“Where is he?” It’s 6:48. Malcolm was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.
“Maybe he’s finishing up the long list of crafts Emma had him do.” Ellie mimics a hair flip, her tone shrill and sarcastic. She doesn’t handle jealousy well, poor thing.
“And here is where we have the sign-in table.” Benny gestures to our table from the opposite end of the gymnasium, leading our newest hire around on their first official tour of the school.
“Hey, Stanley!” Coach Daniels beams at me, wrapping me in a hug. It startles me at first, the affection, but I realize he’s justthatfriendly. I guess helping carry a concussed Malcolm across the field really brings people together.
“Daniels, hi!” Returning the hug then stepping back, I assess his getup. “You look great!” I say, gesturing to his blue suit with a green Kirby t-shirt underneath. I evaluate it a second longer, pondering how he’s able to pull off something so odd. But it suits him.
“Wanted to make a good first impression.” He delights, his smile beaming bright under the string lights.
“Daniels, you’ll be on bathroom duty with Bill. Figured it would be a good baby step.” Benny directs him toward the door that leads to the hallway.
“Well, I’ll catch you guys later!” Daniels jogs off with a literal pep in his step and disappears down the hall.
“Sure is nice to have some fresh blood around here,” Ellie says.
“Just so you don’t have to be the new girl anymore?” I ask, giving her a sly wink. I take a seat next to her, preparing myself for the craziness about to burst through the doors.
“Alright, ladies, pick one,” Benny instructs as he approaches the table with both of his hands pulled tightly behind his back.
“Um, left.” Ellie points, a giddy smile whipping across her face.
He pulls two corsages from behind his back, handing Ellie the left one and me the right. Both of them are white roses, one with a silver bow and the other with a green bow. I open my box and pull out the wristlet, admiring the intricate green bow tied on one end. We each look at our choices, then to the other, and quickly swap—the green for Ellie, and the silver for me. Benny lets out a singular laugh, and we shrug. Ellie helps place mine on my wrist, and Benny places Ellie’s on hers. The moment is tender and almost sweet enough to distract me from the goal of the night.
Talking to Malcolm. Whostillisn’t here.
Emma barrels through the front door, a line of students forming behind her. She slams the door in their faces, yelling, “Not yet!” Grunting and groaning, she hurries to the table and drops off two buckets: one for prom king and the other for prom queen. “No funny business this time.” She points at Benny and Ellie accusingly. “Only students can win!”
“That wasn’t our—”
“Oh please.” Emma waves off Ellie’s attempt at defense. Benny and Ellie, two faculty members, were awarded homecoming king and queen last fall. It was hilarious to watch them be crowned, but Emma is still not convinced it was all the football team’s doing. “Now, we open in three minutes, everyone!” she yells over us to the other teachers scattered around the gym. They mosey off to their assigned stations, which seem to have changed since our last faculty meeting: Ross on punch, Margaret and the assistant librarian on the back exit, and Bill heads to thebathrooms. The rest of the faculty line the walls for dancefloor duty. Looks of dread spread across each of their faces, knowing what’s to come. Having to be the one to break up the bumping and grinding is never fun.
I thank the universe for ticket duty.
“Now, does this mean I have two prom dates?” Benny winks at us.
“Ew, gross.” I wince.
Benny leans over the table to plant one on Ellie, big and passionate, before the students come in. Ellie’s eyes flutter when he moves away, like she’s lost in the moment. “I think Kate has someone else in mind for her date.” She shoots me a wink and a shoulder shimmy, causing Benny’s eyes to dart to me, widening ever so slightly.
“No. No. I don’t have a date.”
“Then what did I get all dressed up for?”
I whip around in my chair to the soothing deep voice behind me and see Malcolm standing in the center of the gymnasium. String lights sparkle above him like stars. He’s dressed in a sleek, black suit with no tie. Something about that little detail sends a tickle all the way down to my toes. It’s insanely attractive—and a tad rebellious. The suit fits him like a glove, accentuating the broadness in his shoulders and strength in his legs. I feel my breath catch when my gaze trips over his clean-shaven face, his strong jawline and tiny chin dimple on display. I let out an audible gulp that feels like sandpaper in my throat and realize my mouth has been hanging open.
Ellie kicks my ankle and shoves my chair, encouraging me in the most painful of ways to go talk to him.
I stand on wobbly knees. I guess that’s what Malcolm in a suit does to my limbs. Inhaling slowly, I make my way across the gym. It’s only thirty feet, but it feels like the length of the football field. Malcolm, dressed up, underneath the stars and floatingbooks, is now an image burned into my brain forever. Something I will picture anytime I’m sad or lonely or when I need to picture the love interest in my next read.
“Hi,” I breathe.
“You look…” He trails off, eyeing me up and down. The silvery blue of his eyes dances all over me, and I feel a spark of energy when they finally settle on my neck. One look,thatlook, fills me with the confidence to tell him everything I’m thinking. Right here, right now. He clears his throat twice and rubs his jaw, like he’s trying to summon the strength to finish his statement. “Kate, you look—”
“It’s time, people!” Emma bellows from the front doors. As she opens them, a crowd of students pile in, overtaking the ticket table. The music switches on, playing some K-Pop band, and the disco lights flicker on. In an instant, Malcolm’s words are drowned out as kids start flooding the dance floor.
“Crap, I have to…” I glance at the table then back to him. Desperation is an understatement for how I feel. I need to talk to him. “Can I come find you later?” I tug at the hem of his suit jacket, the velvety fabric smooth against my skin.
