Page 90 of The Year I was Almost Prom Queen

I scoff. “These jeans cost $100?” I stare at her in amazement. “That’s crazy! Why would you spend so much on pants?”

Mom steps back, reacting as though I slapped her across the face. “Well, you’re welcome for the gift,” she says, obviously hurt.

“Sorry, Mom,” I say. “I honestly didn’t know.”

“I just thought my daughter deserved some high-quality designer jeans for a change. I thought you were starting to care about the way you look and present yourself to the world,” she adds.

“I do care,” I try and say. “But I also care about just being me. Why can’t you ever let me just be myself?”

She looks as though I knocked the wind out of her. “I’m sorry,” she sighs. “You’re right. Just be you. Only not in $100 jeans next time, okay?”

I smile. “Okay.” I know this is hard for her, but I appreciate that she’s putting in more of an effort.

Dylan walks into the entryway. “Dad is looking for you,” he says to Mom.

Dylan pokes his finger at my scraped thigh.

“Ow,” I say, stepping away from him.

Dylan smiles. “See, I knew I liked Austin best. Anyone can take you to some fancy smancy restaurant or even give you a freaking puppy. But Austin knows you. He knows your likes and he’s not afraid to be different from the norm. I really hope it works out with you two.”

I go upstairs and scoop Sirius into my arms. I kiss his cute, fluffy face, and set him on my lap. I quickly share all the pictures I took of Austin and I tonight. Looking at each one makes me smile all over again. I’m astounded as the encouraging comments start coming in. Then I jump over to Ethan’s stream and watch as his lead in the poll slowly starts to move in Austin’s direction.

I get butterflies thinking about our almost kiss. Should I have kissed Austin tonight? I’ve already kissed Jaron, and the thought of our stolen moments in the library fills my heart with guilt. Jaron and I just don’t have the same history. Kissing Jaron is easy and very enjoyable, I might add. But because of our long history together, kissing Austin needs to be special. If I kiss Austin, it has to be because he is the very last one. The only one. Otherwise I think it would crush him.

***

There’s a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I say. I plop on my bed, completely exasperated.

Tessa enters my room and her eyes widen when she sees the entire contents of my closet spread out on the bed.

She steps closer. “Want some help?”

I glance around at all the potential outfits. “Is it that obvious?” I say.

She smiles. Then turning back to Dylan, who is still standing behind her in the hallway says, “I’m going to helpEmma get ready for her date. You can go find something else to do for awhile.”

Dylan pokes his head in. “Alright,” he says, “But I just want you both to know that I’m against this. I don’t care how nice you look for Jaron. I want Austin to win.”

I roll my eyes. “Thanks bro.”

“Also, I’m not helping,” he says, pointing to a shirt on my bed. “But I do know Jaron’s favorite color is red.”

Tessa and I both laugh as she closes the door behind him. “He’s not wrong,” she says. “You would look hot in that red top, and it would definitely make Jaron’s eyes pop.”

Tessa helps me pick out the perfect outfit. One I had stared at a hundred times before she came in. But as soon as she made the suggestion, it became the clear winner. I step out of the bathroom and model for her.

She claps her hands. “You look perfect,” she says. “Why don’t you grab your phone and we can start a livestream of doing your makeup and getting you ready.”

“Who would want to watch me getting ready for my date?” I ask.

“Everyone,” she says. “Makeup tutorials are super popular. Plus it will keep you and your dating competition relevant.”

“How do you know all this?”

Tessa shrugs. “Just from being a girl, I guess.”

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