ZARA
When I told Liam I was going dress shopping with Kaylee after school, he grinned like I'd just agreed to climb Mount Everest.
"Take pictures," he said as I was leaving. "I need options to obsess over."
"You're not getting a say," I'd told him, rolling my eyes — but secretly, I'd already decided that whatever I picked, I wanted him to love it.
Maybe that should've scared me. Maybe it did.
But the soft flutter in my chest drowned it out.
⸻
Kaylee and I took the bus to one of the fancier shopping districts on the edge of town. It was the kind of place I used to avoid — glass windows with mannequins in thousand-dollar outfits, flower boxes beneath storefronts, and the lingering scent of expensive candles mixed with luxury perfume.
"You sure about this?" Kaylee asked as we stood outside a boutique with the words Gala & Glow in elegant cursive across the front.
"Nope," I said, pulling the door open anyway.
The shop was… overwhelming. Racks and racks of sequins, satin, and tulle stretched across a soft carpeted floor. A chandelier glittered overhead like it was judging me. A pop song I didn't recognize played in the background, the kind that made you feel like you should be sipping something with a gold straw.
"I feel like I should've worn heels just to walk in here," I muttered.
Kaylee smirked. "Don't worry. You've got boots and attitude. That's better."
A tall woman in a black jumpsuit approached us with a clipboard and a perfect bob haircut. "Welcome! Looking for prom?"
Kaylee nodded before I could escape. "She is. First time."
The woman's smile softened as she looked at me. "That's always special. What's your style?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
Kaylee stepped in. "Something edgy. No frills. No pouf. Nothing pink."
"Got it." The woman winked. "I'll pull some looks for you."
We were ushered into a lounge-like area with plush velvet chairs and a huge fitting room. The woman — Delilah — came back ten minutes later with a rolling rack of dresses in black, navy, emerald, and burgundy.
Kaylee and I sat side-by-side, flipping through them like critics at a film festival.
"Oooh," Kaylee said, pulling out a midnight blue satin gown with a high slit and an open back. "This one screams Liam won't be able to look away."
"I'm not sure I want him to look away," I said before I could stop myself.
Kaylee looked at me, eyes glinting with mischief. "Someone's got it bad."
I ignored her and grabbed the dress.
The next half hour was chaos. There were awkward zippers, near-death stumbles on heels I didn't even buy, and a moment when I got stuck in a corset that made me look like a trapped mermaid. Kaylee laughed so hard she nearly fell off her chair.
But then I tried it on.
A deep green velvet gown, fitted but comfortable, with a sweetheart neckline and silver chain straps. It hugged me in a way that felt powerful. Feminine but not fragile. And when I stepped out of the dressing room, Kaylee's jaw dropped.
"That's it," she whispered. "That's you."
I looked in the mirror. For once, I believed it.
Liam's face flashed through my mind. The way he looked at me when he thought I wasn't watching. The softness in his voice when he said my name. The way he held me like I was something rare.
He would love this.
But more importantly, I loved it.
"You're getting it," Kaylee declared. "No arguing."
I nodded, still staring at the girl in the mirror. She looked like she belonged — not just in the dress, but in this moment. In her own skin. In this strange chapter of her life where things were messy and terrifying and beautiful.
⸻
We celebrated with milkshakes at a diner nearby, sitting across from each other in a red vinyl booth. The sun had dipped low, casting long shadows through the blinds.
Kaylee dipped a fry into her strawberry shake — gross — and said, "You know, it's kind of funny."
"What is?"
"You. Me. This prom thing. How we went from nearly murdering each other to picking out a dress like nothing happened."
"It wasn't nothing," I said softly. "But I'm glad we found our way back."
She smiled. "Me too."
After a pause, she added, "You're really in love with him, aren't you?"
I stirred my vanilla shake with the straw. "I don't know what it is yet. But it's… real."
Kaylee nodded like she understood. "Just be careful. Okay?"
"I will."
She raised her milkshake. "To first proms and second chances."
I clinked mine against hers. "To best friends who never give up."
We drank, and for a moment, I let myself dream.
Of laughter under chandeliers. Of Liam's fingers laced through mine. Of music, and lights, and maybe — just maybe — magic.
Because maybe prom wasn't just a night.
Maybe it was a moment that would change everything.