Page 73 of Hypothetical Heart
It’s much later into the night when we’re told to take our seats, and Winnie and I find our friends at our designated table for prom king and queen to be announced.
This intermission also gives administration time to collect the kids who have misbehaved and kick them out. If there’s anything to know about Fairwood Prep and the dances they throw, it’s that prep school kids being let loose in a ballroom is never a good idea. There’s been too many instances of jumping from tables and smashing glasses.
“Okay, everyone, money goes in the pot!” Eloise sits down next to me, putting an empty glass in the middle of the table. “Solidify your bets now.”
“What bets?” I ask, watching as everyone at our table pulls out their wallets.
“Whether you’re going to be prom king or not,” Genevieve answers like it’s obvious, shoving a fifty into the glass.
I look toward Winnie, who’s fishing out her own money. “Whoa, whoa, you better be voting for me.”
She hands Genevieve her money. “Obviously.”
With that, I throw my own money toward the middle table. “Put me down for no.”
“The one and only!” Eloise smiles.
“Wait, so if you’re all betting the same thing, then what decides who wins?”
“There are… other stipulations,” Jameson answers.
“And telling you would skew the results, so don’t ask,” Genevieve adds. “Your bet still stands, just don’t ask any further questions.”
Within the next few minutes, the announcer gets readyto say the names of prom king and queen, and all my friends start stomping and slapping the table.
“And your prom king and queen are…” I hold my breath, not really caring about the results but knowing I have a bet on the line. “LOGAN CALLAGHAN AND WINNIFRED CARTER!”
I throw my head back, laughing just like everyone else at my table, before standing and holding out my hand to Winnie.
“Queen.” I pretend to curtsey, kissing her hand. The cheers around us only get louder, especially from our friends.
Winnie’s face goes pink because having to go up in front of this many people is her worst nightmare. I lean my head on her shoulder as we make our way toward the dance floor. “This is a good thing, no big deal.”
She takes a big breath, standing up straighter when the crown is placed on her head. “How many is this for you?” she asks me.
“Six.” All four years homecoming and now two proms.
The DJ lets me pick the song, and I’m overwhelmed by the feeling of stepping on the dance floor alongside Winnie, crowns on both of our heads. This isn’t like the time I had to dance with Genevieve, or any other girl, when we won homecoming king and queen. This ismy Winnie.
Loverby Taylor Swift starts playing through the ballroom, and I watch Winnie’s face light up as we begin to dance around the floor, her hands on my shoulders and mine on her waist.
“This feels like it’s been a long time coming,” she whispers in my ear as she rests her head on my chest.
“It has been,” I tell her, my hand running along the openback of her dress. “Every time I was dancing with someone else up here, I was only ever staring at you.”
“I know.” That has been our life. Staring at each other in crowded rooms, never knowing when it would be the right time for us to finally find our way together.
Now, though, people voted for us to dance together in the middle of the crowd and not just wait for each other on the outskirts.
It’s every dream I’ve ever had come true.
The song ends right as our faces grow close, and we stumble, Winnie stepping on my feet as I stare down at her lips. I know now would be an inappropriate time to kiss her, especially with this many people watching, but the urge is there andstrong.
Instead of on the lips, I kiss her on the cheek, and as we walk back to our table, I see Eloise celebrating while collecting her winnings from the middle of the table. “I knew you’d kiss her!” she shouts toward me, throwing the dollar bills up in the air and letting them rain over her.
Everyone laughs, and for the rest of the night, Eloise playfully throws money at us like we’re her very own strippers.
At one point, Briar Hart comes up to us, hugging all of the girls. “What, you’re not going to throw cash at me?” She jokingly asks Eloise as she pulls away. Eloise’s hands rest on her shoulder, and she leans in to whisper something none of us can hear.I sense something going on there, but choose to not say anything about it.
