"I had a few minutes and I wanted to talk to you about something."
The tone in his voice… something about it sets me on edge.
"What's going on?"
"Well," he says flatly, "I heard you and Shea got invited to the winter formal."
"Yeah, so what about it? I'm not going."
"I think you should."
"I'm not going to formal alone." That's pathetic.
"That's not what I meant. Bear with me."
"Okay." I'm hesitant but I'll hear him out.
"I was thinking, since I can't be there, maybe you should go to formal with someone else."
"No fucking way. What's wrong with you?" Now I'm pissed.
"Just listen, Tera."
"I don't want to listen."
"Do it anyway—for me."
"That's not fair."
"I don't play fair, you know this."
I huff, as I lean against one in a long line of lockers.
"It'sformal, T. It's a huge deal. I know it is, even to you."
"Maybe."
"No maybe. Itis. I was thinking, if you and Shea were to go to formal on a sort of double date butonlywith guys I think are okay, then I'd be okay with it—seeing as I can't be there."
I can hear the sadness in his voice. He's despondent and I don't like it.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not? I trust you. I want you to have all the moments you deserve even if I’m not there to share them with you. You deserve to have those moments, T."
"Xan, you know this won't be okay. If I go to formal with someone else, you're going to be clenching your teeth and fists the entire time. You're also going to be distracted while you're up on stage. I happen to know you have a show that night. I checked," I inform him.
"I never said I'd like it. This isn't about me. This is aboutyou. You're there and you need to live your life, and in this case, it means going to formal with someone else. I won't lie, Tera. I hate it. I hate not being able to take you. It pisses me off to no end that some other guy will get to experience this with you, but just because I can't go doesn't mean you shouldn't. That's not something that sits well with me."
"Xan," I whisper, unsure what to do.
"Do this for me, Tera. You already missed homecoming. I don't want you to miss this, too."
"I have no idea who I would even want to go with, babe. I'm not kidding."
He sighs. "It's good to know you don't picture other guys in my place."
I huff. "Do you picture other girls inmyplace?"
