I couldn't stop thinking about Pinky's compliment. It wasn't like I'd never been complimented before, but something about the way she said it just... hit differently. Standing in front of the mirror, I caught myself grinning like an idiot. Shaking my head, I swapped the suit for a hoodie and sweatpants, trying to snap out of it.
My phone buzzed again, and I groaned. Two weeks until prom, and the messages from girls asking me to be their date were relentless. Normally, by this time, I'd already have a plan—and a date. But ever since I started working on the project with Tasha, I hadn't been hanging out with anyone. Or hooking up.
Freshman year prom was wild: Megan was high, Rachel was a psycho, and Giana was... well, clingy. I wasn't in the mood for drama this year, but I couldn't exactly skip it either. Sighing, I shot Giana a quick text asking her to be my prom date. She replied almost instantly, already talking about matching outfits. Typical.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed Tasha's face was flushed red.
"Are you hot or something?" I asked, frowning.
She shook her head quickly, her gaze darting back to her laptop. I joined her on the couch and opened my own laptop. "So, what kind of slideshow are we thinking?"
Her brown eyes flicked to mine, catching me off guard. For a second, I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.
"Something colorful. Not bland black and white," she said, her voice soft but sure.
"Pink for sure," I joked with a grin.
She smiled back, her expression lighting up. "Of course."
"And blue," I added without thinking.
Her eyebrows rose in confusion, then her eyes widened in realization. "Is that your favorite color?" she asked, her voice filled with unexpected excitement.
I pressed a finger to my lips, leaning closer. "It's a secret. Only my friends and family know," I whispered dramatically.
She mimed zipping her lips and tossing the key, which sent us both into a fit of laughter.
"It's perfect—pink and blue," she said after we calmed down.
My chest tightened at the way her voice softened. "Why perfect?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her face flushed, and she quickly explained, "It's just that... one of the webtoons I read has a story about Persephone and Hades. Hades is blue, and Persephone is pink. We could use them as inspiration for the introduction slide."
I nodded, biting back a laugh. The way she stumbled over her words was undeniably cute.
"You're gonna be prom king," she said suddenly, chuckling.
"Oh, really?" I teased.
"Obviously," she said, tucking her feet beneath her and leaning to the side. She rested her elbow on the couch, holding her head as she studied me. "You're co-captain of the football team, tons of girls like you, and you're super popular."
"All true," I said, smirking, "but my best friend Kyle might have a shot too. You're putting too much faith in me."
She shook her head. "Even Kyle knows you'll win. You're nice to people like me, Emmett. You don't treat people differently unless they deserve it."
"You're really observant, Pinky," I said, my voice softer than I intended.
"And you're really funny, M," she replied with a small smile.
Our eyes met, and for a moment, the room felt impossibly still. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so comfortable around someone.
I broke the silence, sitting up and grabbing some papers to get back on track. She followed suit, and we spent the next hour finalizing the last chapters of the book. The project was almost done—all that was left was creating the slideshow and practicing our presentation.
When it was time for her to leave, I walked her downstairs to the door. Of course, my mom appeared out of nowhere, her arm linking with Tasha's as soon as she spotted us. Right behind her was my sister, Isla, always ready to stir up chaos.
"Go back to your room, Emmett. I'll walk our guest out," Mom said with a smile that screamed hidden agenda.
I hesitated, glancing at Tasha, who seemed unfazed. With a resigned sigh, I headed back upstairs.
Throwing myself onto my bed, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through Instagram. Was it weird that I couldn't stop wondering what my mom and sister were saying to Tasha? Would Isla bring me up just to embarrass me? Probably.
Tasha's story about her birthday stuck with me. The idea that she hadn't celebrated in years because of her mom... it was hard to shake. I opened Safari and started looking up ideas, making a few calls.
By the time I finished, I was smiling to myself. What a good friend I am.
The word "friend" left a sour taste in my mouth.
My phone buzzed again.
Giana: Red. That's our color.
Me: Yep.
Giana: I booked us a hotel for the night—Daddy's credit card. Sex is on the table.
Me: You know this doesn't mean we're dating, right?
Giana: I think we'd make the perfect couple, but fine.
I dropped my phone onto my stomach with a groan.
A new message popped up.
Pinky: Just got home. Goodnight, M. :)
A grin spread across my face before I could stop it. Normally, emojis annoyed me—Isla overused them—but seeing one from Tasha? It was... cute.
Me: Goodnight, Pinky.