“I know, I know.” I could already see tonight’s pattern forming. “It’s red. I never wear red.”

“You should,” he said, echoing Jill. He glanced between her and me then shook his head. “Too bad we’re ‘related.’ I’d ask you guys to dance. Seeing as my cousin already wants to go out with me, though, I suppose we shouldn’t start any more rumors.”

“Poor Angeline,” said Jill, as we walked out to my car. “She really wanted to go.”

“Seeing as there’ll be speakers there, it’s probably best she doesn’t,” I said.

Eddie paused when we reached Latte. “Can I drive? I feel like I should be a chauffeur tonight. You guys look like royalty.” He grinned at Jill. “Well, you’re always royalty.” He opened one of the back doors and actually swept her a bow. “After you, milady. I’m here to serve.”

Practical, stoic Eddie was rarely given to such dramatic shows, and I could tell it caught Jill off guard. “Th-thank you,” she said, getting into the backseat. He helped her tuck her skirt inside, and she regarded him wonderingly, like she’d never noticed him before. After that, I could hardly deny his request and gave him the keys.

The Halloween dance was being held at a very pretty hall adjacent to some botanical gardens. Eddie and I had checked it out this week so that he could determine its safety. Micah was meeting Jill there, though for different reasons than Brayden meeting me. Supervised buses were shuttling most students from the school to the dance. Upperclassmen like Eddie and me were allowed to take our own transportation, along with family like Jill. No one would technically know if Micah dropped her off later, but for now, she could only leave campus in the family carpool.

“I hope I’m ready for this,” I muttered, as we pulled into the parking lot. The dress had distracted me so much that I hadn’t had time to ruminate over my other concern: going to a dance. All my old social anxieties returned. What did I do? What was normal here? I hadn’t had the nerve to ask any of my friends.

“You’ll be fine,” said Eddie. “Your boyfriend and Micah will both be speechless.”

I unfastened my seatbelt. “That’s the third time I’ve heard ‘your boyfriend.’ What’s going on with that? Why won’t anyone say Brayden’s name?”

Neither of them answered right away. Finally, Jill said sheepishly, “Because none of us can remember it.”

“Oh, come on! I’d expect that from Adrian but not you guys. It’s not that weird of a name.”

“No,” admitted Eddie. “But there’s just something so… I don’t know. Unmemorable about him. I’m glad he makes you happy, but I just start to tune out whenever he talks.”

“I can’t believe this,” I said.

Brayden was waiting out front for us, no doubt having been there for at least ten minutes. My stomach fluttered as he looked me over from head to toe. He didn’t comment, though his eyes widened a bit. Was that good or bad? I flashed my student ID to get him in the door, and Jill almost immediately joined Micah. Eddie’s brief romantic flare was gone as he shifted into business mode. A brief look of pain crossed his face, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. I touched his arm.