“I’m not crying about it,” I whine.
This isn’t fair and it isn’t cool.
“Aiden said you could win a dare instead. That was the deal—ask Maddie Miller on a date and you’re off the hook.” Marcus looks satisfied. “Dude, did you hear me? You’re off the hook.”
Oh joy.
“All you have to do is walk over there”—Gabe points across the courtyard we call our cafeteria—“and ask her. Big deal.”
My brows go up. “Oh.That’sall?”
My stomach gurgles, and I amthis closeto shitting my pants.
Shit.
I’m screwed.
I have to do this.
If it means someone else will have to pull the senior prank, I suppose I have no choice, do I?
“Well. That’s not all. Not exactly.” Gabe is staring down at his tray, the pizza slice greasy and probably stale.
I go still. “What do you mean,not exactly?”
Marcus fidgets.
Gabe squirms.
Deshaun—who hasn’t said a word this entire time—blanches.
“Jeez, you assholes. Are you going to tell me the rest of it or not?” The silence is driving me nuts!
“She, um.” Gabe can’t look me in the eye. “Maddie Miller has to…uh.”
She has to what?
I glance over at her, a vision in the courtyard. “She has to what?”
“To win the dare and get yourself out of the senior prank, you not only have to ask Maddie Miller on a date…” He pauses dramatically. “She has to say yes.”
Chapter 2
Harper
3 Days Earlier…
Dear God—or whoever is up there listening. It’s me.Again.Harper, the girl who hit you up last month about that weird rash she had on her backside and prayed it would go away before her cousin’s wedding? Yeah. That Harper.
So I’m not trying to be annoying or anything…if that’s a thing?
But I have a dilemma. And you might not think it’s a big deal, because there are way more important problems on the planet than my stupid problem, but here goes anyway: I don’t have a prom date.
I know. It’s so embarrassing.
Can you please send me one? Like, agoodone.
I know that of all things to pray for this one is super self-serving, but cut me some slack—I’m almost eighteen and I’m desperate. Ha ha.
