I shushed her. “It’s not like that.” But it made me laugh. We were going as a group, but she was hoping to hook up with Zay, the only guy in our group who wasn’t into sports. He was in a garage band and was terrible, but Hayley went to all their concerts anyway. Whenever I wasn’t at practice, she dragged me too. I was fine with that because I just wanted to make sure she was safe.

“I want to be famous and have limos cart me everywhere.” Hayley opened every compartment and bounced from bench to bench. It was obviously her first time in a limo.

“Me, too. I’m going to play in the NFL,” Joey said.

“Same.” Max high-fived him.

“Me, too,” I said. Everyone looked at me. I was expecting them to fall into fits of laughter, but every single person supported me. Even Zay.

“If anybody can do it, it’s you, Sutton,” Zay said.

Hayley squeezed my knee. “You’re totally going to make it. I just know it.”

“Even if I have to cheer,” I said. That’s when everyone laughed. Tonight, wasn’t about serious stuff like our futures. It was about having fun and letting loose. One of the seniors was having a party that we were for sure going to. When we pulled up to the hotel, we had the limo drivers take photos of us and as I hoped, Parker worked her way over to me.

“You look amazing tonight, Sutton. And really tall,” Parker said.

I didn’t know how to react to her compliment. I was so nervous around her. “Thank you. I love your dress. It fits you perfectly.”

She wore a red dress that hit at her knees and flared out a bit at her waist. I thought she looked amazing, but I figured her parents probably flipped out.

“Thank you. It’s a rather bold dress, but how many times will we go to prom?” she asked. She wasn’t wrong. She leaned closer to me. I wasn’t prepared to see a hint of cleavage, but there it was. The dress clung to her like silk. Parker looked like an adult, not like a seventeen-year-old.

“Maybe one more time,” I said. I was hopeful that next year I would be with somebody special—like her.

“Let’s head inside before people start leaving. I want the world to know we were here,” Joey said, interrupting our moment. He linked arms with us and escorted the group into the foyer. The line to get photos was long and I didn’t feel like standing in it. I ditched the group and slipped into the ballroom. The decorations and twinkling lights made me smile. It seemed like a fairy tale. My dad gave me a head nod and turned the other way to give me privacy.

“Sutton, over here.” Two cheerleaders dressed in floor-length, tight sequined dresses waved me over.