(thea's pjs she wore) 

The next morning, Thea woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside Ben's window. She stretched, feeling oddly content despite the events of the previous day. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was still early. She looked over her shoulder to find Ben still sleeping peacefully. Thea smiled softly at the sight of Ben peacefully asleep beside her. The morning light streaming through the window cast a gentle glow over the room, making everything feel calm and serene.

As she laid there, her thoughts drifted back to the promposal. She couldn't stop thinking about Graham and the lyrics he used. She couldn't deny it had been very romantic and sweet. It made her heart flutter and her face flush. And while she wanted so badly to say yes, she and her friends had made a pact and she was loyal to her friends. She had to turn him down, but she was happy he understood and wanted the last dance with her. She was happy about that.

She couldn't help wonder what would happen if she had said yes. Would they start dating? Would they end up going out after prom? Or would he lose interest and move on? Maybe he was only asking her to prom because he felt bad. But he explained everything and apologized, they made up. But she still couldn't help but be her overthinking self and think about the possibility of him not meaning any of it. But even if that were true, would she be able to date him if he really did mean it? She knew Graham had a reputation for not dating seriously. He had never had a long term relationship or girlfriend. He was known for his flings and casual relationships. Could she handle a relationship like that?

Then again, she was also known for never dating. She never had a boyfriend. Graham was her first kiss. The first boy she fell in love with. Maybe that's why she felt so nervous and unsure.

"Stop thinking so loud." Ben groaned, making her jump slightly.

"Sorry." Thea apologizes, realizing that he was awake. She didn't even know how long he had been awake. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay." Ben murmurs, his voice still groggy from sleep. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" He asked curiously, moving to prop himself up on his elbow to look at her and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his other hand.

"Nothing." Thea mumbled, her cheeks reddening and avoiding his gaze. 

"It's Graham, isn't it?" Ben asks, raising his eyebrow at her. "I saw his promposal and heard what he said. How he wanted the last dance with you."

"Yeah." Thea sighs. "I just can't stop thinking about it. And I know I shouldn't 'cause I already said no and that I'm going with you, but I can't help it." She

"I don't blame you. That was pretty epic." Ben agrees. "But don't worry, Thea. Even if you and Graham end up going out after prom and become a couple and have an epic romance, it won't change anything. You're still my best friend and you'll always be one of my favorite people."

Thea turns over to look at him and gives him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Benny. That means a lot. You're one of my favorite people too. You'll always be one of my favorite people no matter what."

Ben grins and leans forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Always."

Thea giggles and returns the favor, giving him a kiss on the cheek as well.

"You want pancakes or waffles?" Ben asked as he climbed out of bed.

"You shouldn't even have to ask that." Thea chuckles, throwing the covers off and climbing out of bed as well. She stretches, yawning as she does so. "Waffles. Duh."

"Alright, waffles it is." Ben laughs and leads the way to the kitchen. "With chocolate chips?" He asked, giving her a knowing look.

"Of course!" Thea exclaims. "Duh!"

The two of them laughed and headed to the kitchen, the conversation easily flowing between them. As they made the waffles and ate them, they talked about everything. They talked about their friends, their classes, their families, the upcoming school year. It was a nice and pleasant morning and Thea enjoyed every minute of it. It wasn't until they suddenly heard banging noises on the window as if something was being thrown at it.

"Let's go check it out." Thea grabbed his wrist, dragging him over to the balcony to get a better view. She and Ben stared down at Mandy with surprise to see her dressed in an outfit from an eighties and that she had a phone and speaker with her along with a poster.

"Go home, Mandy." Ben told her and turned to head inside.

"Wait, Ben-" Thea frowned, pulling him back since she still held his wrist.

"Hear me out, please." Mandy pleads. After getting a look from Thea, Ben sighs and turns to Mandy, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I screwed up. Majorly. I took you and Thea for granted and I made you guys feel like you weren't a priority in my life, and I'm sorry. But wherever our future takes us, I need to know that you two are my best friends. And more importantly, I need you two to know that I'm both of your best friend. Which is why I just have one question for you both." Mandy pressed play on her phone and 'The Safety Dance' song plays on her speaker she had.

Thea pulled her hand from Ben to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement while watching Mandy dancing. Ben's eyes widened as he stared down at her with surprise. A whistle caught their attention, causing them to look over to see some people walking by and looking at Mandy. Thea admired her for this, this was very brave of her. She probably wouldn't be able to do anything like this out in public. People were now going out on their balconies in the apartment complex to check out what was going on. Mandy kept going despite the attention from a lot of people she now had.

Mandy said their names repeatedly and Thea couldn't help the giggle leaving her lips when a horn honked as a car went by. Mandy holds up the poster she made, pulling it to show the word 'prom' and then added the question 'with me, me, me, me' and continued dancing after putting down the poster. "Don't-don't encourage her." Ben groaned, covering his face with his hand when Thea started copying Mandy's move that was similar to the iconic dance move that went with the song Thriller by Michael Jackson.

"Oh, come on!" She encourages. "Look how hard she's working to fix things! She clearly feels really bad and she's trying here." She stops dancing as Mandy continued, turning to face Ben with a sympathetic look. "Okay, I get it, okay? You're mad. You have a right to be. But just...Give her another chance, okay? A friendship like ours comes around once in a lifetime. We're the Three Musketeers, remember? We can't be that without her, without her we're just the Two Musketeers and that name doesn't sound as cool." She says, making Ben chuckle. "I'm serious."

"I know." Ben nods. "I know." He sighs, rubbing his face with his hand and glances over to see Mandy still dancing. "Uh, how long does this go on for?" His resolve was starting to break and the embarrassment was growing as Mandy kept dancing.

"It's a pretty long playlist. I still have 'I'd Stop the World and Prom with You', 'Total Eclipse of the Prom', 'My Per-Rom-active'." Mandy responded.

"If I say yes, will this stop?" Ben questioned, earning a grin from Thea, who also looked relieved that he was going to give Mandy a chance.

"There's only one way to find out." Mandy smirked, continuing to dance. Thea giggled and nudged Ben, noticing he was trying not to smile and was clearly amused.

"Yes, I'll-We," Ben quickly corrects himself after the look Thea gave him. "Will go to prom with you."

"Yes!" Mandy claps excitedly as she jumped up and down while bystanders cheered. "Okay, you guys go get changed."

"Why? Prom isn't for, like, four hours." Ben pointed out.

"We have to make a few stops first." Mandy told him.

****

(thea's outfit for this part of the chapter) 

Thea let Mandy and Ben spend some much needed time together and told them she would meet them at the school. She was now trying to figure out what to wear, but then the dress that her parents got her came to mind and she grinned. She searched through her closet for the dress, finding it buried under a bunch of her clothes. When she finally found it, she pulled it out and smiled widely at it. The dress was spaghetti strap and fluffy at the end. The main color of it was purple, different shades of purple decorated the dress. Diamonds lined the neckline and sparkles was on the tutu part of the dress. And there was a black leather jacket that went with it. That was lined with different colored jewels and glitter. She couldn't wait to put it on. She set the hanger it held the dress on the door knob carefully when her phone buzzed, telling her she had a notification. She reached over to grab her phone from her nearby dresser, smiling while her heart fluttered at seeing a text from Graham.

It was of him asking if he could stop by before prom. She didn't hesitate to tell him yes and that she would be getting ready, but was surprised when she got a text saying he was right outside her house at her window. She looked over at her window with surprise, butterflies fluttering in her stomach when she saw Graham looking up at her with a bright smile and a small wave when she noticed him. She walked over to the window after putting her phone down, unlocking the window and opening it.

"Hi." She smiled at him, her heart pounding at the sight of him.

"Hey, beautiful." He greeted, making her blush. Her heart fluttered when he leaned over, his hand cupping her cheek as his lips captured hers. She felt a rush of excitement as Graham's kiss deepened. It was everything she had imagined and more, a whirlwind of emotions that made her forget everything else. They pulled away, their faces flushed, and Graham's smile was warm and reassuring.

"So, what brings you here?" Thea asked, her voice soft with a mixture of excitement and curiosity.

"I wanted to see you before prom. I thought maybe we could hang out a bit, just the two of us, before everything gets crazy tonight," Graham said, his eyes locking with hers. He had a hopeful look in them. "Do you want to?"

"Yes, I would love to." Thea smiled, her cheeks blushing again.

Graham grinned and climbed into her room, careful not to trip or knock over anything. Once he was in her room, he helped her close the window and then grabbed her hand, tugging her over to her bed and sitting down, pulling her with him. Thea chuckled, a giddy feeling building up inside her as she sat beside him. She leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Graham's arm wrapped around her, his hand resting on her waist. The two of them sat in a comfortable silence, neither wanting to speak or break the moment. They were enjoying the peace and quiet.

Graham's hand moved from her waist to her hand, his fingers lacing with hers. He brought their joined hands to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of hers. He looked at her, a soft smile on his face. His eyes were filled with admiration and love and it made her heart beat faster.

"Are you ready for tonight?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I think so. Nervous though. First prom and all." Thea admitted, glancing down at their intertwined hands. She couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness about her first prom. The thought of dancing and spending time with Graham was thrilling, but it also came with the usual pre-event jitters.

A hand is then placed on her chin, tilting her head up so her eyes would meet his. Graham's gaze was soft and understanding. "I get that. I'm a bit nervous too."

"Really?" She asked with surprise, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, really." Graham chuckles, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Being able to dance with you at prom sounds like a dream, but it's also a big deal. I want it to be perfect for both of us."

Thea smiles warmly, feeling comforted by Graham's words. "Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling a bit nervous. We'll figure it out together."

Graham's smile widens. "Absolutely. And no matter what happens, as long as we're together, it'll be perfect."

They sat there for a few more moments, simply enjoying each other's presence. Thea felt a warm sense of happiness as she rested against Graham, her earlier nerves fading away. They talked about their plans for the night, their excitement growing with each word. Thea felt her heart swell with happiness, knowing that she was going to spend her first prom with Graham.

Finally, Graham broke the silence, his voice filled with emotion. "I should probably go, so we have time to get ready for prom."

"You're probably right," Thea sighs, not wanting him to leave but also not wanting him to see her in her prom dress yet. "I'll see you at the dance." She smiled at him, giving his hand one last squeeze before standing up.

"See you soon, beautiful." He kissed her cheek and gave her a quick hug before letting her go.

Thea watched him leave with a smile, her heart beating rapidly as she thought about prom tonight. She couldn't wait for it and hoped it would be great.