Elena Sergio.

Prom was just around the corner now. It'd been five weeks since classes began and by the next month, the postponed junior prom was going to be held.

I was anxious about it, that was for sure. I mean Matthews can be my prom date, but of course, there was someone else I wanted it to be. KJ. And really, I didn't know where I stood with KJ.

The kiss happened a week ago. Since then, since he told me he wasn't sorry about it the next day, nothing much had happened between us. In History and Music class we talked, that was for sure, and even made jokes about how Mr. Bandman's pants seemed to be extremely tight on some days and other days very loose and baggy you could see them blow around in the wind when he walked. But other than those times and the few random conversations we'd passed each other over the days, there'd been nothing else.

No mention about the kiss we almost shared, and I wasn't about to bring it up either. If KJ wasn't then why should I? There'd also been no sudden moves on his part like he'd done back when I was at his place. If our skin had touched it was only probably because we were partners in History class.

Everything just seemed to be lying low at the time. Even Anabel hadn't given me any trouble the whole week, which I found odd by the way but enjoyed as much. The lesser she talked and barged in my face, the better things went. And the memory of her prank call had already begun to dwindle in my mind. Because of KJ and the way he'd reacted after I'd told him what had happened-non-judgmental, open-I felt less humiliated than I already did. And I believed by the next week I'd have forgotten completely about it. That is if Anabel doesn't show up again with her stick-up-my-ass bitch type attitude and silly pranks.

I was currently in the library sitting alone and staring at a book open before me. For the umpteenth time, I read the first two lines, and for the umpteenth time, I understood nothing. Not because the book was boring or because the writer was writing in some type of foreign language that was yet to be found and duly named, seeing as the language contained in the book was basic English, but because all my mind could concentrate on was KJ.

KJ. The prom. Would he ask me out? Would he not ask me out? What my reaction would be like if he did and what it'd look like if he didn't. I'd already seen a lot of guys in school asking girls to be their prom date either the old-fashioned way or something grand style.

There was this one guy, Owen, a player of the football team who'd asked a girl, Gabby, whom I thought was super duper cute but was just overly shy, to be his date. Owen and Gabby had never talked, although it was an obvious knowledge that Gabby had a massive crush on Owen. You could see it in the way she acted when he was around her.

So, to ask her to be his date, Owen got two of his guys from the team to play drums from outside and into the classroom where Gabby was, while another carried a banner saying, Will You Be My Prom Date? in bold letters and a box of chocolate and then when he got to an unsuspecting Gabby who'd had her headphones on at the time, he knelt before her, proposal style, and asked her.

I was there. I saw it all. Watching Gabby's face turn the color of chili pepper, her hands to her open mouth, and the way Owen smiled admiringly at her was the sweetest thing ever.

And so I wondered, if KJ eventually asked me, what would it be like? Would it be the old-fashioned, "Will you be my date to prom?" or would it be something extra like Owen's? And then, if it turned out that he didn't ask, it simply would mean that the kiss meant nothing to him and I was just another girl. On prom day, I'd be at home chilling on the couch with Mr. Toodles, my teddy, and a bowl of sugary, milky popcorn watching a rerun of The Vampire Diaries while my heart kept breaking over and over again in silence.

But I was willing to be optimistic. KJ would ask. Hopefully, he'd overlook Anabel and all the pretty classy girls trying to bag him and remember me and the time we'd shared.

"There you are!"

At the sound of the voice, I let out a yelp having been taken by surprise.

"Quiet down over there!" The librarian, Mrs. Jones, called in my direction.

It was Matthews.

"I've been searching all over for you," he said in a hushed tone. "You could've at least told me you'd be coming here." He feigned a hurt look.

I feigned a pout. "I'm so sorry. Don't worry, next time I'll put a leash on you and take you everywhere with me."

At my words, he dropped the expression.

"What are you doing here though?" He asked. "I was hoping to see you at the bleachers but you weren't there."

"You know I come here to think sometimes," I told him. "If I'm not reading."

"So," he drawled. "Which are you doing now?"

"What does it look like?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Thinking?"

"Yep."

"About?"

"Nothing, just prom."

"Anyone asked you out yet?"

"If you count Jace, Duncan, and Fred, all of which I'm not interested in, then yeah, three. You?"

"The same number." He drew back and relaxed in his chair. "Clara asked me. I was beyond shocked. Never knew I was that hot. Jada and Grace did too."

I blinked, my brain slowly registering what he'd just told me.

"Clara did what?" I stared at him.

"You heard me right." He nodded with a smug smile, his arms crossed over his chest, pronouncing the muscles in his biceps. "Clara asked me to be her prom date."

Clara was one of the mischievous trio-Anabel, Clara, and Miranda, but she was the less heady one and left for the fact that she'd been friends with the two for a long time now she'd have gotten fed up with their shitty ways. And she was the prettiest too.

"Look at you," I raised my eyebrows too, a proud smile on my lips, "pulling girls here and there like it ain't even handwork."

"Bitch please," he scoffed. He pointed at his face and said, "With looks like this, I don't even gotta stress."

"Look who's being cocky now." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm kidding," he chuckled. "Obviously."

"So, which are you going to pick out of the three? Clara, most definitely. I mean, Jada and Grace are beautiful too, but Clara must take the top."

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know." I slapped his arm. "What's the hard choice there? Or are you still waiting on someone?"

"You waiting on KJ?" He fixed his gaze on me.

"No," I flushed, looking down at my book.

"I'll take that as a yes. Well, just like you're waiting on KJ even though you've been asked, I am too."

"Who?" I asked.

"It's a secret."

"But-"

"It's a secret, Elena. For now."

"If you say so." I shrugged then.

°°°°°

Anabel had approached me after I left the library and Matthews stayed behind. I'd almost caught a heart attack when she walked up to me with the most innocent face ever and gave some kind of apology, saying she regretted all she'd done and she'd like to make it up. And then she proceeded to tell me about the mini party taking place at her place and that KJ would be there and that if I liked, I could come too.

It was almost as if she knew my soft spot was KJ, and I guess somehow, I was willing to give her a chance. Maybe she didn't have the devil in her and had truly learned the error in her ways.

By seven I was already dressed in a light pink hoodie, blue jeans, and boots. Karen dropped me off at Annabel's, not too enthused about the idea of me hanging out with someone that didn't give an effort about me some days ago. She'd even commented on our way there that it could be just another prank, but KJ was there and to me, that was all that mattered. Besides, if this was a prank, I believed he'd stop it.

There was an actual party when I got there and after I got out of Karen's Nissan and she drove off, I began to feel nervous. There were a lot of people standing outside Karen's massive house.

Sighing, I made my way inside anyway, thinking in the back of my mind that Matthew was going to be so mad I came to Anabel's party of all parties without even letting him know.

It was official. Parties just weren't my thing. Anabel's party seemed fun, actually, for people who liked parties, that is, but I couldn't see the fun in loud noises, people yelling above the music, dirty dancing, drinking too much, and puking thereafter. It just wasn't my idea of fun.

So, I was already preparing to leave without telling her. All I had as my biggest hurdle was sneaking out, which wasn't so much of a hurdle seeing all the people present at her party, it was easy to blend in or get lost. Finding my way home wasn't going to be much of a problem-I was going to call Karen as soon as I got out.

I was currently engaged in an uninteresting conversation with a flame-haired guy whom I wasn't sure of his name, but was certain he was a senior too. He was hitting on me, and failing miserably at it, judging by his poor choice of words, like, "Are you a lizard? 'Cause "agama" eyes on you."

It took all my willpower not to burst out in laughter at the hilarious pickup line, which by the way is viral on the internet, he'd just used now. Instead of laughing, I just nodded with a smile, channeling my thoughts towards escaping from the party.

Just when I'd had enough of the guy, I broke in mid-sentence and excused myself, saying I needed to use the bathroom, which, of course, I didn't need to use.

On passing, I dropped the cup of beer the guy handed me on a nearby table and continued weaving around the throng inside the house, not knowing where in particular I was going. That was until, all of a sudden, someone grabbed my hand from behind, causing me to let out a frightened gasp. Stopping to whip around, I saw it was Anabel.

"Anabel," I breathed. "You scared me."

Across her lips was a small smile. Her brown eyes looked a bit drowsy, but just as alert.

"Sorry," Anabel said, dropping my hand. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I murmured.

"So, um, some friends and I are playing a game in the sitting room. Not many are there and the music is off. Just KJ and a friend, Nolan, and I figured you'd like something quieter, so . . ."

"You want me to come to join the game?" I asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Can you please join us at the game?"

"Um, okay," I said, unconsciously tucking my hair behind my ear.

She smiled then and held out her hand to me. "Come on. I'll take you to the sitting room."

Truth or dare it is," Anabel said immediately we got there. "Since Elena has joined us."

She was right. Only KJ was in the room with some guy who I figured to be Nolan. KJ looked somewhat tipsy.

"So, who goes first?" Nolan asked, already piped up for the game.

When no one came forth, Anabel started. "For this, because I know y'all sneaky bastards, everyone has a minimum of five truths and five dares. And you have to complete all of them."

"Get on with it already," Nolan said.

"I'll start with you," Anabel looked at him. "Truth or dare."

Nolan moved his gaze to her. "Truth."

"What's the first dirty thing you'd do if you woke up as a girl?" Anabel cocked an eyebrow.

"Why fuck my pussy," Nolan chuckled. "I've always been wondering what it's like when you girls do that shit."

Anabel rolled her eyes. "Your turn, ask someone."

"How about you, truth or dare," Nolan said.

"Dare," she replied.

His lips curled up in a smirk. "I dare you to come over here and stroke my dick."

What? I gulped. Stroke his . . . what?

"I'd rather drink," Anabel said and reached for the bottle of beer I was only just noticing on the floor before us.

She took a somewhat long swig before dropping it back on the floor.

"Your loss," Nolan chuckled.

"KJ, truth or dare," Anabel said.

"Dare," he told her.

"I dare you to take off ten things on your body, right now," she smiled, crossing her arms.

By the time KJ was done with his dare, he was left with just his black drawers.

"Elena," he called after he was done dressing back, sending my heart skipping a beat. "Truth or dare."

"Truth," I gulped.

"Ever kissed a guy before?" He looked at me.

That was an easy one. Jackson and I had done a proper kiss. "Yeah."

"That's too easy, KJ. My turn!" Anabel said all of a sudden. "Elena, I dare you to French kiss Nolan."

"Ouu," Nolan smiled.

"No." I found myself saying. "I can't."

"Then drink," Anabel said.

I sighed. What did I get myself into? I took a quick swig of the bottle of alcohol.

"KJ," Nolan began, "I dare you to do what Anabel just said, but to her instead."

There was no way KJ was going to do that. He was going to drink as I'd just done. I was confident in that.

But then he stood up and went over to Anabel, sitting down beside her, and he actually held her face like he'd done mine, angled his neck and tongue kissed her, right there in front of me.

Suddenly feeling a sense of embarrassment and one of not belonging, my face grew hot.

"I- I think I have to leave," I said, already walking away from the living room.

When KJ didn't call me back probably to try and explain things, a surge of tears flooded my eyes. Luckily, I was already outside the room before any traitorous one could give me up.

No way I was letting Anabel see them. Let alone KJ.

Five weeks went by so fast huh?