Please don't take offence to anything Atticus says about school dances. cx 

Chapter 29

       I couldn't stop thinking about prom now. I never really understood the whole deal about 'promposals', and part of it may be because I was never really a romantic gesture kind of guy. Besides, recently, people had been seeming to be in some sort of competition to see who could do the most 'cute' promposal'.

       I didn't see the big deal. Prom was just a high school dance.

       I was just hoping Orchid wasn't expecting me to do a promposal because I didn't want to do one. And even if I did, I didn't know how.

       I felt a bit selfish about it but at the same time, I didn't want to do something that made me and Orchid the centre of attention.

       I still didn't know what to do about it, so I decided to ask Alan. "I need your help," I said before classes started.

       "With what?" Alan said.

       "Prom is soon, and I have no idea if Orchid is expecting me to ask her in a huge way," I said. "I kind of just assumed we were going together since she's my girlfriend but even then, boyfriend and girlfriends do these stupid promposals all the time."

       "Then ask her if she's expecting one," Alan said.

       "I'm not going to ask her," I said. "Because if she is, that will make me seem like a douche bag."

       "Aren't you though?"

       I glared at Alan. "No. I just don't want to be the centre of attention."

       Alan raised an eyebrow. "This coming from the guy who stood up on a table during lunch to announce that you're straight," he said.

       "Yes, to make a point that sexuality shouldn't define someone," I said. "I just don't want to conform to the stupidity that is promposals. It's basically a competition at our school, and those who don't get asked to prom feel bad."

       "You know, that is one hundred percent true," Alan said. "I don't have a date to the prom, and seeing all these promposals make me feel even more lonely. Even Nolan has a date."

       "But Nolan has a boyfriend," I said.

       "Yeah, one that doesn't go to the school," Alan said. "Mrs. Goth usually has a strict rule on not allowing guests outside of the school come, but I guessed Jerome was allowed because he has been coming here with Nolan for a while now. Anyway, I'll ask Orchid to see what she expects. If she expects a promposal, you're screwed."

       I sighed. "Great."

       "But I have a feeling she won't expect one," Alan continued. "Our family may be big on relationships, but not so much on romantic gestures. They don't really rub their relationships in everyone else's faces."

       "Didn't Ryder propose to Mae on live TV?" I asked.

       "Hey, I'm trying to make you feel better about the whole prom thing," Alan said. "I'll go find where she is and talk to her before class."

       I thanked Alan before we both walked away in separate directions. I was way too worried about this. I wouldn't even know what to do for a promposal.

       A few minutes later, the first bell of the day ran so I headed to my first class. Shortly after, Orchid arrived and sat down beside me. "You know, I kind of already thought we were going to prom together," she said.

       "What?" I asked.

       "Alan asked me how I felt about promposals," Orchid said. "And the only reason he would do that was to tell you how I felt about them. He couldn't care less."

       "So... You don't expect one?" I asked.

       "I never did," Orchid said. "I do find them cute, but at the same time, what's the point of going all out just for a school dance. Besides, I didn't peg you as the guy to do something huge for it. No offence."

       "Hey, none taken, that's true," I said. "I didn't want to do one at all, but I also didn't want to seem selfish not doing it if you expected one."

       "Well, even if I did, I have to think about how you feel about them," Orchid said. "If you don't like them, then I'm not going to force you to do it anyway just because I want it. We're in a relationship, and we're going to have to compromise at times."

       "Thankfully this isn't one of the times we have to compromise," I said.

       "I'm just happy you actually want to go to prom," Orchid said. "I was positive you once told me that school dances are only full of wannabe teens dancing to mainstream songs that have no meaning."

       "In my defence..." I began, but I stopped when I realized what she said was true and I shouldn't have to change my thoughts about school dances. They just weren't for me. 

       "Exactly," Orchid said when I didn't continue.

       "Well, the only reason why I want to go to prom with you is because it's the last dance of high school," I said. "I mean, I still don't see the big deal, but I want to spend time with you, and there's no way my dad will stop me from going to prom even with you as my date."

       "Same with my dad," Orchid said. "Remember his reaction when I told him we were nominated for prom king and queen? Yeah, he basically did a three-sixty and told me that we have to win to keep up the Prince tradition in winning since my parents did, and Ryder didn't. I'm just happy his competitive spirit is coming into play."

       "I should tell my dad you and I were nominated," I said. "But my dad seems a lot more stubborn than yours, so he'll actually forbid me from going to prom. I mean, I'd sneak out anyway because he can't stop me, but still. I just want this stupid feud of theirs to end."

       "I don't think it will," Orchid said.

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Okay, so I know prom usually comes before GRADUATION, but where I live, our GRADUATION ceremony was before prom (and about three weeks before school ended for some reason), so I'm going with what I'm used to. I just thought I'd tell you so you don't get confused as to why they're GRADUATING next chapter when they never went to prom.