“There’s an albino ghost living in our bathroom mirror,” she blurted, pointing to her hair.
“An albino?” he repeated, and Hailey realized how ridiculous that sounded. After all, weren’t all ghosts albino? She shook her head and changed the subject.
“Do you know what a Luftzeug is?” she asked as she grabbed a slice of toast.
“Sure. Hopped on one to travel to here. Why do you ask?”
“I’m supposed to ride on one this fall when I go to college. What’s it like?”
“It’s interesting for sure,” he said, “and a little bumpy. You’ll want to hold onto yer clothes,” he advised with his eyebrows seriously raised.
“How—”
The kitchen clock dinged, and she huffed. She wanted to ask more, but her “hair appointment” had already bought her a sprint to the bus, so she zipped her backpack and threw it over her shoulder.
Only one month to go, she kept telling herself that day, and a horrific day it was, with the latest gossip centered around her. She couldn’t help but overhear it—that Tage Adams had asked her to prom as a sympathy gesture.
Mina was a loud whisperer and a cheerleader who used to date Tage. Even though he’d asked Hailey to prom, Mina fully expected him to snap out of his craziness and escort her to their senior dance. She hissed to her horrible friends the reason behind his sudden madness.
“His dadmadehim ask her to prom out of pity for her dead sister, but Tage knows Hailey won’t go— she’s so weird—and so he’s planning to go with me.”
Great, Hailey thought, trying to bury her attention in world history, but no matter how she tried, she hadn’t been able tonothear the buzz, and Tage followed her off the bus that day, wanting an answer.
“So,” he said as soon as the bus pulled away, “are you going to let me take you to prom?”
“Oh, uh…” Hailey threw him a half smile then studied the sidewalk. “I’m not really up to it, but I am really flattered you asked me.”
“Look, Hailey, I know what they’re saying at school.” He pulled her to a stop, and she instinctively looked up at him. “I didn’t ask you to prom because I felt sorry for you or because my dad made me. I asked you because I like you.”
He tried to look her in the eyes, but Hailey avoided him.
“I just don’t want to go,” she finally said, blinking back her tears. Tage wrapped his arms around her, backpack and all. Unsure what to make of this, she went rigid.
Tage let her go.
“I don’t really want to go to prom, either,” he said as they continued down the street. “Can I take you out to dinner on prom night?” he asked, smiling excitedly. “You’d be saving me from an evening of hell…”
Hailey scoffed, doubting very much that being crowned King of Prom could really be classified as “hell.”
“No, Tage. The cheerleaders of Pittsburgh would never forgive me if I stole you from their spring fling.”
Unexpectedly, her eyes welled with tears. She bowed her head so Tage wouldn’t see.
“No worries,” he said gently. Then he brightened. “Hey, I’ll swing by the pub tonight for dinner to say hi.”
Hailey shook her head. “Dinner service is cancelled,” she said, and an image of Mrs. Lash resurfaced in her mind.
“Then I’ll be by tonight at five to pick you up.”
Hailey snapped her misty eyes at him.
“What?”
“I’ll take you out to dinner tonight,” he shrugged, and before Hailey could protest, he pecked her on the cheek and trotted off down Bridge Street.
How did that just happen?she thought, standing slack-jawed in the middle of the intersection as she watched Tage disappear around the corner.
True to his word, Tage appeared at the pub a few minutes before five o’clock, red rose in hand.
