AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I fumble with my books and turn my head towards him. I try and smile, but my heart is racing, so it probably looks forced. “Hi Ethan,” I say.
“Looking forward to our date tonight,” he says with a wink.
“You still want to go?” I ask. My stomach flutters with excitement.
“Absolutely!” he says, grinning. “Have you seen these stats?” He holds up his phone and shows me his number of followers.
“Are you serious?” I ask, my eyes widening. “Has that doubled?”
“Tripled,” he says. “They’re calling me wholesome. Can you believe it?” He laughs.
“You should check out your own followers,” he says. “I bet you have a million by now.”
“But I don’t want—"
“And those sponsors I was telling you about?” he says. “We sign contracts after the prom. We did it, Prom Queen!”
Ethan picks me up in a hug and swings me around. When he puts me down again, his face is more serious than I’ve ever seen it.
“Thank you,” he says. “Thank you for those things you said, and that video you posted. It really means a lot.”
“Of course,” I say. “I meant every word.”
Ethan shakes his whole body out. “Phew!” he says. “It felt like we were in a Hallmark movie for a second there. Too cheesy for my taste.”
I laugh and he starts to walk away.
“Pick you up at six!” he calls over his shoulder.
I glance over and notice Taylor and Kylie are standing near the lockers, watching this exchange. Kylie looks disgusted, but Taylor looks like she has fire coming out of her eyes. Our gaze meets, but I quickly look away, before I’m engulfed in the flames.
“Hey Emma, loved the video.”
“I’m so sorry someone did that to you. You definitely have my vote.”
“Team Ethan all the way!”
“Ethan? No way, man! Team Austin.”
“I’m still rooting for you and Jaron. I think you guys would be cute together! The prom queen and the pitcher.”
“He’s not the pitcher, he’s the shortstop.”
“Oh. Well that doesn’t sound as cute.”
I try and smile and politely wave to everyone who grabs my arm or tries to chat with me. But I honestly just want to get to class.
Stephanie catches up with me again. She seems to be out of breath.
“Where’d you go?” I ask.
“These people are nuts!” she says. “I had a kid stop me in the hall to see if I would be on his podcast. He wanted the inside scoop on what it’s like being your best friend.”
I laugh. Surely, she’s joking. But the look on her face tells me she is, in fact, serious.
I get stopped several more times before I can reach first period. It’s interesting how the kids who were scoffing at me three days ago are now coming up to me.
“I knew those videos had to be edited.”
