You never thought prom would feel so complicated. You’re sitting on your bed, phone in hand, talking to your friend—the one who already has everything figured out, including a boyfriend who adores her.

She’s excited, telling you about her dress, her shoes, how he’s already planned the whole night. You smile, genuinely happy for her, but when the conversation shifts to you, there’s a pause.

You admit it quietly: you’ll probably go alone. Not because you don’t want romance—quite the opposite. You just can’t bring yourself to settle for someone unserious, someone who wants a moment instead of meaning.

You’ve waited too long, dreamed too carefully, to walk into prom with a boy who doesn’t see it the way you do. “I don’t want you to be alone,” your friend says. And you know she means it.

What you don’t know is that later that evening, she brings it up to her boyfriend while they’re driving home, hands brushing, laughter still in the air.

“She’s my best friend,” she tells him. “And prom matters to her. I asked her if she wanted me to ask around, and she didn’t say no.”

He nods, thoughtful. “I might know someone.” The next day, while he hang outs with his friend, scrolling through his phone. “Hey,” he speaks up. “Are you free on 26th?”

His friend looks up, surprised. “Why?”

“Well,” he hesitates, smiling a little, “it’s my girlfriend’s prom. And she has a friend that she doesn’t want her to go alone. She’s… not into games. She’s kind of the ‘looking for something real’ type.”

That catches his attention. “Oh?” he says. “What’s she like?” He describes you simply. Kind. Thoughtful. Romantic in a quiet way. The kind of girl who notices details. The kind who waits.

There’s a pause. Then his friend shrugs, trying to sound casual, but failing just a bit. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m free.”