We Are Infinite

t h i r t y

m i a  /  t h i r t y

Prom is coming up, and I'm dreading every bit of it. The whole idea has me wanting to puke. It's Monday morning and I'm back at school, surrounded by squealing girls all hyped up for the prom. There are blue posters stuck all over school, endorsing the prom theme, Starry Nights, and how bringing a date isn't "obligatory" but is recommended.

To get my mind off the two Kade's, and prom, I finally try out for cheerleading first thing in the morning.

And I hate it.

Guzzling back a bottle of cold water, during break, which is straight after cheerleading tryouts, I complain about this to Caitlyn, and she sighs, shaking her head at me. "Mia, what's gotten into you? You don't have to join the squad just because they want you to."

"I know, it's not that. It's just . . ."

I trail off lamely, knowing that Caitlyn isn't buying a word of what I'm saying. "Well, Kade Lawson just suggested it, and I somehow agreed."

"But you hate it now, don't you?"

"Well, yeah." I stare at my shoes, tying my hair up into a ponytail.

Caitlyn watches me carefully, and I see the way her eyes observe my every move. "So you're going to quit, aren't you?"

My answer is drowned out by a charade of soccer players, led by Cameron Black. They bound up to me and Caitlyn, and Cameron winks at both Caitlyn and I, taking ahold of my arm gently.

"Shh. It's part of the plan," he lets out under his breath, when he sees that I'm panicked, as he leads me away from Caitlyn and onto the school soccer pitch. My eyes widen as the scene in front of me unfolds like a movie.

Kade Lawson stands in front of me, a few steps away, wearing soccer shorts and a white sleeveless tee. A huge bouquet of red roses is held in his left hand, and as I step forward hesitantly, he hands them to me.

"Kade? What . . . what is this?"

However, he places a finger on my lips, shutting me up. He turns around him with a flourish of his hands, and I gasp at what's behind him.

There are millions of red rose petals on the soccer pitch, all spelling out the word, "Prom?"

I can't breathe. I don't know where to look. I glance at Kade, and the nervous smile on his face tells me that he is actually asking me.

"Mia. Would you do me the honor of being your date for the prom?"

Cameron Black and the rest of the guys on the soccer team still stand to the side, where I've noticed that the cheerleading team is too. They're all grinning, wide smiles spread across their faces. They're all waiting for me to say yes, and one look at Kade Lawson tells me he's waiting too.

I look around me, not knowing what to do. I want to run, run away, away from here. I can't say yes. I can't lead him on for this long. The prom is next weekend. That means a whole week longer. A whole week of Kade looking at me with soft eyes, me sitting at the popular table. A week more of the guilt.

Oh yes, a week of being in the cheerleading squad as well.

I can't do this. To Kade Lawson.

And to Kade Ryder as well.

After last night? I'm not sure of my feelings the slightest bit. Or maybe I am, and I'm in some stage of denial, not wanting to accept the truth just yet. The truth being, what is between Kade Ryder and I being way more than friendship.

The silence here on the soccer pitch has dragged too long, and Kade Lawson has begun to look fidgety and even more nervous. I take a hesitant step forward, and lower my voice so that only Kade can hear me.

"Can we speak in private?"

Kade furrows his brows, but nevertheless nods his head. He waves a hand to Cameron, the soccer team, and the cheerleaders, and after a few short seconds they turn and head off the pitch.

I turn back to Kade Lawson, crossing my arms. I don't want to look into his eyes, so I keep my gaze focused on his Adidas togs clad feet.

Here goes nothing.

"Look, Kade. I think . . . I think maybe we're not . . . "

I'm about to say "compatible", but a loud ringing of the school bell drowns out my voice. And with that, a couple hundred Junior students who have soccer training run out onto the soccer pitch where Kade and I are standing. I look up, hoping to see Kade's face still in front of me, but I'm pushed back in the rush and I lose him in the crowd.

And I lose my perfect chance to break things off with him.

. . .

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why she be dragging things like this smh