“Wow, insightful. How exactly did we become friends?”
She laughs. “Do you like it or not?”
“It’s okay. I liked the blue one you tried four stores ago.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” She shrugs. “Okay, well, let’s go to a few more stores to make sure that one is the one.”
I nod in agreement. The second we get out of here I’m going to do one of the things that was on my top twenty list.
Instead of returning to the dressing room, Autumn steps in front of me and crosses her arms. “Hold on a second. Please tell me you plan on going to prom.”
“I actually wasn’t planning on it.” I admit.
“Okay, now I need to ask: How exactly did we become friends?” She laughs. “Why wouldn’t you go? At least for me?”
“For you? You’re going with Jacob.”
“Yeah, but it’s more-so about seeing everyone one last time. Surely you’ve read enough Young Adult books to know that. You need to start looking for a dress.”
I shake my head at her. “It’s six months away. Even if I do end up changing my mind, I have plenty of time to look for one.”
“It clearly takes a long time to find a good dress.” She tugs at her gown’s fabric. “Why don’t you ask Dean if he’ll take you and be your date?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you ask Dean if he’ll take you and be your date?” She repeats, slowly emphasizing every syllable. “Did you catch that or do I need to say it again?”
“We’re just—”
“Friends?” She scoffs. “Please! I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Everyone has actually.”
“What do you mean everyone? I haven’t told anyone about me and him but you.”
“Mia...” She tilts her head to the side. “Did you really think that all of the time you two have been spending together would go un-noticed by everyone at Central? You’ve said it yourself, everyone watches every move Dean makes. Those moves now include you.”
I sigh. I honestly have been enjoying my time with him too much to focus on what everyone else is saying.
“Ask him if he’ll take you to prom,” she says. “It won’t be a surprise to anyone if you two go together.”
“No...” I shake my head. “That’s okay. I have a perfectly good reason why that’s a bad idea.” Before I can say anything else, she snatches my cell phone out of my hand.
“Let me help you out,” she says, tapping my screen.
“Oh, my god, no!” I reach for my phone, but she steps back and locks herself in the dressing room. “Autumn, please don’t do this to me!”
She starts humming, singing “You’re going to thank me one day,” and I frantically twist the doorknob, wishing I could prevent her from doing whatever she has schemed.
“Can I please have my phone back?” I ask, my heart now racing a mile a minute. “Right now?”
“In a second...” She hums again, and I consider calling the manager over, consider telling him my friend is shoplifting just to get him to open the door.
“All done!” Autumn opens the door and tosses me my phone. “Shall we do Macy’s next? Feel free to tell me ‘Thank You’ while we’re on the way. You’re welcome.”
I immediately tap on my text messages, realizing that there’s a whole new thread between “me” and Dean:
MIA: Hey...What are you up to right now?
DEAN: Just got out of practice. I told you it was a two-a-day practice for today, remember?
MIA: Sorry, I must have TOTALLY forgotten! Anyway, I need to ask you something. Something important. (And OMG do you have any pictures of your abs? I don’t see any in my phone’s gallery so, yeah...Just wondering, since you’ve clearly never sent me any.)
DEAN: What is it you have to ask? (Attached :-) )
MIA: Holy fuck...
DEAN: LOL What is it you have to ask?
MIA: Are you going to prom this year? (Do you mind if I send Autumn a few of these? I mean, she has a bf of her own, but she would really appreciate having these to look at...In private you know?)
DEAN: Yes, I’m planning to. (I don’t mind.)
MIA: Did you already have a date, or were you planning to go by yourself? (I’ll make sure Autumn doesn’t show them to anyone else. I promise!)
DEAN: I’m not going by myself. (I would appreciate that.)
MIA: Okay so...WHO are you going with then? WHO ARE YOU GOING WITH THEN???
DEAN: :-)
MIA: That’s not an answer damnit! Tell me right now!
DEAN: I’m going to ask Mia, Autumn. Sometime over the break, probably when we’re alone. (Why do you have her cell phone?)