"I can't believe you're my sister's boyfriend," Kyle said from the door. Someone had to tell him that just because two people were going to prom together, didn't mean that they were together. But for this specific occasion, I sort of hoped that was the case.

Austin neither confirmed nor denied Kyle's statement. He smiled at my brother and smiled even bigger when he saw me. "You look– wow, you look gorgeous," he said, leaning down to kiss me but was stopped by Kaden, who patted him on the back, hard enough to get the message across. No making out with my sister. At least in front of them. I was partially thankful for that action because I was sure that I would explode. We hadn't kissed since the night of the fight.

"Thanks," I said. After literally one picture, we were out the door and informed that my curfew was at one.

The drive to school was a short one so we had no time to talk about anything much. But he did sneak his hand down to lace his fingers through mine, sending tingles down my spine.

The school was decorated with countless Christmas lights that colored the roof of the gym like tiny, white stars. The tables were round and big, with fancy napkin origami. Spotlights were targeted the dance floor and music boomed from the speakers.

"The prom committee did good," I told Austin, whose hand lay on the small of my back like the spot had been reserved for him all these years.

"You weren't on the prom committee?" he asked. "I'm surprised."

When we approached the two tables where our friends were seated, Jimmy started to clap, slowly then faster when the others started to join in. "Finally, something that makes sense!"

"What doesn't make sense?" Austin asked, while pulling a chair for me like a perfect gentleman.

"Why isn't eleven pronounced onety-one?"

I turned to Austin. "I want to sit somewhere else."

Everyone laughed and suddenly, everything was back to normal. My heart was finally beating at a steady pace and I felt at peace like I had felt a week ago before all the drama– Austin right beside me in the table, Jimmy turning the night into a comedy show, and bunch of friends brought together by two enemies.

Halfway through the night, when everyone had arrived, Austin and Jake excused themselves from the table. I was pretty sure that boys didn't go to the bathroom together so I asked him where he was going but he only waved off the question like it was rhetorical.

Liz was grinning so hard; I had to ask, "What?"

"You guys are a cute couple," she said. "Especially when you both aren't so moody about it."

"You guys together now?" Clay asked.

"No," I shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't really talked about it."

"Do you want to be together?" Max asked.

Bravely, I said firmly, "I want to be with him. He makes me happy." He made me feel safe and secure and wanted. No one had the power to make my problems go away but he made them bearable. "I just hope he feels the same way."

"Oh, he feels the same way," Jimmy assured.

"I'm happy for you," Liz said taking my hand.

The principal made his way to the stage and tapped the microphone twice before announcing that he was going to reveal the winners of prom king and queen. I frowned at the empty seat beside me. Humility aside, Austin and I were the main obvious candidates for the positions. I was confused to why my date was missing in the first place and nervous because I didn't want to go walk up the stage alone.

          

As soon as the thought passed, I heard the chair beside me rustle a bit and I turned to face Austin.

"What did I miss?"

"He's about to announce prom king and queen. You almost missed it," I told him. "Where'd you go?"

"It's a secret," he said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Okay, Mr. Mysterious." I sat up straighter. "Do I look okay?"

He smirked. "Why?"

I blushed. "No reason."

"You're gorgeous as ever, Kody Taylor."

The thing about Principal Harrison was that he was very fond of his never-ending speeches. It would probably be a good five minutes before he actually got to the point and frankly, I didn't mind.

"So," Austin began in a hushed tone so that the others couldn't hear but loud enough for me to hear over the music. "Let's talk about what you told me right before I played the best game of my life."

"What did I tell you?" I played clueless nervously.

"You can try to deny it all you want, but I'm ninety percent sure that you're in love with me," he said.

"Only ninety percent?" I asked with a smile. That sounded nothing like the cocky boy I fell in love with.

He laughed nervously. "Were you serious when you said that or was it just an in the moment kind of thing? Because I would totally understand if it was an in the moment kind of thing because yeah, it gave me a big boost during my game but–"

"I was serious," I said and stared deep into his eyes. Slowly, his unsure smile turned into a big, unmistakable grin.

"Just remember who said it first."

He smiled and leaned over to kiss me but this time, we were actually physically yanked apart. "Guys, he's about to announce prom king and queen." Like I cared. I didn't need a crown or any title.

Austin didn't make any move to claim the kiss that he hadn't gotten because of the interruption. Instead, he leaned back into his chair with a contented smile.

"This years junior prom king is," Principal Harrison began. "Austin Collins." The suspense in the air was fake for this outcome was what everyone had been expecting. The next outcome was going to be just that as well.

Austin leaned over to kiss my cheek for everyone to see before he stood up and jogged onto the stage. A plastic, gold crown was placed on his head. He sent a wink my way and I gave him two thumbs up.

"And this year's junior prom queen is–" I turned to face Liz who gave me an encouraging nod. I straightened up a bit and smiled. Dancing the first slow dance of the night with Austin Collins suddenly didn't seem so bad. It seemed great and romantic even. The principal pulled out a piece of paper from the envelope and he opened his mouth to read it but he hesitated. "Ashley Harvey!"

My butt, which had ever so slightly left my chair, slumped back into my seat.

Someone had just pulled the carpet from under my feet. I knew rejection, I knew loss, but after all the times I'd dissed winning this title, I'd never once expected this. I turned to Liz whose smile transformed into a confused frown that probably mirrored mine.

I wasn't a sore loser. Okay, maybe I was a sore loser sometimes but I was more embarrassed than sore.

Ashley looked as confused as she did ecstatic. She stood from her seat and looked to me. Immediately, a smile overtook my face and I nodded urging her to go on. After all, my friend had actually won prom queen. I wasn't going to be the girl who made her feel bad about it.

"The king and queen can now share the first dance of the night." Now, I felt ashamed and a little in disbelief.

Austin guided Ashley down the stage and they danced to a slow song, her arms on his shoulders and his on her waist, only a foot of air separating them. I hadn't felt jealousy for a boy before and only now had I realized why it was such a deadly sin. He started talking and she giggled. I looked away because I knew that she was one of the girls who had wanted Austin from the start. When people started crowding the dance floor, Austin and Ashley parted so that they could start dancing with their actual dates.

He offered me a hand and I took it, allowing him to take me to the dance floor.

"Congratulations," I said.

"Thank you." Instead of dancing with me the way he did with Ashley, he pulled me closer, tightening his arms around my waist. "I hit the jackpot today. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

He raised his eyebrows at the well-known phrase. "Are you jealous of Ashley?"

For getting to dance with him? Yes. "No."

"Jealous of me?"

Because he won and I didn't? "No. Though I really thought I was going to win. " I shrugged. "Maybe next year, right?"

"Oh, but you did win."

"What?" Confused, I frowned.

"I told you I didn't date prom queens," he said.

I blinked a couple times before his words back at Blake's party a couple months ago sunk in.

"Now, I'm all yours. So, yeah, you did win. You won best pep talker of the evening, you won me," he gestured at himself dramatically. "Man, you're on a roll."

I choked down my laugh. "Man, you're a jerk." Austin– ever the egotistical maniac. He smiled and took the crown from his head and put it on mine. "You can have this."

"You don't want the crown?"

"Do you love me?" he asked for the second time today. I bit my lip, to stop the crazy smile that was spreading across my cheeks, and then I nodded. "Be my girlfriend?" I nodded again. "Then I don't need the crown."

He took my face in his hands and finally, finally kissed me in front of everyone but just for our sake and not anyone else'.

"I win, too" he stressed stubbornly before kissing me again more passionately, getting the attention of most of the teachers who came over to us and started lecturing about PDA.

Suddenly, the words 'I win' were sweet coming out of his mouth. Not like the many times he'd said it in grade school to irk me, not like the way he said it that night at his house. This time, it was loving and sensitive and it was the words I needed to hear.

I could see it in the way his eyes shone with humor and in the way he grinned at me like we were sharing an inside joke. The way he squeezed my hand, willing me to understand. In some way that nobody else would ever understand, those words were a strange, messed up kind of 'I love you'.

While we danced, something fell out of his tux pocket. I picked up the crumpled paper on the floor. "What's this?"

I caught the words Prom Queen and the first letter of the winner's name. Before I could read it all, Austin snatched it from me, crumpled it some more and stuffed it back inside his jacket. "That's not for you."

That was totally a lie but that hardly mattered. Whether Austin toyed with the results for prom queen or not, as far as I was concerned, Austin was right. I'd already won.

All the defeats in the world were worth this one win.

And I knew deep down that this win would be all I'd ever need to feel like a champion.

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