“Demanded FedEx sort out shipping, remember?” I called back, holding up my Almanac for emphasis. “Swell saved your ass!”
Students had fanned out on the Circle and Crescent to dig into their Almanacs, but I hurried over to Grundy House’s willow trees. “Excellent,” I whispered when I saw that my secret stash was still safe under the swaying branches. Quickly and quietly, I grabbed everything and snuck over to Tag and Alex’s window. My stomach swirled with magic as I set down his yearbook and then placed his surprise champagne on top of it. I’d writtenLong Live The Jester!in whimsical letters along the bottleneck.
And, for the finishing touch, I reverently added Tag’s jingling green-yellow-and-purple Jester’s hat. Something told me Daniel wouldn’t want it as a keepsake, so I’d snuck into the storage room once the pyramid of Almanac boxes had been dismantled and moved back to the yearbook office. Daniel had chucked the hat into a dusty corner, but still—there it was, waiting for me. Next year’s Jester would have to buy his own; this was Tag’s trophy.
“Hey,” Tag said after I’d crept back to the trees and called him. “Promise me you’re not still standing in that life-sucking line.”
I smiled. “How do you know it’s life-sucking?”
“Prior knowledge,” he said. “Previous experience.”
“Well, perhaps you should open your window…” I shifted from one foot to the other, ready to remember this moment. “And see for yourself.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Alex was not impressed with my prom attire. “Lily, you couldn’t have dressed up evena little?” He gestured to my worn J. Crew shorts, Tag’s favorite Dave Matthews Band T-shirt, and my striped espadrilles. “I mean…”
“Why does it matter?” I asked as I snapped a photo of Zoe and Maya. My friend’s white jumpsuit was to die for, and Maya looked amazing in her deep turquoise dress. “I’m behind the scenes today.” I looked up from the camera lens. “Who cares?”
“Icare,” Alex said. “It’s not professional. You look like we booked you as our photographer only fifteen minutes ago.”
“You literally did,” I reminded him, cradling Tag’s Nikon close. There were several school photographers roaming around the Circle for Ames’s prom processional, but my oh-so-vain friends wanted a personal one. I was available, after all, and Tag had more than one camera to spare. He’d given me a refresher tutorial before letting me sling the Nikon’s bag over my shoulder and report for duty.
The sun was still up since it was only 4:00. After the photoshoot, the seniors and any underclassmen dates would board their awaiting motorcoach and drive an hour and a half into Boston. For as long as I could remember, the prom had been held at a fancy hotel there. “We’ll go have tea sometime,” Penny had told me earlier, knowing I was bummed about missing tonight. “They do a wonderful afternoon tea…”
“For fuck’s sake!” I shouted when my group suddenly scattered. “I can’t take pictures of you if you’re all in different—”
“Language,” someone said, and I turned to see two arm-in-arm faculty chaperones smirking at me. My mom stole the show in her dress, a one-shouldered black gown that made her look like she’d time traveled here from the Roaring Twenties. It was tea-length and covered with intricate swirls of silver beads, which flawlessly matched the art deco diamond onthatfinger. “Please announce everything already,” I’d begged her and Josh the other night. “It’ll make my year if you announce it!”
People had been congratulating them nonstop.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright tonight?” my mom asked after I took a few shots of them. She affectionately smoothed Josh’s hair. “Because remember, Mrs. DeLuca said you’re welcome for dinner.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’m going to test a new fish taco recipe—”
Josh mimed a chef’s kiss.
“—and then I’ll probably FaceTime with Tag while watching Netflix.”
My mom nodded. “I left my keys in case you need anything.”
“Thanks,” I said with a lump in my throat.
“Oh, Lily.” She wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry you have to miss this; I know how much you were looking forward to it.”
“But on the bright side,” Josh said, “you won’t have to suffer through a three-hour round trip, eat an uninspired meal, hope the DJ is decent, and stop students from sneaking off together.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why did you volunteer to chaperone again?”
He straightened his bow tie. “I didn’t. A chaperone promposed to me.”
The three of us laughed, and I hugged them goodbye (and wished Josh good luck) before backing away to let a group of girls gush over my mom’s engagement ring.
I hadn’t taken a picture of Pravika and her date yet, so I started scanning the crowd for her, but before spying her sunset orange dress, I spotted another pair of chaperones. Bespectacled Mr. Rudnick stood talking to Penny Bickford at the edge of the Circle. My pulse quickened, and as soon as they parted, I made for the maple tree. Penny’s silver-blond hair was pulled back in a classic chignon, and I knew tonight’s pantsuit had to be Chanel. “Lily, darling,” she said. “Hello—”
“He’s alone!” I blurted.
Penny blinked. “Pardon?”
