Sky Thomson had a rule: never let a crush mess up her grade in Biology. But sitting across from Liam Ryder—the golden boy with sleepy eyes and a voice like warm cinnamon toast—was testing that rule hard. Her frog dissection worksheet was untouched. Her heart? Dissected.

Mya jabbed Sky’s elbow. “Focus, girl. That frog has better luck than you right now.”

Dylan leaned over with a whisper. “What if your promposal involved slime? It’d be unforgettable.”

Sky rolled her eyes, but the idea had merit. Prom was four weeks away, and rumor had it Liam wasn’t going with anyone. Her fingers tingled with DIY ambition. She’d

seen the spark between them, like the time he smiled at her when she dropped her sketchbook or helped her pick up spilled glitter from her locker shelf.

As they exited class, the cafeteria buzzed with prom talk—dates, dresses, disasters. Sky was halfway through a whispered plan when silence fell. Carly Marston stepped into the lunchroom like a thunderclap in heels.

Carly—Liam's ex. Velvet lashes, sharp smirk, phone camera always at the ready.

“I heard someone’s planning a little prom surprise,” she purred, sauntering past Sky’s table. “Hope it’s not… humiliating.”

Mya spat soda. Dylan choked on his granola bar. Sky

blinked. Did Carly know?

Something about the way Carly looked back made Sky’s stomach flip. This wasn’t just ex-girlfriend vibes. This was sabotage brewing.

Sky doodled “PROM?” in bubble letters on the edge of her math notes and circled Liam’s initials. It was official. She was going for it. No matter what.

Saturday morning arrived with paint-stained fingers and six tubes of glitter glue. Sky’s bedroom looked like a sticker factory exploded. Her promposal design was ambitious: a banner that said “Let’s light up prom together” in starburst letters, flanked by glow-in-the-dark stars, mini fairy lights, and a cardboard cutout of Liam’s favorite anime character.

Mya FaceTimed from her bathroom, holding up potential hairstyles. Dylan texted a list of distraction tactics. Operation “Locker Love” was unfolding like a spy thriller.

Just when things felt unstoppable, Mya called from the mall, whispering like a spy. “Guess who I just saw?”

Sky bolted upright. “Not Carly.”

“Carly. Outside Claire’s. Looking smug.”

“What did she say?”

“She leaned in and said, ‘Hope Sky double-checks her spelling. Would be tragic if it said PORM.’ Then she smiled like Ursula in human form.”

Sky’s heart thudded. Carly was onto her. Was there a leak in their planning crew?

By sunset, Sky had double-sealed her locker banner in bubble wrap and cursed herself for not using a secret code. She rewatched Liam’s baseball highlight reel twice for confidence.

Then she fell asleep with glitter on her cheeks and a dream: Liam smiling, saying yes, while Carly vanished in

a cloud of failed eyeliner.

Monday morning buzzed with nerves. Sky arrived early, slipping past hall monitors with Mya and Dylan flanking her like bodyguards. They carefully hung the banner—perfect spelling, glowing lights—and stepped back.

Dylan initiated the distraction: fake announcement about free tacos in the gym. The hallway thinned just long enough for the setup to gleam.

Then… chaos.

A gasp. A shriek of laughter.

Sky turned around and her heart dropped to the floor.

Her banner now read:  “MR. PATTERSON, WILL YOU BE MY PROM DATE?” The anime cutout now sported a bald head and thick glasses. Students flooded in, phones out.

Mr. Patterson emerged from his classroom, baffled.

Sky froze. It was surreal. This couldn’t be happening.

Dylan rushed forward, trying to explain. Mya fumed in the corner, fists clenched. Carly strolled by, filming with a smirk. “Well, that’s one way to get extra credit.”

Sky ducked into the art room, tears pricking her eyes. The banner had been swapped. Her dreams laughed at her from the hallway.

She grabbed a paintbrush and angrily covered a blank canvas with streaks of red. She didn’t notice Liam behind her until he said, softly, “I liked the original banner better.”

Her breath caught.