"Why do you always avoid my questions?"
"I'm not, it's just that there's nothing to say. Who would ever want to date someone they can't even talk to? It's not rocket science. My eyes are weird, and people get tired of me eventually. There's your on...
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A BUZZ OF EXCITEMENT WAFTED through the air at Ridge Walk High as prom steadily approached, rousing the romantic spirit in even members of the math Olympic team. Already, students were starting to make cards and buy flowers for others, weeks of ruminating about their plan of action finally springing into play as the time finally came to approach their potential dates. While some people had a clear-cut path to their date, destined for success, others didn't.
One being Dallas.
But as the days drifted by Dallas spent more and more time with Eden in the red room, her brain automatically wiring to go there after school and during lunch like what she did when she was a member of the swim team.
A layer of liquid coated her fingertips as she carefully dipped the photo into the solution, letting it stay there for a few seconds before it reemerged. A smile curled her lips and she whirled to face Eden with the perfected image of the school compound — a photo she took herself.
An identical grim appeared on Eden's face. "Great work! This one came out great, too," he grabbed a clothespin and pinned the image to a cable that hung above, showcasing countless other photos taken over the weeks and years. Eden stepped back, hands planted on his hips as he appraised all their hard work. Dallas stood alongside him, marveling at the tinted red aesthetic of the room. "Dallas, I think you're ready."
"Ready?"
"Yes!" Eden beamed. "Our club will be hosting our very own photo booth for prom. We already got permission from the principal," he turned to her, eyes unsure yet hopeful as he asked: "So what do you say? Would you like to help out at our booth? You could be one of our photographers, or you could help decorate the booth if you want."
Without ruminating the thought much, Dallas bobbed her head in agreement. "That sounds good, Eden."
Eden's shoulders sagged in relief, and he leaned against a nearby table. "Thank goodness. I was scared you'd say no since you'd be busy with your prom date or something."
Dallas opened her mouth to respond, but a wave of realization dawned on her that she'd be going to prom all by herself. She knew she would, but every time she recalled her and Sebastian's breakup, it was as if the thought hit her out of left field. Prom was the thing they looked forward to the most. But surprisingly, the thought didn't bother her anymore like it did a few days ago — in fact, she'd barely even seen Sebastian. They didn't share any classes, and since her friendship with Leila crashed and burned, that also officially booted Dallas out of the popular clique.
At that time, being one of the 'regular' students at school, she understood how unreachable the popular clique was, and while she wasn't a hundred percent sure about how she felt about how everything went down, nothing could help the ineffable calm suffusing her chest. She wore whatever she wanted to school, and her 'mask' was starting to crack, too.
"Don't worry, Eden. That won't happen," she finally responded, glancing down at her watch. Her eyes rounded at the realization that lunch ended ten minutes ago, which automatically meant she was late for her next period, biology. "Oh shoot, I have to go," she grabbed her bag and other possessions before she raced to the door, calling over her shoulder, "See you later, Eden!"
