Page 1 of Enemies to Prom Dates
1
First Day Junior Year
Haddonfield Memorial High School
Beth
It was him. Of course it was him.
Who else would I least want to witness my suffering and mock me for it?
It was the first day of school and, stupidly, I’d chosen to walk rather than ride with my mother and sisters. The house had been too chaotic given the twins’ excitement over their first day of high school.
So I’d announced I was walking, and headed off without heeding my mother’s last warning.
But Beth, it’s supposed to rain.
Not only was it supposed to. It had.
Hard.
Deciding I was too cool for umbrellas, I’d been forced to embrace the wet-dog look. Only taking care to try to keep my leather school bag dry under the designer blouse I was wearing.
I don’t know why I cared about the damn bag. Yes, it was expensive and monogramed with my initials, but it was also the last gift my father ever gave me.
Before he left us.
Just up and ghosted all of us. For no reason that any of us could understand.
My mother. My four sisters. Me.
So I don’t know why I cared about the stupid bag because I didn’t care very much for my father right now.
Having someone to focus my sudden burst of anger on, I actually smiled in the rain.
“Bennet,” he drawled as I approached. “Forget your umbrella?”
Fitz Darcy. My classmate. My competition. My nemesis.
My mortal enemy.
He was leaning against a column under the portico of the old Greek Revival Haddon Fortnightly building. Home to the Haddonfield Historical Society.
Because Haddonfield was the type of town to have an historical society.
And he was inconceivably dry.
“Fitz,” I replied. “What are you doing here?”
“Walking to school like you. Only I had the sense to take cover when it rained. Figured I would wait for you here.”
“Are you calling me senseless?” I snarled as I stepped under the shelter of the portico.
“I’m not calling you anything. Simply saying hello. Now it’s your turn. It’s called being polite.”
“You’re right,” I said, offering him my fakest smile. “How nice to see you after not having to for three solid months. My summer was wonderful and yours?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh come on, Bennet, it’s not like we didn’t see each otherat all. You were bussing tables at The Club this summer. I saw you often enough when my family and I dined there.”
