Page 104 of Better Than the Movies
“What?”I was so shocked by her words that I stopped lathering my hands. The only sound in the bathroom was the faucet continuing to run.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Laney’s smile dropped. “I’m tactless. I’m so sorry for saying anything. I just think all the time—when I see you—about how hard it would be not to have your mom around, especially during your senior year when everyone is sharing all thesemilestones with their parents. I’m so, so sorry for bringing it up.”
I stared at my foamy hands and didn’t have words. Laney Morgan had seen something that no one else had, and it felt totally foreign to be understood by her. “No, it’s fine. I didn’t know what you meant.”
She turned off her faucet and reached for a hand towel. “Still. Sometimes I can’t help sticking my foot in my mouth. I’m really sorry.”
I raised my eyes to the mirror as I rinsed off the soap. “You’re right, though. It sucks. That’s not what my problem is at the moment, but that is always there.”
“I can’t imagine. My mom still talks about you all the time.”
“What?” I shut off the faucet and straightened. “Your mom remembers me?”
Laney nodded. “She used to come up to school for lunch—remember how parents did that sometimes in elementary school?”
I nodded and grabbed a towel, remembering how smiley her mom had been when she’d joined the class.
“It was the year your mom died, and she said you had the biggest, saddest eyes she’d ever seen and she wanted to take you home with her. She always used to get an extra order of fries in case you wanted some, but you always just shook your headno.”
I blinked hard then, but couldn’t stop one tear from escaping. “I don’t remember that, but I do remember how perfect your mom seemed.”
“Oh no, Liz, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Laney grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. “Your makeup is perfect, so knock it off.”
That made me smile, and I wiped at my eyes. “Sorry.”
She leaned toward the mirror and checked her teeth before straightening. “I should probably go back. And Michael’s probably wondering where his date went.”
She had the same slow-blink, slo-mo disappointment that Michael had when she said that. I breathed in through my nose before saying, “You know Michael only asked me as a friend, right?” It was practically true, so I didn’t add this to my tally of fibs that had been piling up lately.
I swear to God, Laney Morgan looked nervous and awkward. She said, “No way! I saw the promposal. That can’t be true.”
“It is. And Michael told me that you guys have been talking, but he also thought maybe you weren’t over your ex. Which is probably why he asked me to prom instead of you to begin with.”
She looked like she didn’t know how to respond, but something that looked a little bit like hope sparked in her eyes.
I glanced in the mirror and ran a hand over my hair. “If you have feelings for him, you’re going to have to tell him. He seems to be shy about putting himself out there, which is why he could never be the lead in a rom-com, by the way, so if you like Mike, you’re going to have to be brave.”
Her closed mouth turned up into a little smile and the girl’s princess eyes were sparkling. “Y’know, you’re kind of cool, Liz.”
I was the antithesis of cool, but it was nice to hear. “Does that mean that you like him?”
She nodded and her eyes got even bigger. “You have no idea. I haveneverfelt like this before about anyone.”
I rolled my eyes and tossed the tissue. “Well, then don’t drag your feet.”
I went back to the table, where Michael looked ready to go.
“You ready?” He set his napkin on his plate and looked at me expectantly.
“Let’s go prom it up.”
He laughed and we left, and as we drove toward the convention center where prom was being held, I wished I could just go home. I was happy that Michael and Laney were destined to have their magical night, but aside from that, no good could come from prom.
Joss. Wes. Alex.
Everyone I cared about—who was going to prom—didn’t want to see me.
“I finished that book already, by the way.”
