33. Kate
“Can you chill out? You’re going to ruin your manicure,” Ellie snips at me, swatting my hands away from my face.
“I’m sorry. I’m freaking out!” What an understatement. I’ve used an entire box of tissues to wipe under my arms and the back of my neck since walking into this gym. “Why is it so hot in here?” I groan and flail my arms about as I pace in front of the ticket table.
We finished setting up for prom with ample time to spare. Music and lights are waiting to be turned on moments before the doors open, because it will add to the excitement of it all, according to Emma. The place looks amazing. String lights cover every inch of the gymnasium ceiling and wrap around the banisters on the second level. Vintage books Emma found at Goodwill are used as centerpieces and accents in different areas. The wooden sign Malcolm made has been set up by the door for entrance photos.
My stomach feels like it’s full of acid as I pace back and forth as nauseating nerves boil up inside of me. About thirty minutes ago, I decided I’m going to talk to Malcolm.
I have no earthly idea what I’m going to say. I just know I need to talk to him. I need to tell him what’s going on inside my head.
Do I know what’s going on inside my head? Even if I don’t, I need to talk to him, right? Gosh, quit talking to yourself, Kate.
“Seriously, you’re making me dizzy,” Ellie presses her fingers into her temples as her eyes follow my pacing feet.
“Where is he?” It’s 6:48. Malcolm was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.
“Maybe he’s finishing up the long list of crafts Emma had him do.” Ellie mimics a hair flip, her tone shrill and sarcastic. She doesn’t handle jealousy well, poor thing.
“And here is where we have the sign-in table.” Benny gestures to our table from the opposite end of the gymnasium, leading our newest hire around on their first official tour of the school.
“Hey, Stanley!” Coach Daniels beams at me, wrapping me in a hug. It startles me at first, the affection, but I realize he’s just that friendly. I guess helping carry a concussed Malcolm across the field really brings people together.
“Daniels, hi!” Returning the hug then stepping back, I assess his getup. “You look great!” I say, gesturing to his blue suit with a green Kirby t-shirt underneath. I evaluate it a second longer, pondering how he’s able to pull off something so odd. But it suits him.
“Wanted to make a good first impression.” He delights, his smile beaming bright under the string lights.
“Daniels, you’ll be on bathroom duty with Bill. Figured it would be a good baby step.” Benny directs him toward the door that leads to the hallway.
“Well, I’ll catch you guys later!” Daniels jogs off with a literal pep in his step and disappears down the hall.
“Sure is nice to have some fresh blood around here,” Ellie says.
“Just so you don’t have to be the new girl anymore?” I ask, giving her a sly wink. I take a seat next to her, preparing myself for the craziness about to burst through the doors.
“Alright, ladies, pick one,” Benny instructs as he approaches the table with both of his hands pulled tightly behind his back.
“Um, left.” Ellie points, a giddy smile whipping across her face.
He pulls two corsages from behind his back, handing Ellie the left one and me the right. Both of them are white roses, one with a silver bow and the other with a green bow. I open my box and pull out the wristlet, admiring the intricate green bow tied on one end. We each look at our choices, then to the other, and quickly swap—the green for Ellie, and the silver for me. Benny lets out a singular laugh, and we shrug. Ellie helps place mine on my wrist, and Benny places Ellie’s on hers. The moment is tender and almost sweet enough to distract me from the goal of the night.
Talking to Malcolm. Who still isn’t here.
Emma barrels through the front door, a line of students forming behind her. She slams the door in their faces, yelling, “Not yet!” Grunting and groaning, she hurries to the table and drops off two buckets: one for prom king and the other for prom queen. “No funny business this time.” She points at Benny and Ellie accusingly. “Only students can win!”
“That wasn’t our—”
“Oh please.” Emma waves off Ellie’s attempt at defense. Benny and Ellie, two faculty members, were awarded homecoming king and queen last fall. It was hilarious to watch them be crowned, but Emma is still not convinced it was all the football team’s doing. “Now, we open in three minutes, everyone!” she yells over us to the other teachers scattered around the gym. They mosey off to their assigned stations, which seem to have changed since our last faculty meeting: Ross on punch, Margaret and the assistant librarian on the back exit, and Bill heads to the bathrooms. The rest of the faculty line the walls for dancefloor duty. Looks of dread spread across each of their faces, knowing what’s to come. Having to be the one to break up the bumping and grinding is never fun.
I thank the universe for ticket duty.
“Now, does this mean I have two prom dates?” Benny winks at us.
“Ew, gross.” I wince.
Benny leans over the table to plant one on Ellie, big and passionate, before the students come in. Ellie’s eyes flutter when he moves away, like she’s lost in the moment. “I think Kate has someone else in mind for her date.” She shoots me a wink and a shoulder shimmy, causing Benny’s eyes to dart to me, widening ever so slightly.
“No. No. I don’t have a date.”
“Then what did I get all dressed up for?”
I whip around in my chair to the soothing deep voice behind me and see Malcolm standing in the center of the gymnasium. String lights sparkle above him like stars. He’s dressed in a sleek, black suit with no tie. Something about that little detail sends a tickle all the way down to my toes. It’s insanely attractive—and a tad rebellious. The suit fits him like a glove, accentuating the broadness in his shoulders and strength in his legs. I feel my breath catch when my gaze trips over his clean-shaven face, his strong jawline and tiny chin dimple on display. I let out an audible gulp that feels like sandpaper in my throat and realize my mouth has been hanging open.
Ellie kicks my ankle and shoves my chair, encouraging me in the most painful of ways to go talk to him.
I stand on wobbly knees. I guess that’s what Malcolm in a suit does to my limbs. Inhaling slowly, I make my way across the gym. It’s only thirty feet, but it feels like the length of the football field. Malcolm, dressed up, underneath the stars and floating books, is now an image burned into my brain forever. Something I will picture anytime I’m sad or lonely or when I need to picture the love interest in my next read.
“Hi,” I breathe.
“You look…” He trails off, eyeing me up and down. The silvery blue of his eyes dances all over me, and I feel a spark of energy when they finally settle on my neck. One look, that look, fills me with the confidence to tell him everything I’m thinking. Right here, right now. He clears his throat twice and rubs his jaw, like he’s trying to summon the strength to finish his statement. “Kate, you look—”
“It’s time, people!” Emma bellows from the front doors. As she opens them, a crowd of students pile in, overtaking the ticket table. The music switches on, playing some K-Pop band, and the disco lights flicker on. In an instant, Malcolm’s words are drowned out as kids start flooding the dance floor.
“Crap, I have to…” I glance at the table then back to him. Desperation is an understatement for how I feel. I need to talk to him. “Can I come find you later?” I tug at the hem of his suit jacket, the velvety fabric smooth against my skin.
“Please do.” He tugs lightly at a piece of my hair, trailing his thumb across my collarbone and down my arm. “I really need to talk to you.”
The crowd starts to close in on us, and he pulls his hand away. I see his shoulders dip forward as if his entire body deflated, probably internally sulking about the gyrating slowly starting to suffocate him. He gives me a salute then disappears into the sea of dancing teenagers.
The first hour of the prom is a chaotic whirlwind.
Ellie and I man the ticket table, Benny assists with the photo booth, and Emma barks out orders like it’s the apocalypse. When the line to enter dies down, we finally sit down and take a breather. Music and dancing happen behind us in a blur. I glance around, looking for Malcolm, but he’s a ghost, nowhere to be found.
“I’m going to get some punch!” I yell over the music to Ellie who has taken to playing Wordle on her phone.
Weaving my way through the bodies, I find the drink table and Ross on high alert. He really is the perfect person for the job. Volunteering for the police department ignited this spark inside of him. Protecting and serving—even at the high school prom—is what he lives for now.
“Hi, Ross!” The music booms around us, muffling my voice. He nods in greeting as I fill up my cup. “Have you seen Malcolm?” I yell in his direction, eyeing the mess that has overtaken the table. Ross shakes his head as he watches the table suspiciously, as if I, a teacher, will spike the punch while straightening the cups and napkins. Dusting the cookie crumbs off my hands, I collect my punch and turn toward the dance floor. There are no openings—a barrier of bodies swaying and jumping blocks my path across the gym. Sidling up next to Ross, I sip on my punch. Making conversation is useless with the noise, so we watch the madness around us.
“Hey, Ms. Stanley!” Garrett, dressed in a hot-pink suit with a black bowtie, pushes through the crowd. Ross steps closer to the table, glowering at Garrett as he pours himself some punch. “Are you going to get out there?” He smiles at me, chugging his punch like it’s a shot.
I mouth, “No,” and he pouts. “Teachers don’t need to be out there!” I wave my hand dismissively as Garrett points over the crowd at a short woman bouncing and sliding side to side in the midst of the teenagers. Margaret. A song even I don’t know blares through the speakers, and Margaret is shaking everything she’s got—off beat.
One arm goes up, the other goes forward. A slide to the left, and a slide back. It’s a poor attempt, but she is fearless. My cheeks pinch at the sight—the sheer joy she has out there. And then, in one swift motion, Bill is on the dance floor, sidling up next to her, matching her energy like it’s his own. My heart swells at the sight of two people so in sync and unbothered by everything around them.
“Whew, they’re getting it!” Travis Van gives a single clap as he breaks through the barrier. I have to stand on my toes to keep watching Margaret and Bill as the crowd circles around them. Did Bill leave Daniels alone on bathroom duty?
Sarah and Ethan find their way to the table as well, holding hands and looking adorable. I refuse to let the sweetness of young love cloud my judgment of her date choice. I’m watching you, my eyes say as he fills two cups with water.
“Where’s Geer?” Ethan asks the group. They each stand on their toes, scouring the crowd with no luck. They all linger around the table, Devon and Charlie abandoning their dates on the floor to join them.
For some odd reason, I feel the need to use this opportunity for intel. “Hey,” I yell. Their faces are beet red from the dancing as they face me. Travis throws his hands up and steps away from the table as if I’m accusing him of something. “What happened at the restaurant?” They all look at me, confused, so I clarify, “Why did you guys crash my date?”
A wave of fixed expressions marks their faces—straight, taut lines, fighting any emotion or giveaway. Setting my hands on my hips, I wait. A few of them attempt to back away, probably hoping the crowd will swallow them. I jab my finger in the air at them, halting them in their tracks. “Spill it.”
Devon sighs, stepping closer so I can hear him. “You really don’t know?”
I shrug, unsure how to answer. I have a hunch, but I need confirmation. I need reassurance that my feelings aren’t the only ones going wild right now. “We did it for Geer. He was freaking out about your date, worried about you. At first, we did it because none of us liked Sanders and wanted to ruin it. But a day or so later, we figured it out.” Devon shrugs, like that answers my question.
“Figured out what?” I ask.
“Coach, have you ever considered that maybe Coach Geer views you as more than a friend?” Garrett asks. “All the things he does for you and no one else? And that thing with the pig—I mean, come on.”
“Wait, what thing with the pig?” Confusion mars my face.
“We were at a luau,” Travis whines, “and we didn’t even get to see the roasted pig. Coach had the kitchen staff move it to the other side of the party so we wouldn’t see it—so you wouldn’t have to watch them roast it. We had front-row seats and everything.” He wails despondently, like this situation ruined his entire week at camp.
“Wh—why would he do that? I could have easily stepped away,” I defend.
“We know.” Garrett nods in agreement. “But Geer was determined. He even helped them move the thing. It was disgusting.”
That was why Malcolm was late.
I stand there, unsure what to say or ask now. So, Malcolm ruined a luau for me. He crashed my date. These could all just be kind gestures you do for a friend. Maybe he’d do something like this for Benny.
Ethan and Sarah are the first to head back out to the dance floor, Travis and Charlie following suit shortly after. Devon waits, watching the crowd blur in front of us.
“Look”—Devon tugs at my elbow—“a monkey could tell how he feels about you. And you’re out there trying to meet random guys on the internet.” He waves a hand at the crowd, as if it”s a clear representation of the number of online date-ees I’ve encountered. I glower at him, pursing my lips. “I’m just saying, the guy is so crazy about you. You’d be insane to not know!”
“You don’t know that!” I defend again.
“Kate, ask anyone. You won’t find a single person here who thinks otherwise.”
Well, I clearly won’t be doing that. I don’t need to ask everyone. I just need to ask Malcolm.
An opening in the blockade appears, and I abandon Devon at the table and make my way through. Arms, hands, and even legs are obstacles as I break through the other side. Ellie and Benny are cozied up near the booth, swaying to a slow song that now plays overhead.
“Hey!” I snap them out of their trance, anxiety heating my back and neck like a furnace. “Is Malcolm in love with me?” My question is shocking and more aggressive than I intended.
“Um…” Benny hesitates. “Why do you ask?”
That is a good question. Why am I asking? Do I want to know the answer when I’m not even sure how I feel about him? I run my hands through my hair, curls breaking apart and falling over my face at the motion.
Ellie breaks away from Benny’s arms, linking her arm with mine. “What’s going on?”
“I just need to know!” I demand, my voice booming over the steady beat of the song. The lights flash around me, pulsing along with the pressure now building in my head. “I just… Ugh. It seems like everyone else knows how he feels, but me!” I pinch my eyes shut and practically yell, “I need to know if Malcolm is in love with me or not!”
“Why don’t you ask me yourself, then?”