Chapter Twenty-Two

Fuller

“Are you nervous?”

I looked up at Marc and TyShaun. “More nervous than I’ve ever been before any game.”

TyShaun put his hand on my shoulder. “You got this and hey, I’m sorry again. I never should have told Marissa anything.”

“Thanks, Ty.” I ignored the nausea swirling in my stomach. “I appreciate it, but this is my mess, and I’m the one who needs to do the apologizing, not you.”

“Wren’s going to think you’re the coolest.” Hudson grinned, displaying a large gap where he’d lost his most recent tooth.

We stood outside the school building. A cold wind whipped through the parking lot, but I didn’t mind. The costume I was wearing kept me plenty warm.

“All right, guys. Let’s do this.”

I adjusted the facemask and the tight leather pants as we made our way to the front door. Hudson walked next to me. He’d dressed up, too. In fact, this whole plan had been his idea. Marc and TyShaun carried all the supplies as we walked through the front door. Once I’d explained the plan to them, they’d jumped on board, too. It had taken everything in Dae and Brandon’s power just to get Wren to the dance, but luckily, they’d pulled it off. Having my friends by my side gave me the confidence I needed to go through with everything. I was a really lucky guy. After everything that had happened, these guys really had my back.

Luckily, the DJ for the dance was a family friend. He’d given my plan the okay. He’d even agreed to set up a special wireless microphone.

My gloved hands shook as the music floated down the hallway. Holy buckets, was I nervous. Part of me wanted to chicken out and turn around and run, but if I did that, I’d never get Wren back. And that was all that mattered.

“You got this, Fuller,” Hudson’s voice squeaked. “Stick to the plan. Just like we rehearsed.”

His words of confidence gave me the extra boost I needed. For a nine-year-old, he was pretty wise.

And creative, the little stinker.

As I walked toward the gym, a group of junior girls spotted us and began laughing. Their dates, Jeremy and Nico, frowned.

“Dude, what are you wearing?” Nico asked, tilting his head as he looked me up and down.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I motioned for the small group to follow me toward the gym. I felt like the Pied Piper.

“Fuller. There you are.” Marissa grabbed onto my arm but loosened her grip once she got a look at my outfit.

“Back off, Marissa.”

She looked me up and down, scrunching her nose in the process. “What are you wearing? Where’s your tux?”

“What you did last week was unforgivable. You owe Wren an apology and you know it.” I waited for her to release my arm.

“An apology? Seriously?” She released her grip and placed her hands on her hips. “Look, I did you a favor by telling Wrentainer about your stupid little bet. Forget her. Let’s go in together, and you can be my Fall Harvest Prince.”

“I took my name out of the running, Marissa. I already told you that. I’m finally getting my priorities straight, and Wren is way more important to me than a popularity contest.”

Her smile disappeared and was instantly replaced with a scowl. “You know what, Fuller? You’ve changed so much, I barely recognize you. You and that loser deserve each other!”

“You’re right, I have changed—for the better. Oh, and you know, there are better ways to get attention. This whole act you put on, it’s too much. I didn’t call you out on it while we were dating, and that’s my bad. But you deserve to know and, honestly, I hope you can change. Because if you don’t, no one is going to want to be your friend.” Without another word, I turned around and made my way to the stage.

Marissa took one step after me before I heard a snap. Taking a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw her balancing on one stiletto, as the heel on the other one had broken. Courtney rushed to her side and helped her to a chair on the opposite side of the hall.

“You know what they say about karma.” Marc smiled and gave me a pat on the back.

TyShaun nodded. “Good luck, man.”

“Thanks, Ty.”

We walked through a balloon arch to get into the gym. Bales of hay and pumpkins masked the bleachers, which had been pushed up and secured against the walls. There were tables scattered around the perimeter as well. They each had ornate centerpieces with red and orange leaves, pinecones, and a lantern in the middle. Battery-operated candles flickered, giving the space a special ambiance.

Okay, it’s now or never.