Boy Meets Nerd (Boy Meets Nerd #1)

Chapter Seventeen

When we finally get to the school, there are so many cars piled into the parking lot that we have to drive around a couple of times before we find a good enough parking spot. The gym is completely lit up inside and the lights stream out of the windows and illuminate the whole parking lot and lawn around us, making the streetlights a little useless. I can hear the music playing loudly from inside the gym and I can just tell that people are actually enjoying the classic sounds of Elvis with everyone hustling to get inside where all the action is. I also see other classmates walking into the gym with girls wearing beautiful dresses and I feel a little out of place with my somewhat plain outfit.

We all get out of the car and I can't help but stare at the giant sign that's brightly lit on the outside of the building promoting the prom. Each letter is lined with bright thin light cords that make the sign unmissable with it proclaiming 'Crossroads High Prom Night! It's a real gas kitten!'

"Oh, my gosh, it looks amazing!" Cameron says with excitement taking over her entire body as she jumps a little and her eyes grow big. "Mom was right. A little hard work goes a long way."

"You two go inside. I want to take a picture to send to mom," I reply. I know dad will be proud of us for having gotten the sign all the way up there with only a few strings, two ladders and a few very patient people following Cameron's demands and questionable leaning.

"You sure?" she asks already walking towards the gym with her hand already reaching out to take Jace's.

"Yeah, I'll meet you guys inside," I wave them off. Cameron nods and takes Jace's hand and leads him towards the building. He turns back to me and I take out my phone from my purse. "Don't get mugged," he calls over his shoulder, shooting me a small smile. Despite the weird situation between us, I can't help but give him a small smile back.

"I'll try," I say to him and he turns back and follows Cameron inside. I start thinking back to the first time he told me that, that night at the club a few weeks ago. It's crazy how I used to hate his guts and had never said more than two words to him. And yet now, I get butterflies every time I think of him. And I think about him a lot more than I should. I mean, he's my sister's boyfriend. That's wrong on so many levels. I put my phone up and snap a few pictures of the gym and send a couple of the good ones to mom and dad, coming back down to reality. I slip my phone back into my purse and stand outside for a minute longer. Even though I agreed to go to prom and try to have a good time, I can't help but feel out of place and just feel like going home. I know I promised my parents and Cameron that I would come and make the best of the night but I just don't have it in me to stay true to my word. I considered asking Jace to take me home but then Cam would get mad at me for stealing her date because I wanted to go home or worse, I'd be stuck alone in a car with him. I didn't know if I was ready for either of those things so I just sucked it up and decided to go inside. I got all dressed up for this thing so I'm going to see it through.

I walk towards the gym and step inside and immediately feel the energy in the place. People were dancing and walking around and laughing with each other and almost no one was sitting down. It was full of energetic fun and the music was blasting overhead, now playing something a bit more modern and I could hear a few people singing along. There's tons of red and white and black everywhere, the dark walls really emphasising the bright white lights on the stage where two golden thrones sit. Cameron was right, it really does look amazing. It's as if the gym was a portal to the fifties and everyone was dressed for the time, including myself which surprised me a little on how well my dress actually looked for the theme. Jukeboxes sit on either side of the stage and fake vinyls hang all along the walls with giant posters of the greatest stars the times ever knew. Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, Tony Bennett, The Teenagers, The Supremes and so many others. It was unreal.