Because they carry every silent wish, every stolen glance, every impossible hope—that maybe, just maybe,he’d see me.
And now…
Now he’s singing it.
To me.
His gaze doesn’t waver, his voice steady, like this moment—this song—means something.
And suddenly, I believe it.
My heart pounds so hard I think it might crack my ribs.This is it.This is the moment.
He’s finally seeing me.Finally.
A lump forms in my throat, emotions crashing over me all at once.I barely notice the other students murmuring around me, their whispers blending into the background.My whole body feels electric, like the universe is rewriting itself in real time.
This is happening.
He feels it, too.
I swallow hard, barely breathing as the last chord rings out.
Then Joel lowers the guitar, shifting on the stool.
He takes a breath, running a hand through his messy, too-long hair.
And then?—
Then he smiles.
“Hey, Jessica,” he says, voice warm, smooth.
My stomach drops.
I can’t move.
I can’t breathe.
He’s still smiling, turning just slightly in his seat—just enough for me to realize...
He wasn’t looking at me at all.
He was looking past me.
Straight at Jessica Carson.
And then?—
“Would you wanna go to prom with me?”
The world tilts.
There’s a moment—a brief, brutal moment—where my brain refuses to process what just happened.
Because it doesn’t make sense.
Because this song—my song—was supposed to be ours.It was supposed to be private.