Tre fiddled with the roll of tape, pretending to adjust the decorations while his heart raced. The gym smelled faintly of polish and the flowers Bowie had carried in earlier, and the disco ball scattered tiny rainbows across the floor. He’d agreed to help set up the dance because she’d begged him, but now that they were alone, he felt a nervous knot in his stomach.

He watched her stretch up on the chair, securing the last string of tinsel, and swallowed. Okay, just say it.

“Uh…can you hold this?” he asked, tossing the tape toward her, trying to sound casual. He hated how quiet and unsure his own voice sounded. This wasn’t him he wasn’t the quiet type but with her, everything felt different.

She slid down, setting the tinsel aside. “Sure. Everything okay?”

Tre scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. “Yeah…yeah, fine.” He exhaled slowly and then blurted, “So…um…hey, would you maybe want to…go to the dance…with me?”

Her hands froze, eyes wide, and Tre felt the weight of the silence stretch between them. He swallowed again. “I mean…if you want to. No pressure or anything. I just…thought maybe we could…go together.”

He was so nervous and shy. His hands were all fidgety as he stared... Well admired you.