“Come on, Megan,” he pleaded with her as they walked to the cafeteria together. “Just one date.”

  She laughed. “I’m sorry, Dayton, but your reputation precedes you. I’m really not your kind of girl.”

  “But I’m changing. I’m tired of those kind of girls.”

  She laughed louder. “What kind of girls?”

  He shrugged. “I dunno. Whatever kind you think I go for. I’m broadening my interests. I gotta think about college next year. It’s time to grow up.”

  She smiled as she patted him on the back. “That’s great to hear. I hope it’s true.”

  “So give me a chance then. Go out with me tonight.”

  Megan wasn’t sure if it was her hard-to-get act (which wasn’t even an act) or if he really liked her, but she just couldn’t see herself with Dayton Moore. Not on a date anyway.

  “I know you and your friends are Christians,” Dayton told her as they paused inside the cafeteria. “But that doesn’t seem like a reason to snub me like this. Aren’t Christians supposed to be kind and loving?”

  “That’s not why I turned you down.” She glanced over to where Chelsea and the others were already getting in line.

  “Then just give me a chance.” He smiled hopefully. “One date. I mean, we have good times together. We get along so good. Why not try a date?”

  “Tell you what,” she said quickly. “Let me think about it, okay?”

  He didn’t look too pleased, but he nodded. “Okay. How about if I give you a call after school?”

  “Sounds good.” She waved, then hurried over to her friends.

  “Looks like you and Dayton are getting pretty cozy,” Lishia teased. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

  “He’s not so bad,” Megan told them. Then she confessed about how he was pressuring her to go out with him tonight.

  “You have to be joking.” Lishia laughed.

  “He’s pretty serious.” Megan picked up her tray.

  Janelle firmly shook her head. “Big mistake. He’s been my neighbor for years and the guy is trouble. Trouble with a capital T.”

  “But what if he’s changing?” Now Megan told them about how he was fun in class. How they got along. And finally how he said he wanted to grow up.

  “What a line.” Janelle rolled her eyes as she set a basket of fries on her tray.

  “I don’t know,” Chelsea said as she filled her soda cup. “Dayton’s not so bad. I think if Megan wants to give him a chance, she should.”

  “Oh, I’m not saying I want to,” Megan said quickly. “I just told him I’d think about it. Mostly to get him off my case.”

  “Well, you don’t have a date for prom yet,” Lishia reminded her.

  “Yes . . . I’m well aware of that.” Megan scowled.

  “But she’s working on Jack,” Janelle said. “Remember?”

  “I know,” Lishia told her. “But she can’t wait too long.”

  “Trust me,” Megan assured her. “I look at the calendar every day.” She didn’t admit that this dateless situation was not only blowing her prom queen schedule but keeping her awake at night as well. Nor had she told them that her dress was too tight. Or that she was so hungry it took all her self-control not to grab a handful of Janelle’s fries, or take a bite of Lishia’s cheese pizza, or gulp down Chelsea’s Sierra Mist. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself there were some facts a girl needed to keep to herself.

  “Well, Jack really seems to like you,” Chelsea assured her. “I’ll bet he’s already making a plan to invite you to prom.”

  As much as Megan wanted to believe this, the other thing that seemed crystal clear by the end of the week was that she was making absolutely no progress with Jack. Her get-Jack-to-invite-me-to-prom strategy was failing miserably. No matter how much she flirted, hinted, or attempted to act coy, he was not biting. To make matters worse, it seemed that Clarisa was getting just as interested in Jack as Megan was. In fact, while using the restroom during their break at rehearsal, Megan had overheard Clarisa telling her friend Saundra that if Jack didn’t ask her to prom, she intended to ask him. Naturally this made Megan even more determined to nail this.

  What was really annoying was how it seemed Jack was enjoying the whole thing just a little too much. Almost as if he knew exactly what was going on. But to be fair, Jack was no stranger to flirtatious girls. He was usually surrounded by them. And despite some rumors circulating around school about why he didn’t date, Megan was pretty sure he liked girls just fine.

  But after rehearsal on Friday, she was feeling fed up. Not only did Jack refuse her offer of a ride home, but he chose to ride with Clarisa and Saundra instead. Trying not to appear ruffled by this, Megan simply smiled and went her way. But as she walked to the parking lot, she was still stewing.

  “Hey, Megan.”

  Megan was surprised to see Zoë standing by the bus stop. “Hey, Zoë.” She smiled and went over to chat. “How’s it going?”

  “Okay.” Zoë nodded as she lit up a cigarette. “I managed to lose the loser.”

  “Good for you.” Megan pointed to the bus stop sign. “Riding the bus home?”

  “Yeah. I’d ride the activities bus, but that’s so lame.” She blew out a long, slow puff. “Besides, they don’t let you smoke.”

  “I’d offer you a ride, except that I’m really not supposed to let people smoke in my car either.”

  Zoë looked surprised. “You should’ve told me that last time.”

  “Well, you were kinda upset and all.”

  “Still, I can respect that.” She dropped her cigarette to the pavement and squashed it out with the heel of her boot. “That offer still good?”

  “Sure.”

  As Megan drove Zoë home, Zoë asked how Megan’s campaign for prom queen was going. “So far it looks like you’re running unopposed.”

  Megan laughed. “I know. I’m actually pretty surprised that Hallie and Amanda are putting off their campaign like this.” She sighed. “Except that they probably don’t see me as real competition.”

  “I honestly don’t get why you want to do that. I mean run for prom queen.” Her voice was full of disgust.

  Megan prepared herself for another one of those you’re-not-like-that discussions. Perhaps even a lecture. The thanks she got for giving someone a free ride.

  “I mean, seriously, it’s so provincial.”

  “Provincial?” Megan knew the meaning of the word, but she was caught off guard.

  “You know . . . old-fashioned and socially backwards. I’m sorry, but I think it ranks right down there with things like beauty contests. I would rather die than be involved in something like that.”

  “Seriously, you’d rather die?” Megan frowned.

  “Well, not actually. But it would be so humiliating. I just don’t see why you would want that.”

  “You’re pretty judgmental.”

  “I have my opinions.”

  Megan considered her response. “You know, the truth is, I used to think that exact same thing. When my older sister ran for prom queen, I teased her mercilessly.”

  “Your sister ran for prom queen?”

  Again, Megan was irritated. Didn’t anyone pay attention to these things? “She ran and she won.”

  “Oh. So it’s some kind of twisted family honor thing?”

  “No.” Megan thought hard. What difference would it make if she told Zoë the truth? Who would Zoë tell? She already thought Megan was ridiculous for doing this. How much more ridiculous would she sound if she told her about Pastor Robbie and the Shower of Power? So that’s just what she did.

  Naturally, Zoë laughed.

  “I know, it sounds pretty silly,” Megan admitted. “But I needed something to sort of jump-start me. It was like I was stuck in this lackluster life and I couldn’t get out.”

  “I guess I kind of get that.”

  “I believe God wants the best for me, but I have to cooperate.”

  “You think the best for you is getting elected prom queen?” The disdain was back in Zoë’s voice now.

  “I’m not sure. But there are some interesting things that come with it.” Megan told her about the fundraiser now. “The soup kitchen is a good cause, but we never would’ve thought of it if I hadn’t decided to do this.” She felt a little guilty since her friends were the ones really carrying this now, although she did plan to help with some preparations this weekend and then at the actual event.

  “Well, that’s cool.”

  Megan pulled up by Zoë’s house. “It’s also made me more friendly,” she confessed. “It’s gotten me out of my shell. Like I’m willing to make a fool of myself . . . sort of. Really, I think lots of good things will come out of it. Even if it is provincial.”

  “I’m sorry.” Zoë gave her an apologetic smile. “I guess I was jumping to conclusions. I’ll try to be more open-minded.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And thanks for the ride. Beats the bus.”

  “Hey, Zoë . . .” Megan said before she closed the door. “Would you ever want to go to youth group? I mean, you used to go. There are some pretty cool kids there. And the music is good. Would you—”

  “Sure.” Zoë nodded. “Why not?”

  Megan tried to mask her surprise. “Cool. How about if I pick you up?”

  “Okay. I assume it’s same time and same place as it’s always been?”

  Megan nodded, but she could hear her phone ringing. “That might be my little sister,” she said. “I better get it.”

  “See ya!” Zoë closed the door, then waved.

  “Hey, Megan.” It was Dayton.

  “Hey, Dayton. What’s up?”

  “What’s up is that you promised to think about it. Remember?” He sounded hopeful.

  She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, trying to think of a graceful way to get out of this. “That’s right. I almost forgot.”

  “Anyway, I just checked the movies and there’s a new Brad Pitt flick playing, and I had to ask myself, what chick doesn’t like Brad Pitt?”

  “Oh, yeah . . . I did sort of want to see that.” She’d actually read the review and was eager to see it, but she was still unsure. Going out with Dayton?

  “So whaddya say? Wanna give it a shot? I promise to be on my best behavior, and if you have a lousy time, you never have to go out with me again. Okay?”

  “But will we still be friends?”

  He laughed. “I hope so.”

  She remembered Chelsea’s encouragement about Dayton now. And of all her friends, Chelsea seemed to have the most common sense. “Okay. It’s a date.”

  “Cool. How about I pick you up around seven?”

  “Sounds good.”

  As she drove home, she was assaulted with doubts. Really, what was she doing? Everyone knew that Dayton had a reputation for going through girls like Kleenex. Yet they’d been having such a good time being friends. And he was even promising to be on his best behavior. It was possible that she was actually a good influence on him. And perhaps she’d been misjudging him. Maybe it was similar to how Zoë had misjudged Megan earlier. That had felt unfair. And didn’t everyone deserve a second chance?

  13

  As it turned out, the movie was a disappointment, but Dayton, true to his promise so far, had been a gentleman. “I had a good time,” she told him as he drove her home.

  “Me too.”

  Now Megan was getting uncomfortable. The whole ending the date by walking to the front door part was worrying her. For some reason she wasn’t expecting Dayton to just drop her off in the driveway and take off. Especially after he’d politely opened doors for her all evening. Who knew the guy had such good manners? But if he did walk her to the door, would he expect a goodnight kiss? If so, would she go along with it? If she did go along with it, would that mean that she was really interested in him? And if not, would she be sending him the wrong message?

  All these questions tumbled through her mind as he turned off his engine in front of her house. “Thanks for going out with me, Megan.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I really did have fun.”

  “Enough fun to try it again?”

  She shrugged, then smiled. “Maybe.”

  “This whole hard-to-get thing really works, doesn’t it?”

  “Huh?” She peered at him in the dim light.

  He grinned. “You know, keeping me at arm’s length and acting uninterested. It really works.”

  “It’s not an act, Dayton. I’m honestly not sure I want to get, uh, really involved. You know?”

  He looked disappointed now.

  “Just trying to be honest,” she confessed.

  “Yeah . . . I get that.” He hopped out of the car now, hurrying over to her side to open the door for her.

  “You have really nice manners,” she told him as he walked her to the door. “I like that.”

  “My dad kinda trained me to be like that. It seems like girls appreciate all that stuff.”

  She stopped on her front step and stuck out her hand for a handshake. She knew it was a corny gesture, but it was the best she could come up with. He looked surprised, then grasped her hand and pulled her close to him, bending down as if he was going to kiss her on the mouth. But he kissed her forehead instead.

  She tried not to look too surprised as he released her.

  “See, I can play hard to get too.”

  She laughed.

  “So, tell me, Miss Hard-to-Get, since you’re without a boyfriend, who is taking you to prom anyway? I mean, you are running for prom queen, aren’t you? Isn’t a prom queen supposed to have a king by her side, even if they aren’t actually elected like the girls are?”

  She frowned. She knew she should be flattered. Lots of girls would be thrilled to have Dayton Moore take them to prom. But this just wasn’t how she’d planned it.

  “Or maybe you’ve had other offers?”

  “No . . .” She forced a smile. “No other offers.”

  “Well, I want to go to prom. And I sure don’t want to take Hallie, although she’s been hinting.”

  “Why did you guys break up anyway?”

  He rolled his eyes. “She’s way too clingy.”

  Megan laughed. “Someone should teach her to play hard to get.”

  He nodded.

  She glanced at the front door. Chances were Arianna was peeking through the peephole right now. “Anyway, it would probably be fun to go to prom with you.”

  “Yeah,” he said eagerly. “We could have a good time. Who knows, you might even be crowned queen.”

  “Really? You think so?”

  “I think you have a good chance. Especially since Hallie and Amanda don’t even seem to be campaigning.”

  “They will.”

  “I’ve always kind of thought I’d make a good prom king.” He grinned and stood tall. “You know, the kings are actually elected in some schools. I guess we’re a little behind the times at Kingston.”

  She studied him for a moment. No doubt, he was good king material. She probably couldn’t do any better. He was already friendly with everyone in school, and thanks to sports, he had lots of fans. It could only be helpful to her campaign if everyone thought she and Dayton were a couple.

  “Okay.” She stuck out her hand again. “If you really want to take me to prom, I’d like to go with you.”

  His brows arched. “Cool.”

  “But . . . if you don’t mind . . . I still want to take this relationship slowly, okay?” She peered hopefully up at him. He almost looked amused, like this was some kind of cat and mouse game. Maybe it was.

  On Saturday morning, Megan dressed carefully before she went to Starbucks, where the prom committee was meeting. Of course, she felt like a misfit with these girls, and she could tell they felt the same about her. But she tried to fit in. She tried to be helpful. She even mentioned a couple of things that Belinda had told her, trying to sound like she was a prom expert. In the end, she wound up being assigned the cleanup committee.

  “We wouldn’t need to clean up,” Hallie said in a grumpy tone, “if we could afford to rent a ballroom like they used to do.”

  “We’ve already been over that,” Amanda told her. “The administration has put a ceiling on ticket prices so that all kids will feel welcome at prom. We have to use the gym.”

  “Which makes decorations seriously challenging,” the head of the decorating committee complained.

  “I could help with that,” Megan offered.

  “As well as heading up the cleanup crew?” Amanda’s brows arched.

  “Well . . . I actually meant instead of cleanup.”

  “Forget it,” Hallie told her. “Cleanup is the only committee we’re missing now.”

  “Sorry.” Amanda gave Megan a politely sympathetic smile. “But you did come to the party late, you know.”

  “I guess it’s only fair.” Megan forced cheer into her voice for Amanda’s sake.

  “Every job is important,” Amanda assured her.

  Hallie laughed. “Yeah . . . and good luck on the restrooms.”

  “The restrooms?” Megan was shocked. “Won’t the school custodians take care of that?”

  “Yes,” Amanda told her. “Hallie’s just jerking your chain.”

  By the time Megan made it over to Chelsea’s to help, as promised, with getting some things ready for next week’s benefit, she was feeling worn out. She knew this was due as much to her lack of food as to her busy schedule. She tried to act like she was holding up just fine. She tried to be cheerful and helpful and positive, but it felt like such an act. Finally, when she had to excuse herself while they were still working on posters, her friends questioned her.

  “First you come late,” Janelle pointed out. “Then you leave early?”