a sort of ambivalence ⚣

56

liam.

on sunday evening, i lay on my stomach in a vest and shorts, searching under my bed for anything out of the ordinary. boredom does that to you sometimes.

so far, i've found old comic books and box sets of cartoons. i have music playing softly in the background as i do so. school is open again tomorrow, after the catastrophe last week. the air conditioning got switched off — it's fixed now, thank god. anymore days trapped in the house with ryan and holly and i think i'd go insane.

the buzzing of my phone on the bedside table interrupts my trip down memory lane. i heave myself up and see who it is. lola's contact lights up the screen.

"hey."

her voice is uncomfortably urgent. "liam, we have an emergency."

at first, i worry that something has happened to vincent again. i'm not gonna lie, i'm still slightly traumatised from that whole ordeal a few weeks ago.

"we do?"

"yes. okay, so," she continues, "y'know how the date for prom got announced at school on friday? well, i was just gonna ask if you're planning on going."

"yeah, i'm going to prom," i answer, sighing slightly with relief, "why? what's wrong?"

"i've just been on the phone to the boys, and they all said they don't wanna go!" lola huffs. "i am furious! i mean, really, liam, four years of torture and they're not gonna go out with a bang? how could they do that? i, for one—"

"woah, slow down," i say, laughing a little bit. "they don't wanna go? why the hell not?"

"they said they can't be bothered and they don't have the money for 'fancy tuxedos'," lola scoffs, "they don't even have to be fancy! they could find ones that are perfectly fine at sears, for crying out loud!"

"i'm sure they have the money somewhere," i say. "jonah and elliot both deal weed and vincent can ask his rich daddy, for god's sake."

"exactly what i said," lola says. "we have to convince them to go — i can't imagine prom without them. no offence, liam, but it'll be so boring if it's just me and you."

"none taken," i anseer. "we can talk to them tomorrow, how's that sound?"

"sounds good," lola says. "alright, i'm going to bed! goodnight."

after i hang up the phone, my head swarms with thoughts. of all people, i thought the boys would have liked to put on a show, one last time. they have plenty of friends — jonah and elliott have the basketball team, lola has freya and some of the cheerleaders, vincent has the skaters and a few of the 'alternative' people. i don't see how they couldn't go.

ah, whatever. i'll think about it tomorrow.

the next morning, i stand in the school parking lot beside the orange jeep. students surround us in their cars and on their bikes, most of them outside to bask in the warm spring sun. everywhere i turn, there are whisperings of prom, most specifically from the seniors. i've heard it's gonna have a roaring 1920s theme or an under-the-sea theme — i personally hope it's neither of those. an under-the-sea theme? what is this, sixth grade?

i focus my attention back to my friends. vincent sits on the bonnet smoking a cigarette, jonah beside him with his fingers pinching his nose because apparently he 'can't stand the smell.' elliott stands on the other side, close to me, a scribbled, last-minute piece of geometry homework in hand. lola is in front of us, impatiently tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest.