Change Your Ticket

“Guess what!” Miranda exclaimed, setting down her lunch tray and taking her usual seat at our table. “I signed us up to help decorate for winter formal!”

“What do you mean signed us up?” Max asked.

“Not you, silly. I signed Josylne, Ava, and I up.”

“Miranda,” I groaned. The last thing I needed right now was another thing to add to my already too full plate. Plus, what was the point of decorating for a dance that I most likely wasn’t even going to.

“Oh hush up! It’ll be so much fun,” she gushed.

Ava and I exchanged knowing glances before smiling at Miranda. It was better not to fight her on this topic. School dances are to Miranda what state championships are to Parker.
Of course, Miranda forgot to tell us that decorating for the dance also meant going to committees to figure out the theme, which had yet to be decided despite the fact formal was in two weeks. Not to mention, the theme was always the same. Winter formal was always Winter Wonderland and that’s what it was most likely going to be this year too.

Ava and I both had practiced after school but once they concluded we had to rush over to the student council room to discuss all things formal related. It was bad enough we were two hours late but it was even worse seeing as both of us smelt an awful lot like sweat. Even I did, despite me not being able to condition yet thanks to my still healing foot.

“Sorry we’re late,” I smiled, despite the glares that were being shot our way. “We had a few prior activities to attend to first.”

“Right, well try and get here earlier next week so we can assign jobs,” the president of the senior class said. “See you all next week.”

With everyone filing out of the room, Ava and I stood awkwardly to the side. Miranda just had to be at the very back end of the classroom meaning she was one of the last ones to get to us. She muttered a sorry to the both of us before we followed her out of the room and to the parking lot. Usually Ava got a ride home with Max but seeing as he left directly after practice I had promised to take her home.

“Do you guys want to go get cup of coffee? I can fill you in on all you missed.”

Telling Miranda no was a lot easier said than done, hence why Ava and I ended up at a small coffee shop a few miles from Mass High. It wasn’t our usual spot but it would suffice for the quick recap Miranda was giving us.

Apparently the theme this year for formal was going to be winter wonderland, no surprise there. Miranda did apologize for signing us up without remembering we had practices after school almost every day. Though she didn’t seem that apologetic as right after she went into a long rant about the jobs she thinks we should pick at the next meeting.

“Mir, we have a game the Friday before Formal. A really big game that’s going to determine if we play in the semi’s before championships next month.”

“How are we going to be at the game and decorating the gym?” Ava asked, catching my drift.

“Becca has that all worked out. Everyone wanted to go to the game so we’re going to decorate as soon as the game ends.”

That settled that. There was no way Ava and I were getting out of setting up for this dance. It was time we sucked it up and got on board. At least I’d get to see what it looked like without having to go to the actual dance.

“Now on to more important things. Are we going dress shopping tomorrow?”

“I thought you already had a dress.”

“I decided I didn’t want to wear that one,” she shrugged.

“I’m just wearing a dress I found in my closet a few weeks back,” Ava said.

“And I don’t need a dress since I’m not going.”

Miranda laughed, “That’s funny. But seriously are you wearing the bridesmaid dress from Cass’s wedding?”

“I’m not going.”

If high school dances were Miranda’s championships than not going was the equivalent of being suspended from the biggest game of the year. Needless to say, I got quite the ear full from her. The quiet coffee shop wasn’t so quiet anymore with Miranda ranting about how I couldn’t miss my last winter formal.

I tried to reason with her. Parker and I hadn’t really talked about it but I knew he wasn’t going to be able to make his way out here. Ticket prices were getting expense as the holiday approached and they had a big game schedule that week. Not to mention, he’d be flying out the week after for Christmas. There was just no point in him flying out twice in the same month. I definitely wasn’t going to let him waste his money for that.

“But it’s senior year,” she whined. “You went solo by yourself last year.”

“Not really. Parker and I ended up ditching all of you, remember,” I said. Miranda’s face contorted as it flashed back to the last year where I basically spent the entire year lying to her. She had forgiven me but sometimes she still got angry over things. “Besides all of you have dates and I don’t feel like third wheeling.”

“I swear you said the same thing last year,” Ava chuckled.

“You could go with Asher. He hasn’t asked anyone yet and knowing those Manchaster boys he’s not going to skip on going to a dance.”

“Something tells me Parker won’t be too fond of me going to a dance with Asher.”

“Oh please, Asher’s not going to try anything. He may share Jason’s DNA but he knows Parker would kick his ass.”

I rolled my eyes. She did have a point though. Asher was going stag as far as I knew and I really didn’t want to miss my senior formal. I made a mental note to talk it over with Parker, before changing the subject away from dance things.



Later that night, in the confides of my room I called Parker. Since our little reconciliation we had figured out a schedule that allowed us to talk at least once a day. The only time we didn’t talk at a reasonable hour was game days.

We spent the first half an hour chatting about stupid things, like the fact that our favorite character happened to get killed of their show. It was the type of conversations I missed with him so far away. Not being able to walk in his room and have low key conversations was one of the weirdest things of him being gone, that and not hearing him and Jayden every morning.

“So anyways, I’ve got some bad news,” he sighed.

“It’s always bad news,” I teased. “When are you going to call me with good news?”

“I’ll let you know,” he teased back. “Anyway I’m not going to make it out for formal which means we’re also going to be celebrating our anniversary across the country.”

“I kind of figured that,” I paused. “Can we even call it our one year? I mean how many times did we break up?”

“I think they were more of breaks than break ups.”

“True. I can’t believe I’ve been with your crazy ass for one year.”

“Me either.”

One year felt like such a long time ago. It was like everything before last year was horrible and everything after that night on the beach was a blur. It was almost as if my life could be dived based on how I felt about him at a given time. Regardless, I was happy to have his crazy ass back in my life even if it meant having to have a long distance relationship.

“On a lighter note,” I said. “Would you mind if I went to formal with Asher? I wasn’t really planning on going but Mir kind of guilt tripped me and apparently our youngest Manchester boy doesn’t have a date.”

“That’s not surprising. I don’t think Jason ever had an actual date at any of the dance either,” he laughed. “But yeah go ahead and by the way, you don’t have to ask me.”

“I just wanted to be sure you’re okay with it.”

“Just don’t go catching feelings for him,” he teased. “I know you have a thing for quarterbacks and all.”

“I only have a thing for one quarterback,” you smiled.