Bright stars trampled around a white moon in the sapphire sky, winking down at Devin and Trechial underneath it in a frisky breeze that pushed Trechial's dress against the back of her knees.

She followed behind Devin alongside the gym with blind faith. The music, though muffled, was loud enough to be heard for blocks. The grass was wet with dew that swiped against her ankles, and crickets and Cascades chirped all around them.

Her head whipped side to side, making sure no one was lurking in the shadows of the vast football field. Her mind drew up a skilled Charlie appearing out of nowhere and taking them out with a silencer.

Devin came to an abrupt stop. His back to her, his silence louder than Maylee's laughter. He turned to her then, the moonlight allowing enough light for her to make out his casual but serious features.

"Dance," he announced. It was the only piece to his invisible word puzzle.

She scratched the back of her head, making a face. "Excuse me?"

"The wish... I want to dance with you."

"What did we do earlier?" She looked askance at him. "Besides, it's kinda hard to dance to Everclear."

"After this song, ditzy," he said with a smirk, tugging a curl. "Also, I forgot to tell you how pretty you look tonight."

Trechial blushed, his words spreading silent joy throughout her. "Thanks, you look good, too."

"This song is longer than I remember." He chuckled in a nervous manner.

She agreed with a slight nod, trying to brush away the cool nip of air. "So let me ask you a question."

"I'm listening."

Trechial continued to rub her naked arms, a crooked smile crossing her lips, trying to heckle him in order to break the uncomfortable moment. "You mean to tell me that a dance with me only goes for fifty cents?"

Devin chuckled and shrugged as he reached up to unbutton the top button of his long sleeve shirt. He started to shift down to the next one, prompting Trechial's eyes to widen as he spoke.

"Personally, you owe me some change for that roll thing."

Not that much change! she thought.

Trechial stared at him in shock, her voice getting caught in her throat for a few seconds as she watched him steadily unbutton his shirt. Her heartbeat was so loud and fast that she could hear it in her head, thumping and racing.

"Umm," she stammered as his fingers reached the last button. "What are––you doing?"

He peeled the long sleeve off and handed it to her, revealing a black T-shirt.

"Oh, thank you," Trechial whispered, embarrassed at her semi-pervy mind. Ugh. She had done it again––jumped to a wild conclusion. She wished she drew fours in UNO the way she drew fictional conclusions in real life.

"Trechial?" He shoved his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the sky then back at her, taking a whiff of the night air.

She slipped on his shirt. "Hm?"

"I think you need to clean the gutter out in your mind. It's a bit cluttered." Devin mused, mocking her bewildered expression.

Trechial huffed as she fixed the collar of the shirt. "Well, you're the one who's always trying to undress in front of me at the drop of a dime."

He scoffed, slipping an arm around the small of her waist and easing her body closer to his. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and they interlocked their fingers together.

Warmth flushed through her as they stared at each other, both committing this moment to their memory hard drives.

This was like a fairytale, and for once, Trechial got to be the princess with the handsome prince. No evil step-dad or classmates to ruin the moment. The prince with the cocky smirk and attitude that demanded her attention. The prince that rocked J's and bling just as good as any baller on tv. The prince that bloomed from a meek know-it-all into an observant protector that had her back no matter what it cost him. The prince that made her knees weak and left no room in her heart for anyone else... wanted to dance with her.

She bit down on her bottom lip and quickly dropped her gaze to her feet, afraid he may see just how much she truly liked him. It was in these moments that made her cautious of him. And of herself.

Devin dipped his head, peeping at her. "You okay?"

She managed to glance up at him, still dazed and confused by her conflicting emotions. She sucked in three deep breaths to calm her frazzled nerves.

Devin hummed a laughed, lowering his head to capture her gaze once again, a mock-concerned look crossing his face. "Are you hyperventilating?"

"No! Shut up, Tae," she seethed, sucking in another long breath and releasing it. "I'm just a little frazzled, okay?"

Laughter burst from Devin, his eyes shutting as his body shook against hers. The sound of his contagious laughter made her laugh for a brief second before a picture of Candice's face popped into her head like a sore thumb, ruining the moment.

"You could have asked me to dance inside, you know."

Devin's laughter slowed to a halt, and his amused expression turned to one of confusion when he saw she wasn't smiling anymore.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why not ask me to dance in front of everyone, Devin? In front of––" She glanced off into the distance, the green-eyed monster cutting in on what could possibly be the single most romantic moment between them. Yet, a small piece of her wanted to smear this romantic significance in Candice's Maybelline face. She wanted her to feel the jealously she often felt since they hooked up.

Putting away the sour thoughts she focused on the boy who gave her his undivided attention. "Sorry, this is perf––"

He rested his forehead on hers, earnest two-tones stared down into her brown eyes. "I wanted to dance with you without any interruptions. No Maylee, no Trey, and no Candice. I know it's selfish but it's true."

Her tongue stalled for a reply, and she subconsciously squeezed the fabric of his shirt. Trechial could only stare at him. It touched her that he wanted this moment just for them. However, his words further blurred the already fading line between them. Should she stay? Should she go?

Even Cinderella got to stay for one dance, right?

She gently pressed her teeth into her bottom lip, the sides of her mouth curling up into a faint smile. She reached up and pulled him down to her, resting her chin on his shoulder. His answer was warm and satisfying like a can of Campbell's soup on a snowy winter night.

"It's wrong for us to be out here when your girlfriend is in there."

It was wrong and Trechial was a hypocrite for not sticking to her word and staying away from him while he was dating another girl. She told herself she would not be the other girl.

Yet here she was shipwrecked in unforbidden territory. Teenage hormones running amuck with no tamer in sight.

Devin remained silent. Slow Dance by Monica and Usher filtered through the walls. He drew back to look at her, his hands moving to settle upon her waist. She laced her fingers behind his neck, their bodies swaying ever so lightly to the duet.

"Is my debt paid, King Liao?" She gave him a coquettish smirk.

He lowered his head, a momentary grin slipping at her admission.

"Are you blushing?" Trechial teased, tilting her head to the side.

"Joyonghi hae, Mini." Devin chuckled. Be quiet, Mini.

"Yeah, yeah."

She had no clue as to what the rest of prom would bring, but she was sure nothing short of this moment would come close.

The song went by quicker than she'd hoped, and they were now walking back to the gym in silence. He could have asked her to do anything yet he only asked her to dance? Why? She half expected him to ask for something devious, as most guys would in this particular situation––maybe wash his drawers or something.

She gazed up at the sky, chills overcoming her once more. It could also be because his eyes were pinned to the back of her head. There was more to this than she knew. She could feel it, it twisted her stomach in knots.

When they reached the gym doors, they stopped beneath a small flickering lamp that cast them in orange light.

"Why won't you date me, Mini?" He said it with a hint of anger and desperation in his voice.

This is Trechial's 9th Grade feelings for Devin in a nutshell: