I talked to Zoey and Jasmine as they leaned their heads on nearby lockers and dreamed about their fantasy prom night, even though they had both gone each year before now—somehow snagging an upperclassman date during each respective prom seasons. Even though I was finally an upperclassman allowed to go on my own accord, it wasn't really in my priorities any more than it was any other year. Meaning, it wasn't a priority at all.

"Come with me," a very familiar voice suddenly whispered as arms wrapped around my waist and his lips were at my neck. I was pulled away and even though it's stereotypical, I ended up in a janitor's closet.

"Go to the dance with me," Chase demanded. I scoffed. I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and tried to stay strong. He knew what I wanted. He got down on his knees and put his hands in mine. "Will you please go to the prom with me?"

"You brought me into an actual closet to ask me that? Thank you Prince Charming," I said sarcastically. I grabbed the door and left the small confines of janitor wonderland. All I felt was that he must be embarrassed to actually ask me out—and more than that, he didn't really ask in the first place considering it was more of a request he expected me to oblige to.

***

"Would anyone like to share?" our English teacher asked the class after our writing about "confidence" as our topic of the day. Someone cleared their throat and then moments later, Chase was at the front of the classroom holding his journal. I noticed that his hair was starting to grow out and it reached almost down to his neck by now.

"'With confidence, you've won even before you started.' That quote from Marcus Garvey is entirely true," he started. "As you all may know, the prom is coming up..." People cheered and girls fixed their hair as if he would ask them to be his date. "It's often overlooked how much confidence is needed in such a rite of passage like a silly dance when every other day we're expected to be suffering, bullied teenagers with no self confidence. Suddenly, for one night, we're supposed to dress up and have fun. Girls are competing for Prom Queen and best hair and making sure no one is wearing the same dress while us guys have more...privatized...goals for the night that's expected of them," he explained, which made some of the guys slap hands because we all knew there were underground bets going around about who will hook up with who, "No one talks about the confidence and courage needed to even get to that point...asking this one specific girl," he continued. Now the girls really started to straighten up while the guys scoffed as if they were owed a date or something without any effort on their part. "Think about it," Chase said, diverting from the pages he read from. "Assuming the girl you like isn't your girlfriend, it's either she's already with someone," he looked at Wes, "or just doesn't like you and you have to..." his eyes had trailed to mine and knocked his train of thought off its tracks before he snapped out of it. He tried covering it up with a quick cough and glance down at his journal. "What I'm trying to say is that confidence is relative. I don't know why it took me a page to—"

"If you're talking about asking someone out to prom, I'm sure you won't have a problem getting a yes," one of the popular girls told him. Now Chase lowered his journal altogether.

"It's not just someone," he said. "Considering how close and comfortable I am with this girl, I should be fine, but it's wrong of me to just assume she'd say yes...I don't know," he responded sadly and it was almost as if you could hear the shattering of every heart in the room. I only rolled my eyes considering he could've simply asked me right now and I would've said yes. The only reason I had a problem with it earlier was because the request was almost drowned out by the smell of fake lemon and molding mops.

"I think that you should just not go to the dance if this girl is making you so nervous that you can't even ask her out," Wes suddenly mumbled aloud. "Imagine when you actually have to do stuff with her."

The class started to giggle.

"I meant dancing," Wes said seriously as his glare landed on Chase.

"I'm not worried about all that other stuff, but life's all about risk right?" Chase recalled to Wes as our teacher reeled the class back into another topic, but some still listened to the conversation. Chase and Wes easily fell into a stare down because Wes was challenging him to admit his feelings for me while simultaneously disapproving of his cowardice.

"When they're worth taking," Wes hissed.

"Like giving people chances," I breathed. The two boys continued to glare at each other. "I think that you should just stick with your gut because if she's really as close as you think you are, she'll say yes to you as long as you don't ask in, I don't know, a janitor's closet?"

Chase looked up at me. I saw a flash of green before he opened his mouth as if he'd say something in response to my cheeky suggestion, but then he didn't. I scoffed to myself moments later when the bell rang.

"Wait," a familiar voice called as he grabbed my hand. I turned around and still felt eyes on me from our classmates. "Will you go to prom with me? Please."

"Chase..."

"I fixed everything. It made me realize what my priorities are and I'll treat you right from now on, I swear," he promised. I searched his eyes. I sighed before dramatically leaving him. I took about a dozen steps down the hall before he stopped me with a confused expression.

"You said you'd say yes," he reminded. "Especially considering it wasn't in a janitor's closet this time—"

"But then I realized that that night, I'll either end up in tears or hurt in some way by you," I notified. He grabbed my waist to turn me to him. My jaw tensed up.

"I said I fixed everything. I'm back to normal. Plus, mates can't hurt each other," he muttered. "Let me take you to the dance and I'll show you."

"I'll think about it."

"What does that mean?" he called after me.

"You'll see!" I assured. Truthfully, on the inside I was thinking yes, yes—a million times yes, but it was too late to just swoon at Chase Cane's feet after everything he had done and all the games he tried to play.

***

The time for Chase to "see" what would happen in regards to my answer and the dance had expired quicker than I thought considering the dance was tonight. Chase hadn't acted like he even wanted to go every since he got rejected, so I was starting to question why he even bothered. In the meantime, or maybe as a silent check mate, Jackson had asked to escort me and if it wasn't for his puppy dog eyes and yearning for his last prom ever, I would've said no. But I was still sitting here in my black and white dress completely over my head about things with Chase.

Zoey opened her mouth as if she'd say something—even though I had suffered in silence through her makeover on me, but when the doorbell rang. She darted down the stairs to reunite with (who I assumed was) Micah, who she'd seen about...four hours ago which I guess seemed like a war's time for her. I skipped down the stairs to see how our mom would drown them with pictures and whatnot, but I was mistaken when Zoey was waiting at the door talking to someone other than Micah.

"Just be happy for her," a voice whispered in a command. Zoey shifted positions.

"Zoey, who is it?" our mom asked, walking over as I stayed on the upper stairs. "Oh. Hey Chase. Long time, no see...Zo, I thought you were going with Micah."

"I am," she assured.

"I'm actually here for Alicia," Chase's voice informed. My eyes widened. Even though Wes kept telling me Chase was probably gonna show up at prom on his best behavior waiting for me, I would've been fine if it was actually at the venue. Not my house. Here, it seemed like a low blow. Here, it seemed like he thought that I would go with him because I wouldn't berate him in front of my mom. Yeah right. I skipped down the stairs to tell him off in a kind manner—all off my own assumptions, but stopped when I saw him. He was wearing a black dress shirt with striped silver, white, and black tie and also black dress pants. He looked more handsome than ever and something got caught in my throat when I saw him.

"Hi," I choked out like an idiot. He tried to hold back a smile but failed. I turned to my mom. All hopes of telling him off or playing hard to get had evaporated apparently. "I'll see you after the dance," I quickly told my mom as I passed her and hoped to also surpass the pictures.

"Bring her home before two," my mom smiled to Chase. I rolled my eyes and brushed past Chase even though he held his hand out to me.

"I don't think two is reasonable. I mean it's just prom. And it's over at like midnight—"

"Nonsense. You kids can go out and eat after or whatever your friends like to do," my mom allowed. Why was she being so casual?! UGH.

"Why do they get to do whatever they want when you said Micah has to bring me home right after?" Zoey asked while taking offense.

"Because you and Micah are out all the time doing who knows what," my mom recalled. Zoey crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Somehow even though she was the one who had and cheated on Chase and always mocked how "tame" I had been with Wes in regards to our relationship, she was jealous right now.

"I think we should just go now," I said, breaking the awkward silence. Chase held out his arm, but I walked past him with a scoff.

"Just because you show up, whoo my mom over once again, and act all charming, doesn't mean anything," I grumbled to Chase on the way to the car. He only walked beside me while smiling down on himself.

"Let's see about that by two o'clock," he winked before opening the passenger side door for me. He even held out my hand to help me into the car and since I was wearing heels, I obliged the hold so I could sit down on the seat.

"You're not keeping me out until two o'clock in the morning," I doubted while he was leaned over to put the train of my dress into the car instead of being caught by the door.

"You're right," he figured with a pursing of his lips. "I might keep you later."