Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“No thanks necessary. I’d do anything for Bailey. I’ll ask her tomorrow.”
Later that night, I sat in my room, dreading calling Allie. I thought about texting her, but that would be a dick thing to do. I really hoped she hadn’t bought a dress yet. Eventually, I took a deep breath and hit Call.
She answered on the first ring. “Hey, handsome.”
“What’s up, Allie?”
“Nothing much. I don’t feel so great, so I’m just scrolling online, looking for a dress for the prom.”
“Are you sick?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m just really tired for some reason.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“I’m leaning toward royal blue for my dress. What do you think? Is that the color dress you want to take off of me at the end of the night?”
I shut my eyes. This was going to suck, but at least she hadn’t spent any money yet.
“Hey… About prom… I can’t go with you after all.”
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
“Bailey really wants to go. I need to take her.”
“I know she’s your friend and all, but this is junior prom, Dawson,” she whined. “You can have sex with me, but you can’t take me to prom?”
Fuck. “It’s not like that. I swear.” I blew out a deep breath. “I’m really sorry. You know Bailey’s sick.”
“I know, but…”
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. We’ll go to the prom next year? This one is only in the gym anyway. I always thought it was kinda stupid to have both a junior prom and a senior prom.”
“So if you’re going with another girl, does that mean I can go with another guy?”
I gritted my teeth. “If that’s what you want.”
“It’s not what I want. I want to go with you.”
“I’m sorry, Allie.”
“Whatever.” I pictured her rolling her eyes. “I have to go.”
“Alright.”
“Bye.”
“Wait…”
“What?”
“Can you do me a favor and not mention to Bailey that we were supposed to go together? I don’t want her to feel bad that I changed my plans for her.”
“I’m glad you’re concerned about her feeling bad. Because you obviously don’t care how I feel.”
“I do care, Allie. But…she’s really sick.”
“There’s nothing going on between you two? You guys have never fooled around?”
“Never. It’s not like that. She’s my best friend.”
“Whatever. I gotta go. I really don’t feel so well now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The line went dead before I could say goodbye. That went well.
***
Two weeks later, I walked over to Bailey’s house wearing a suit. My mom came with me, holding her camera. Mrs. Anderson answered the door with a big smile. “Don’t you look handsome, Dawson.”
“Thanks.”
Mom beamed. “He looks so grown up, doesn’t he?”
Mrs. Anderson stepped aside for us to enter. “I know. I’ve already cried twice looking at Bailey in her dress. She looks like a woman. Come on in. She’s just finishing getting ready.”
A few minutes later, Bailey came down the stairs. I felt my eyes widen.
“Wow. You look…” It felt weird to say hot to Bailey. But that’s what I’d been about to say. I cleared my throat. “Pretty. You look really pretty.”
Bailey had on a teal dress that clung to her curves. The only thing I’d ever seen her wear was leggings, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and shorts in the summer. And none of those made her look like that. She touched her normally short hair. “I have extensions in.”
I hadn’t even noticed that part of her body yet. I’d sort of gotten stuck on other places. “Oh. They look good.”
She eyed the corsage in my hand, and her eyes lit up. “Oh my God. You really got me a black rose?”
“That’s what you said you wanted.”
“I tried to talk him out of it.” My mom frowned.
Mrs. Anderson came over and started fussing with Bailey’s dress. “Now, you know what to do in an emergency, right, Dawson? You call nine-one-one first, then get a teacher and call me.”
I opened my mouth to answer, but she spoke again, “And do you remember her primary oncologist’s name?”
“Dr. Benton.”
“Is my phone number saved in your phone?”
“Mom,” Bailey groaned. “Stop or I’m not going to let you take any pictures.”
I smiled at Mrs. Anderson. “I’ll take good care of her, Mrs. A. I promise.”
She lofted a hefty sigh. “I know you will, sweetheart.”
***
I leaned close to Bailey because the music was so loud in the gym. “You feeling okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.”
“You want to get out of here?”
“You don’t mind? We’ve only been here like an hour.”
“Nah. This is kinda lame anyway.”
“Okay.” She smiled.
I said goodbye to my friends, and Bailey and I walked to the door together. Mom had loaned me her car, so I told Bailey to wait there and I’d pull it around for her. Once we were inside, she leaned her head against the back of the seat. She really did look tired. I pulled out of the parking lot and turned left to go home.