Page 34 of Between Love and War
“So that’s it, then?” I ask, glancing around. “We’re doing prom?”
There’s a beat of silence, then Haley shrugs. “Honestly? I’m into it.”
Kate’s already writing “PROM” in big letters across the top of her notes. “We can make it look really good this time. Better than high school ever managed.”
Everyone bursts with suggestions on the music, the decor, the food, everything. I’m only half listening, because I can’t believe I’m excited about a prom party ten years too late.
“Are they always like that?” I ask Kate the second we step out of Lily’s, the bell jingling behind us like it’s laughing too.
Kate snorts, pulling her cardigan tighter around herself. “Who? Richard and Haley?” I nod, glancing back through the window where Richard is still trying to steal Haley’s fries and getting smacked for it.
“Yeah. Every time anyone points it out, they just laugh it off, act like they’re horrified, and then move on like nothing happened. So... we don’t really know. We’ve given up trying.”
“Huh.” I shove my hands in the pocket of my hoodie. “Feels like a lot of energy just to deny a crush.”
She grins. “Welcome to Magnolia Heights. Where people know everything about each other but pretend they don’t… and vice versa.”
Fair enough. I don’t push the Richard and Haley thing. Instead, I switch lanes.
“What made you think about prom?” I ask, casually kicking a pebble down the sidewalk as we walk.
Kate shrugs, her fingers fiddling with the strap of her tote bag. “Nothing.”
“Liar,” I say immediately. “There’s a reason, I’m sure. Frustrated prom queen?”
She ignores me, so I stop in front of her to stop her from walking. She skids slightly, then groans. “You’re so annoying, I hope you trip on that pebble.” She points to the pebble in front of me.”
“I hope you trip on every pebble.” I kick it toward her. She kicks it back.
She glares at me, but I don’t move. “Ugh. Fine,” she says.
“Thank you,” I say brightly. I return to walk beside her as she continues to stare me down.
She drags her feet dramatically for a few steps, then sighs. “You probably already know this anyway.” She pulls out her Kindle from her bag, clutching it to her chest. “I’m a hopeless romantic.”
Kate says it like she’s confessing to a crime. Like she expects me to laugh, or worse, look horrified.
Instead, I lift my eyebrows, fighting a grin. “Wow. Earth-shattering news. A woman believes in love!”
She gives me an annoyed look, but there’s a smile hiding there too.
“I’m serious,” she insists. “I believe in the dumb stuff. Like grand gestures. Public declarations. Cheesy speeches. Running through airports. Standing in the rain like an idiot. All the things Taylor Swift writes about.”
For a second, she’s quiet. Maybe wondering if I’m about to laugh in her face. And honestly, I should. Because it’s ridiculous. Except... I don’t know. I kind of get it.
I nod slowly. “Hard to believe a devil like you is a lover of love.”
She elbows me playfully. “Kidding aside,” I say after a second. “I get it. Believing in something even if it sounds impossible... sometimes that’s the only thing that keeps you from turning into a total cynic.”
I should know. I spent most of high school believing that if I worked hard enough, chased the dream hard enough, I could fix everything. Family, future, fear—all of it. I thought winning a scholarship, traveling overseas, breaking records would somehow mean I’d made it. That I’d be untouchable.
Turns out, real life doesn’t care about fairy tales.
But some small, stubborn part of me still hopes for them anyway. Maybe someday all the glory will feel enough.
We keep walking, her Kindle clutched to her chest like a shield. “It’s not easy, though,” she continues. “Real life isn’t as… predictable. There’s no guarantee of a happily ever after.”
“Yeah, so?” I ask.
