophie was right. Maybe I’d never stopped loving Axel. That would explain why my chest hurt so much right now.

“You love him?” My dad shook his head. “You’re too young to be in love, pumpkin.”

He’d said something similar about my feelings toward Jacob. As if I didn’t know myself. I’d had a lot more honest conversations with my dad ever since Jacob broke up with me. We’d gotten closer. And it was nice to have someone to talk to about this, even if my dad was weirdly judgy. “I do love him. It’s pathetic, but I’ve loved Axel since as long as I can remember. Don’t pretend you didn’t realize. I’ve been completely obvious and embarrassing about the whole thing.”

“Nothing you do is embarrassing.”

That wasn’t true. I was like some love sick puppy that followed Axel around. I was a total loser. “I can only be rejected so many times before I stop believing in fairytales.”

“But this Leo Moore said yes?”

“Yes.”

“And you...like him?”

“Yeah. I do.” But I’d be lying if I said I liked him as much as I liked Axel.

My dad was quiet when we got home. And I had the oddest feeling that he hadn’t known how much of a loser I was and now he did.

I hurried into my bedroom and tried my best to focus on my homework. But all I could picture was Axel’s look of pity. And then I’d see Jacob staring at me with pity too.

We’d all promised to be friends forever. I never thought I’d be the one to mess everything up.

I closed my laptop and headed into the dining room when it was time for dinner. Everyone was already sitting around the table, passing around food.

“How was your day, sweetie?” my mom asked.

I glanced at my dad. I guess it was nice of him not to tell my mom that I was a loser too. “It was fine.”

“I heard you asked someone to the Sadie Hawkins dance,” Liam said.

“And, um...what did you hear?” I asked. I wondered if Axel had made fun of me in the locker room. The thought made me want to cry.

“That you’re going with Leo,” Liam said.

My dad cleared his throat.

I looked at him.

“About that,” my dad said. “That’s not happening.”

“What?” I asked.

“You’re not going to the dance with Leo Moore.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again. “Yes. I am.”