CHAPTER FOUR #2
He pulled out a tiny velvet box. Melissa's eyes grew wide.
"...John."
He immediately laughed. "It's not what you think."
She let out the biggest sigh of relief imaginable.
"Oh, thank goodness."
John laughed with her.
"We're seventeen."
"I know!"
"You looked terrified."
"I was!"
Still smiling... John slowly opened the box. Inside rested a delicate silver promise ring. Nothing extravagant. Nothing flashy. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. Melissa stared. Unable to speak. John gently took her left hand into his.
"This isn't an engagement ring."
She nodded.
"I know."
He looked into her eyes.
"But..."
His thumb brushed lightly across her knuckles.
"...one day... after we've graduated..."
"...after I've built the life I want for us..."
"...I want to marry you."
Melissa felt another wave of tears fill her eyes. "Until then..."
John smiled.
"...will you be my girlfriend?"
"...Officially?"
Melissa laughed through happy tears.
"You scared me to death."
"I know."
"So..."
He grinned nervously.
"...Is that a yes?"
Melissa answered the only way she could. She cupped his face. Then kissed him. When they finally pulled apart... She smiled brighter than she had in months.
"...Yes."
Another tear slipped down her cheek.
"...A thousand times yes."
John carefully slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. He looked down at it.
"It's a promise."
Melissa admired the silver band catching the afternoon sunlight. Then looked back at him.
"I'll treasure it forever." John smiled.
"I know you will."
They kissed again. Neither of them noticed... Melissa's mother was standing quietly in the doorway. Watching the two teenagers with tears in her eyes. One hand rested over her heart. She whispered so softly neither of them could hear.
"...Thank you."
Monday morning arrived far too quickly. Westbrook High buzzed with anticipation. Prom was only one day away. Every hallway seemed brighter somehow. Students hurried from class to class carrying rolls of streamers, boxes of decorations, and stacks of handmade centerpieces for the dance.
Amanda adjusted the strap of her backpack as she rounded the corner toward the gym. At almost the exact same moment... Melissa stepped into the hallway from the opposite direction. For one brief second... Time seemed to stop.
Amanda looked up. Melissa looked up. Their eyes met. Neither girl smiled. Neither waved. Neither even slowed down. They simply... Kept walking. Shoulders nearly brushing as they passed one another. Amanda stared straight ahead. Melissa did the same.
Only after several silent steps did Melissa finally glance back over her shoulder. Amanda never turned around. A quiet sigh escaped Melissa before she looked forward again. Beside her, Theresa noticed.
"You okay?"
Melissa forced a smile that never quite reached her eyes.
"...Yeah."
Theresa wasn't convinced. "You looked back."
Melissa looked down at the hallway floor.
"...Old habits."
Theresa's expression softened. Without another word, she gently hooked her arm through Melissa's.
"Come on."
She smiled encouragingly.
"We've got prom decorations waiting."
Melissa nodded.
"Yeah."
Together, they pushed open the gym doors. The gymnasium looked completely different than it had during cheer practice. Ladders stood beneath basketball hoops. Students climbed across the bleachers, hanging strands of white lights.
Teachers directed groups carrying folded tables and boxes filled with decorations. The entire room buzzed with excitement. Loren spotted Melissa almost immediately. Her eyes widened.
"WAIT!"
The entire cheer squad stopped what they were doing. Melissa froze.
"...What?"
Loren pointed dramatically toward Melissa's left hand.
"Is that..."
She gasped loudly. "...A RING?"
Every head turned. Melissa immediately hid her hand behind her back. Her cheeks flushed bright pink.
"...Maybe."
Loren laughed.
"Oh, absolutely not."
She rushed over before Melissa could escape.
"Show us!"
Within seconds... The rest of the cheerleaders surrounded her. Melissa laughed nervously.
"You guys are ridiculous."
"No," one girl argued.
"You're hiding something."
Before Melissa could protest again... Maria stepped forward. A teasing smile spread across her face.
"Move."
The girls parted just enough for Maria to reach Melissa. She gently caught Melissa's wrist. Melissa laughed.
"Maria—"
Too late. Maria carefully turned Melissa's hand over. The silver promise ring caught the overhead gym lights. For a moment... Even Maria looked surprised.
"...No way." She looked up at Melissa.
"Did John Prescott seriously give you this?"
Melissa's smile softened. She glanced down at the ring before quietly nodding.
"...He did."
For exactly one second... The gym fell completely silent. Then— The cheer squad exploded.
"Oh my gosh!"
"I KNEW IT!"
"LET ME SEE!"
Girls squealed. Jumped up and down. Wrapped Melissa in hugs from every direction. Someone actually started crying. Another dramatically declared,
"I've never been happier for another human being."
Melissa laughed until her sides hurt.
"I can't breathe!"
The entire gym erupted into happy chaos. Just then... The gym doors opened again. Amanda stepped inside beside Michael. She smiled politely as she looked around the room. Then— One excited voice rang across the gym.
"JOHN GAVE HER A PROMISE RING?!"
Amanda stopped walking. The smile slowly disappeared from her face. Her eyes immediately found Melissa. Surrounded by laughing cheerleaders. Holding out her hand proudly. The silver ring sparkled beneath the gym lights.
Amanda couldn't look away. For just a moment... She saw the little girl who used to make friendship bracelets out of embroidery thread during summer break. The girl who had once promised they'd grow up side by side.
Now... Someone else had made Melissa a promise.
And Amanda wasn't part of it. Beside her...
Michael quietly slipped his hand into hers.
He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.
Amanda squeezed his hand gently. A silent thank you.
But her eyes never left Melissa. Not even for a second.
Across the gym... Melissa looked up. Almost as though she'd felt someone watching. Her eyes found Amanda's.
The room around them disappeared. Neither smiled.
Neither waved. Neither moved. Just two girls...
Standing on opposite sides of a crowded gymnasium.
Separated by only a few yards. And what suddenly felt like an entire lifetime.
Amanda couldn't tear her eyes away from the ring.
It shimmered beneath the gymnasium lights as Melissa laughed with the rest of the cheer squad.
Someone hugged her again. Another girl grabbed her hand just to get a closer look.
Melissa looked happier than Amanda had seen her in weeks.
She deserved to be happy. Amanda knew that.
So why... Why did something about this feel so wrong?
"They've barely been together."
The words escaped before Amanda realized she'd spoken aloud. Beside her, Michael kept his voice low.
"...Amanda."
She looked toward him.
"They've been dating for what..."
She counted silently.
"...a couple of days? Hours?"
Michael didn't answer. Amanda looked back toward the gym floor. "And he paid five years of her family's bills?"
She still couldn't wrap her head around it. Michael rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Apparently."
Amanda frowned.
"And nobody thinks that's strange?"
Silence. She followed Michael's gaze toward the opposite side of the gym. John stood near the entrance, talking with one of the football coaches. Almost as if he sensed someone watching... Melissa glanced over.
The moment she did... John smiled. Warmly.
Genuinely. Melissa smiled right back. Amanda almost convinced herself she'd been overreacting.
Then... Melissa turned back toward the cheerleaders.
John's smile disappeared. Not slowly. Instantly.
His expression settled into something unreadable. Thoughtful. Calculating.
Amanda noticed Michael watching him. His jaw had tightened.
"...What?"
Michael blinked.
"Hm?"
"You made that face."
"What face?"
Amanda folded her arms.
"The one that says you're thinking too hard."
Michael forced a small smile.
"...It's nothing." Amanda wasn't buying it.
"...Michael."
He sighed.
"We should talk somewhere else." A few minutes later...
The upper bleachers overlooked the entire gymnasium.
From the top row, the cheerleaders looked almost miniature as they spread decorations across the polished hardwood floor below.
Laughter echoed upward. Music drifted through the speakers.
Everything seemed perfectly normal. Amanda rested her elbows on her knees. Her eyes never left Melissa.
"She wouldn't even look at me this morning."
Michael sat quietly beside her.
"You both agreed to take some space."
Amanda laughed bitterly.
"No."
She shook her head.
"She decided."
Her voice became quieter.
"I just..."
She swallowed.
"...didn't really have a choice."
Michael reached over. His fingers found hers without a word.
"I'm sorry." Amanda squeezed his hand gently.
"I don't understand."
She stared at the gym floor.
"A few weeks ago..."
"We did everything together."
She smiled sadly to herself.
"If one of us went somewhere..."
"...the other one was already in the passenger seat."
Michael listened. No interruptions. No advice. Just listening.
"And now..."
Amanda's eyes drifted back to Melissa.
"...she's wearing John's ring."
A pause.
"...and acting like I never existed."
Silence settled between them. Amanda finally looked over. Michael seemed... Distracted. His eyes weren't on Melissa anymore. They were fixed on John. His expression had grown strangely distant. Amanda frowned.
"...You've had something to tell me.”
Michael didn't answer immediately.
"I'm trying..."
He sighed quietly. "...not to get involved."
Amanda turned toward him completely.
"Involved in what?"
Michael stared down at his hands. For several long seconds... The only sound between them was the music drifting up from below. Finally... He spoke.
"John told me something."
Amanda's heart skipped.
"...Before he gave her the ring."
She straightened.
"What?"