“Hey, Lucas,” Ariel said, her voice bright and friendly. “I haven’t talked to you in ages, but… would you like to go to prom with me?”
Lucas froze. He blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Prom? With her? The girl he admired from afar every single day? His heart thumped wildly as a rush of emotions collided—hope, disbelief, suspicion.
But in the end, longing won. He wanted to believe it was real.
“Uh, yeah. Sure,” he stammered. “I’d like that.”
Her smile widened. She waved and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway with his heart racing.
For days, Lucas thought of nothing else. He rented an expensive suit, got a fresh haircut, even rented a limousine to impress her. Prom night arrived, and Lucas, flowers trembling in his hand, knocked on Ariel’s door.