Page 27

The dress fits perfectly , except for being a little long.

My butt even looks fantastic. I turn in front of the mirror.

I still look and feel like me —just a different me.

An older me. I exhale. It feels weird. Like, I said that prom is like the bookend to my teen years, and this dress somehow feels like a peek at who I’ll be in the future.

I can still be me , even if things change and look a little different. I smile at myself in the mirror.

Jenn comes up behind me and pulls my hair back. “Get a blowout so your hair is sleek. And just wear earrings… no other jewelry.”

“You’ll look stunning,” Cara says. “I think this is the one.”

“It’s long,” I say. “And there isn’t time to send it to a seamstress.”

Jenn smiles. “Let me get the pins. I can hem the dress.” Jenn returns with a pin cushion and kneels to pin the hem. “You probably don’t remember, but I used to sew you dresses when you were a little girl. Let me do this for you, for old times’ sake.”

I do remember. In fact, I almost tear up thinking how lucky I am to have had Jenn in my life since forever. I look in the mirror again. It’s definitely not my normal style, but the dress does look good. And for the first time today, I feel like maybe things will be okay.

When I leave Cosmic that night, I go straight to LOL Park.

I need to think, and hopefully a visit to my favorite bench will help push all this negativity out.

What Jenn said is true—life has thrown a bunch of curveballs at me, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.

I’ve dealt with stuff way harder than this before…

like my parents’ divorce. But this time my mind is going a mile a minute overthinking everything, and I’m stuck in a feeling-sorry-for-myself loop.

I even had a whole pity party in Cosmic.

I sit on the bench near the path in the park.

The sun is setting much later now, so it’s still bright considering it’s so late.

I look in front of me. The green field is absolutely covered with yellow dandelions, and it’s so mesmerizing.

With unfocused eyes, I take in the bright yellow dots on the green grass.

I should come paint the park at this hour.

Thinking about it now, this whole Love Street struggling thing feels like when my parents split.

Maybe because when my parents told me they were breaking up, it felt like the rug was pulled out from under me.

I had no control, and I was scared. That’s how I’m feeling now.

Like I’m about to lose everything I care about again, and I can’t stop it from happening.

Add in everyone telling me how wonderful my stepsister is, and it’s no wonder I feel nine years old again.

It’s probably why I’m finding it so hard to hang on to my normal optimistic self.

The worst part about everything is that even if I focus on the positives: I have a gorgeous prom dress, we put together a kick-ass proposal for a festival that could save the street, and my stepsister and I are finally getting closer, there’s still one big negative that I cannot ignore.

I still don’t have a prom date. The most important night of my high school career and I’ll be alone, trying to keep my smile on my face.

“What are you doing here, Sana?” a voice says. It’s Miles. So much for avoiding the guy.

He looks… concerned. And so damn adorable. His T-shirt is the same medium blue as the sky, and he’s in his cords that look so good on him. I smile. “Needed a place to think,” I say. “Why are you here?”

“I just got off work. Grabbing my bike.” He stands in front of me, like he doesn’t know whether he should join me, or keep walking on the path toward the bike racks.

“You’re still locking your bike there?” I ask.

He nods, then sits next to me. “It’s a wonder it hasn’t been stolen yet. I think you were right about thieves puncturing tires. My other tire was hit last week. Thanks to you, I knew how to fix it. Pain in the butt to walk it home flat though.”

“You could’ve fixed it on my balcony,” I say. “Where do you live, anyway?” I’m not sure why I don’t know this, considering how much I’ve seen him in the last month.

He smiles. “In a crappy, tiny room in a basement apartment with six other students. It’s loud and it smells bad, but it’s all I can afford. At least I have my own room—the others are all sharing.”

I cringe. And here I was worried he would think my apartment over the flower shop was too small and shabby looking. I wonder why his parents aren’t helping him get something better. “That’s rough. Is it close by?”

“Not too bad. Half hour walk from here. I usually don’t ride my bike to work because I don’t want it to get stolen. I’ll need that bike when school starts.”

“You can lock your bike on my back balcony,” I offer. I know I’m supposed to keep my distance from him, but he needs help. “Mom won’t mind. It’s safe up there—we have cameras out back.”

He tilts his head, then smiles. “Actually, yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”

“Not a problem at all. Is that why you’re always working on your computer in the bookstore? Because your place sucks?”

He nods. “Reggie lets me stay as long as I need to get quiet work done. He’s actually helping me with my internship applications—he has a ton of corporate experience.”

“Reggie’s a great guy,” I say.

“He’s the best.”

Neither of us says anything for a while. I can tell things are strained between us, which makes me wonder if Sarina did say something about me in the Uber ride. I don’t want him to talk about Sarina, but I can’t stand this awkward silence.

“LOL Park is going to look so amazing if we get the festival approval,” I say.

He nods. “Yeah, we’ll have to come weed this field, though.”

I scoff at that suggestion. “Why would we do that? Dandelions are beautiful. Hopefully they are at the seed stage then… Those white wisps in the air are so romantic.”

“Unless you have seasonal allergies.”

I smile at that. We’ve had this argument so many times.

He’s called me idealistic, and I’ve called him uptight, and we end up in the same place again and again.

I don’t know why, but this time the disagreement feels comforting .

It’s like even though we’re disagreeing, I feel like we both value our different opinions now.

I turn to him, still smiling. “Antihistamines exist. Only you could look at that carpet of yellow and green and think it needs to be changed.”

He chuckles at that. We sit silently for a while. I’m hoping he’s trying to appreciate the dandelions in front of us.

Finally, he turns to me. “You okay, Sana? You’re… quiet.”

I shrug. “Not used to that, are you? I’m just in a tiny funk. I know it’s shocking, but even Sana Merali has bad moods.”

“You’re entitled to feel down.” He pauses. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head. “If I tell you what’s bothering me, you’ll think I’m brainwashed by the…

what did you call it… the romantic industrial complex .

You’re going to think it’s so cringe.” I sigh, looking at him.

Miles just watches me quietly, patiently, and I feel my heart skip a beat before I break eye contact.

“I’m upset that I don’t have a prom date anymore.

I found an amazing dress, but I’ll be alone at the dance. ”

He tilts his head with genuine compassion. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

Miles looks so kind that I’m trying not to feel a little breathless. I can’t let him notice what he’s doing to me, so I dramatically raise my brows. “This coming from the guy who said that it’s ridiculous that society tells us prom should be as important as our wedding?”

His gaze turns to the bike locks in the distance.

“I definitely think everyone’s obsession with prom is a result of the romantic industrial complex,” he admits before he turns his head to look back at me.

“I—I think… I—I mean…,” he stutters. “Even though prom isn’t my thing, I know it’s important to you . ”

Welp, so much for not feeling breathless. My heart is pounding so hard that I’m sure Miles will notice my T-shirt moving. “Did your date just back out?” he asks.

I shake my head and stare in front of me.

“No, it was a few weeks back. She’s actually my ex, but we were still planning to go together as friends.

That was before she got a new girlfriend.

I was going to find another date, but I’ve been so busy, and now prom is days away and I’m alone.

” He doesn’t say anything, and I don’t want to look at him because he’s sitting so close.

I let out a shaky breath. “I’m the chair of the prom committee…

It’s embarrassing that I’ll be walking in alone while Priya and Amber are there in their matching dresses.

But you’re right—it’s just a dance. It doesn’t really matter. ”

“I’ll go with you,” Miles says.

My head whips around to look at him, and all I see are his wide brown eyes with a soft expression. I must be hearing things. “Did you just offer to go to my prom with me? You hate prom.”

He nods. “Look, I know I said some stupid things to you before, and I’m sorry. But you care about your prom, so I’d be happy to take you.”

I have no idea what to say. Honestly, I have no idea if I remember how to speak. My heart is pounding even harder, and my skin is tingling, and there’s no way that Miles, who is only inches away, doesn’t know that he’s completely wrecked me. Has anyone, ever , done something that generous for me?

When I say nothing for too long, he adds, “I’ll go as your friend .”

I exhale. Of course he’s asking me as a friend . That’s all I am to him. But to me , he’s a friend who I very much want to kiss. Going to prom with him seems like a bad idea. This will be utter torture.

“Showing up with a date will stick it to your ex, won’t it?” Miles asks when I still don’t answer. “Could you still get another ticket?”

Showing up with Miles on my arm would definitely be better than showing up alone, but I have a crush on Miles.

Like, a huge one, and as hard as I’m trying to get over it, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Taking the guy to my prom certainly isn’t going to help.

And the fact that he insisted he would come as a friend means that’s all he sees me as.

“I’m committee chair,” I say, despite the voice in my head telling me I will get hurt. “I can get you a ticket. Do you even have something to wear?”

He nods. “I donated my prom clothes, but I have a suit. I’d just have to go up to my parents’ to get it. When’s your prom?”

“Friday night.”

His face falls a bit. “Oh.” He opens his phone calendar. “I have something that night, but I can cancel. I’d rather hang out with you.” He smiles at me. “So, what do you say, Sana? Will you do me the honor of letting me be your prom date?”

The look on his face is hopeful… and it makes me wonder. Does Miles actually want to go with me? Like as a real date, not just a pity for my friend date?

No, he doesn’t. He invited me as a friend . But that’s still pretty amazing, because he hates prom and everything it represents. He’s asking me because he cares about me being upset. I don’t think I could say no even if I wanted to. “Okay, Miles Desai. Yes. You can be my prom date.”

He grins, and we shake on it. And I ignore the butterflies in my stomach and the goose bumps on my skin the moment our hands touch. I have no idea whether this is a good or a bad idea, but I do know that at least now my prom will be memorable.