𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 {𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐓}

𝐕

(11 DAYS TILL PROM)

Your shoulders slouched as you sat on the tiled bench at your local mall. You lived really close to the mall in your town. Finding it very convenient, you often went there once or twice a week to throw out the money you got from your minimum wage cafe job for crappy clothes, trinkets,and stuffed animals. You didn't really mind though. You weren't that much of an impulsive shopper.

Tommy, however, you had to drag away from stores before he spent all of his money on all the shops candy or hats. The most random shit that he definitely doesn't need is the stuff he loves the most. You'll have to pull him out of the store by his wrist like he's a little child who found his way into the toy section.

You rested your chin in your hand, scrolling through your phone. You still hadn't gotten a text from Jacob. It had been bugging you. You hadn't bumped into him at school recently either. You were trying not to let your negative thoughts consume you.

He might have just forgotten. Maybe your number never saved in his phone. Maybe his text isn't going through.

On the other hand, your negative thoughts were starting to win a little.

He probably just doesn't like you. He's ignoring you on purpose. Your just an embarrassment.

You paused on the last thought. Your eyebrows furrowed a little.

I mean have you seen the people you hang out with?

Your eyes trailed up to the back of Tommy. Your could barely see him past a shelf, looking through funkopops and other items. You frowned and looked to your phone.

Maybe he thinks you and Tommy are dating...maybe he's trying not to mess with your "relationship".

You and Tommy were very close. You've known each other for so long. You never really thought about how others viewed your relationship with him. You were just friends. You always assumed that was obvious.

Maybe Tommy was in the way of you and Jacob.

You bit your bottom lip as you thought, your fingernail scratching softly onto your cheek. You leaned back, stretching and sighing. There was no way you were throwing Tommy under the bus just for Jacob. You couldn't turn on a life long friendship for a high school crush. Not even for a perfect prom kiss.

You looked up and saw Tommy walk out of the small mini store in the mall. He reached out and grabbed your hand, pulling you up from your seat. You squeaked.

"Tommy wha—"

"They have friendship bracelets! The magnet ones!" He said, pulling you into the store. You stagger over, trying to match the blonde's speed as he pulled you along. You both stopped at one of the selves. Draping down each hook were necklaces and bracelets, seal together by cardboard at the top. A big and bright logo smacked onto the cardboard for advertisement. You tilted your head to the side as Tommy grabbed one of the bracelets and held it up.

"We should get these. They have magnets! We can stick our hands together!" He said. You smiled awkwardly and looked at it.

"Tommy...this is literally called a couple bracelet." You said, pointing to the cardboard logo that read "Love Bracelet". Your finger pointed downwards to the hearts that were on the bed of the bracelet. Tommy simply shrugged.

"Friend love! We're a platonic couple." He said. You sighed and took it from him.

"I don't know..." you said. Tommy frowned.

"Aww Y/N. You always love friendship stuff." He whined.

"Well...I don't want people to think we're dating." You said. You pulled on your fingers slightly as you waited for a response. Tommy seemed a little dumbfounded, looking back to the shelve and raising his eyebrow before looking back to you.

"Why would someone think we're dating?" He asked. You shrugged and put the bracelet back on its hook.

"Because we would have couple bracelets." You said, chuckling a little at the obvious answer. Tommy shrugged.

"Okay? Well, who cares what they think. We know we're not dating." He said, almost messing up his words a bit as if it was something he didn't want to say. You looked up to him, your eyebrows furrowing a little.

"What if Jacob thinks we're dating, Tommy." You said. Your voice dripped of annoyance. You got a little pissed when Tommy argues with you. Especially since the current topic was something your didn't feel like talking about.

"Of course this is about Jacob! Everything you've been talking about has just been Jacob this, Jacob that." He said, waving his hands around as he spoke. Tommy's mood was throwing you off a little.

He seemed a bit more fidgety and on edge when he spoke to you. He seemed more nervous to walk close to you. You never really noticed until now, focusing on his body language to see his response to what you had said about the jewelry.

"I mean...Tommy you don't even wear jewelry." You said, calming your tone a little.

"Unless it's a sign of friendship! Friendship is more important than style." He said, striking a pose, "and I have plenty of style already."

A smile crept up onto your face and you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

"You don't have style." You said. Tommy gasped and he placed his hands on his hips.

"Excuse you!? I'll have you know I have so much swag." He said. You snickered, snorting softly as you laughed. Tommy smiled a bit at your laugh. He scrunched up his nose and ruffled your hair playfully.

"Are you laughing at me!? How dare you!?" He shoved you lightly. You clung to his shirt, tipping your head back in laughter.

"Stop it, Tommy!" You shoved him back. Soon, it became a pushing war. You two were laughing your heads off. People passing by stared, but neither of you cared.

You forgot completely why you were upset in the first place. In that moment, it was just you and Tommy. No mall. No store. No jewelry. No Jacob. The ways Tommy made you feel, making you just forget about all you would have been worrying about before, was amazing. You felt free to be yourself around him. As if no one else's opinions mattered.

Soon, you two left the store. You walked through the mall together, talking as if nothing had happened. Your worries blew past you. In your hand was a bag. One of the store's plastic baggies.

Inside the bag was a bracelet.