Page 101 of The Year I was Almost Prom Queen

“Close your eyes,” she says.

I hesitate. “It’s okay,” she says. “Just close your eyes. Shut out the lists and the comparisons and the logic.”

I finally concede. I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

“Now, without opening your eyes and without saying anything out loud, I want you to not think about these answers, but feel them.”

“Pretend like the doorbell is ringing downstairs. Who would you like to see right now? Austin, or Jaron, or Ethan?”

A face comes to mind and I smile.

“Who made you feel the most comfortable on your date? When the night ended, who did you have the hardest time saying goodbye to?”

Again, his face is there, smiling back at me.

“Who pushes you to be your best self?”

I can see his eyes staring into mine, and I know.

“When you turn down the other guys, if they choose to no longer talk to you, who would you be most crushed by no longer seeing and talking to every day?”

My cheeks feel flushed with warmth and my heartbeat quickens. I open my eyes and smile at Mom. She’s smiling back. I have my answer.

Mom stands up from the bed and pulls me to my feet. She hugs me tight and I hug her back.

“Thanks, Mom,” I whisper.

She rubs my arms. “Now that you have a date, go clean up and get dressed. We need to buy you a dress.”

“How do you know I picked someone?” I ask.

“I can see it on your face.”

I hug Mom again. Then I rush into the bathroom to shower.

Less than an hour later, I’ve entered the mother ship. At least for Mom and her girly, alien species. She thinks a day at the mall is a special treat. I think it’s like finding brussels sprouts on my dinner plate. But with the dance only a week away, and with a date now in mind, I’m starting to feel little jitters of excitement.

“You’re really not going to tell us who you’re going with?” Stephanie asks.

I shake my head. “You’ll find out when I live stream it, along with everyone else.”

She stares at me incredulously. “But I’m your best friend!” she says.

“I know,” I laugh. “But I don’t want the word to spread before I’ve even toldhim.”

“Ah-hah!” Stephanie says. “It’s a him.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Sorry, Steph. I’m not giving you any hints.”

“Ooo, let’s look in there,” Tessa says, moving toward a fancy looking dress shop. All the mannequins in the front window have prom dresses on display.

Adika grabs Stephanie and pulls her forward. Stephanie notices me watching them and she quickly pulls her hand out of Adika’s grasp.

Then I see it. The most beautiful shade of blue I’ve ever seen, hanging in a window.

“That one,” I say to Mom, pointing.

Mom looks over at it and puts a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my goodness, it’s perfect,” she says. “You have to try it on.”

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