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“Then I hope there’s conjugal visits in prison.” She laughed like her joke was funny. But then she must have seen my face. “Chill. I’m not going to jail for half a kilo of cocaine.”

“Right, you’re going straight to solitary confinement, you psycho.”

Sophie pressed her lips together like she was actually starting to hear my point. “Okay, maybe I’ll keep it here.” She went to put her purse on my bed.

“Over my dead body.”

She laughed. “Fine. I’ll put it in Natalivanka’s mom’s apartment.”

“Soph. I don’t even know if they’re citizens. Don’t.”

Sophie shrugged. “Then the plan commences. Besides, I’m not even convinced it’s cocaine. It was like super cheap.”

“So...crack?”

She laughed. “I don’t know. But I have shoes that cost more.”

Well, Sophie had very expensive taste in shoes.

“Maybe it’s just baby powder,” she said.

“Hopefully we don’t find out. Oh! Let’s just flush it!”

“Nah,” Sophie said. “I’m already committed. Come on, our dates will be here any minute.”

Everyone was coming here for pictures before the dance. And Sophie had distracted me so much that I hadn’t even had time to get in my head about my kiss thief. Maybe she’d done it on purpose. I grabbed my white gloves off my desk and stared at the homecoming crown Axel had given me.

Cutting Axel out of my life a bit more while I was dating Jacob had been hard. And I was about to do it all over again. If I dated my kiss thief, Axel couldn’t climb into my bed every night. I’d gotten used to falling asleep beside him. And even more used to waking up with one of his arms slung across me. Or my head snuggled against his chest.

I knew it was just a friendship thing for him. But it hadn’t felt like that to me even once. And I’d miss it. I’d miss him. But I’d let myself fantasize about more my whole life. It wasn’t healthy. I needed to move on.

“Eli’s on his way up,” Sophie said.

I turned away from the homecoming crown. “Right.” I slipped on my gloves and followed her out of my room.

“Sweetie, you look so beautiful,” my mom said. “Doesn’t she, James?”

“The dress is a little short,” my dad said.

My mom gave him a look.

“But yes, you look beautiful, pumpkin.” He put his arm around my shoulders. “Maybe I should call the principal to see if there were any last minute chaperone cancellations.”

“Uncle James, please,” Sophie said. “I’ll keep Scarlett in line, I promise.”

Right, with her purse full of cocaine.

“I’m holding you to that, Sophie,” my dad said. He turned back to me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to Jacob?” he whispered. “Or Axel? I’m sure one of them would be happy to take you.”

That sounded like my worst nightmare. “I have a date.”

“You do?” My dad’s eyebrows pulled together. “Who?”

“It’s um...”

“A surprise,” Sophie said.

“Yup,” I agreed. That was a good way to put it.