Page 119 of I Don't Need Your Love

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Carly

Addie’s grandfather has offered to buy all of us dresses for the school dance!

A few days before the special night, delivery guys roll in racks and racks of dresses into our room, along with a professional dresser. The four of us spend hours trying on basically all of them, each of us searching for the perfect dress. With the professional’s help, we’re all satisfied with our choices.

Raven chooses a long lavender dress, Sophie settles on a royal blue poofy one that reaches just above her knees, Addie picks a wine-colored one, and mine is emerald-colored that’s slightly poofy and reaches just below my knees. We do a group video call with her grandfather and thank him for such wonderful gifts. He tells us how much he appreciates our friendship with Addie.

I’ve been borrowing Addie’s clothes the second she and I became friends, but I never expected anything like this. We all assumed we would drive into town and shop for dresses at an inexpensive store. But now we’ll actually feel like princesses at the dance.

When the night of the dance finally arrives, we gather in my and Addie’s room to get ready. We’re all wearing huge smiles, but mine and Addie’s are extra large because we can’t wait to spend the night dancing under the fake stars with our special guys. Of course we’ll have a blast with Sophie and Raven, too, but nothing can compare to sharing a romantic dance with my amazing boyfriend.

“I love how you matched my eye shadow to my dress,” I tell Sophie as I gush at my reflection in the mirror.

“Thanks! The color looks great on you.”

“Thanks. And you all look stunning, too!”

Sophie sighs. “I just wish I had someone to dance with.”

“Did anyone ask you?” Addie inquires. “Did you ask anyone?”

Sophie snorts. “Sure. There was a line the length of a runway eager to be my date to the dance.”

“Mine was longer,” Raven says as she adds lip gloss to her lips.

“It’s not that I’m dying for a boyfriend,” Sophie informs us as she checks her face in the mirror. “I’m fine being single and enjoying my life. But when there’s a school dance…I guess it hits me how much I’m missing out on.”

“I feel the same,” Raven admits. “If I don’t have a boyfriend before I graduate, I’ll never know what it’s like to experience high school romance.”

“I won’t have the possibility of a second chance romance trope or a high school sweethearts trope,” Sophie says.

Addie’s brows crease. “You want a second chance romance?”

“Not necessarily. But let’s say I do have a boyfriend in high school and we, for whatever reason, have no choice to but break up. There’s always a chance that we could get together one day and see if we still have that spark.”

“Sophie, you can’t live your life hoping for a romance trope,” I tell her. “I believe that whatever is meant to happen is meant to happen. So while I do think you’ll have a boyfriend before you graduate, it’s totally fine if you don’t. Maybe you’ll meet your special guy in college or after and will have one of the best love stories in the world.”

Sophie considers it for a few seconds. “I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. I can totally have an office romance or a boss/employee romance.”

I shake my head and laugh. Sophie’s determined to live out a romance trope, and who am I to get in her way?

“Well, unless a new guy lands in our laps, I don’t think either of us will be getting any boyfriends soon,” Raven says. “Many of the guys here are jerks, and the ones that aren’t are taken.”

“Hey, you never know,” I say. “I mean, I thought Ryder was a total cretin, but he proved to be anything but that. Maybe there’s a guy here who we misjudged.”

We’re all quiet as we think of a possible guy at school who might fit that description. When we all come up blank, we chuckle.

“But it’s good to be hopeful,” Addie concludes. “I never thought I would end up with Caleb. The more we get to know each other, the more I learn how perfect he is for me. He has qualities I didn’t know I needed in a guy. He’s beyond what I thought I needed.”

Sophie sighs. “That’s not helping.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Sophie envelops her in her arms. “You know Raven and I are super happy for you and Carly. I can be happy for you and jealous at the same time. Don’t hold back at the dance, okay? Neither of you. I want you guys to have the time of your lives without worrying about us.”

“Yeah, we’ll have loads of fun even without dates,” Raven assures us. “All that matters is that we’re together, right?”