A Touch Of Hope✔️(Wattpad version)

Promposal

After the promise ring debacle, the guys refused to be any part of Ace's plots concerning me. Well, that was unless prom came up. Ever since homecoming, it didn't thrill me about attending a school dance. They needed a bit of finesse with this situation.

While the guys were planning what Ace was going to do, the guy and two girls who took Britney and Tyler's place on making my life a living hell were expecting something of their own, aka Stephen King style.

I went to my locker, and inside was a dozen carnations and a note. I opened it, and it said turn around. I turned around to see Brax, Chase, Elijah, Charlie, and Ace standing there with white pieces of cardboard. Then one by one, each one flipped them over, and it read, will you go to prom with me?

As much as I dreaded wanting to go to another school dance after homecoming, I couldn't let my stubbornness impede how sweet Ace was to do this. For once, I put my pride aside for him.

I turned back to my locker, grabbed a blank piece of paper, and wrote something. Then I turned around and flipped it over, showing a YES!

Ace grabbed me and twirled me around, kissing me. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

After school, Linda took me shopping for a dress while the guys went to get their tuxes. It was nice having that one-on-one time with her. It would have been something I did with my mom, but with her out of the picture, I missed that mother-daughter time. I didn't want to think about it, or I would get depressed.

I tried on many dresses until I found the right one. It was a royal blue, strapless, sheath, long gown, and it hugged my figure perfectly. Then I looked at the price: $500! There was no way I could afford this. I sighed and changed. I hung the dress back on the hanger and came out of the dressing room.

"What do you think? Does it fit?" Linda signed.

"It fits, but I will not get it," I signed back.

Confusion crossed her face, "Why not?"

"Five hundred dollars is a lot of money, and I can't afford it," I answered.

"It's only five hundred? That's a pretty good price," Linda reasoned.

"Did you not hear what I said? I can't afford this," I signed. Geez, and to think I'm the deaf one.

"Nonsense, you're not paying for it, anyway. I am," Linda said, taking it from my hand and heading to the register. I followed her, trying to get her to stop, but it was no use. She bought the dress for me, anyway.

"Now, shoes," she signed, and we bought shoes to match the dress along with jewelry. Then we grabbed a bite to eat.

"I can't accept all this. It's too much," I signed.

"Hope you can and will accept this. Look, I understand how you feel about accepting expensive things, but from the time I've met you to now, I know you aren't with Ace because of money. I also know you're a kind person who dealt blow after blow all her life and still smiles, then carries on with her life. I hope sometimes you can accept help and not worry about ulterior motives from someone. I see how my son looks at you and how you look at him. You're the first girl he ever felt this way about, and I know he loves you. Plus, since he met you, he's a lot less moody," she signed.

"He was moody before?" I asked, surprised.

"God, yes, I thought Ace was on his damn period all the time, that's if men could have periods," she signed. That made me laugh.

"You're also the first girl he did sweet romantic things for too. Any girl we met was some fling. The worst one was that Britney girl. God, she was awful," his mother signed.

My heart stopped when she said that. No wonder Britney was acting like that, but why wouldn't Ace say anything?

"They only went out a few times, but that girl was so obsessed with him, showing up at all hours of the night. Brian and I couldn't understand why until she was yelling something about them sleeping together," Linda told me.

The moment she said that I lost my appetite, now, I wanted to go home. She finished eating and well, I didn't. I wasn't hungry. Afterward, during the car ride home, I stared out of the window. Every time Linda tried to say something, I nodded and smiled but not saying anything in return.

As soon as we got home, Ace greeted us, but I ran past him up to my room and slammed the door.

Ace looked at his mom. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Things were fine until lunch," she said.

"What happened at lunch?" Ace asked.

"We were talking, and the minute I mentioned that Britney girl Hope's mood changed," she said.

"What did you say?" Ace questioned.

"Only that she would show up at our house randomly and one time was yelling about you two sleeping together," she said.

"Christ, Mom! No wonder why she's upset! Britney's the one that shattered her implant!" Ace snapped.

It shocked Linda as Ace ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time until he reached my door. He opened it to see me sitting on my bed. He walked over and crouched in front of me.

"Hope, I'm sorry. I never meant you to find out like this," Ace signed.

"Is that why Britney hated me so much?" I signed to him.

"That's only a part of it, Britney is a psycho. I made the mistake of hooking up with her and regretted it, especially after she started showing up at my house at all hours of the night. I made it clear to her it was only a one-time thing and that I wasn't interested in anything more, but she wouldn't listen," Ace signed.

"And what about me? Am I only a casual thing?" I asked.

"Is that what you think?" Ace asked, furrowing his brows.

"I don't know what to think. It's all new to me," I signed.

"What?" Ace questioned.

"I've never had a boyfriend until you. Heck, I've never dated before you," I admitted.

"Really?" Ace asked.

"Yes, my parents wouldn't let me a date. They were afraid a guy would take advantage of me because of my deafness. You were the only guy to stand up to them," I signed.

Ace sighed as he said, "Hope, you mean everything to me. The fact you're not obsessed with me was a plus."

I laughed at that.

"That you would rather collect bottles out of a dumpster and stay in a house with no parents without asking for help. You even refuse help after we offered spoke volumes to us. It told us that you didn't care about money, which is what girls see when they find out my family has it. They don't know how we have money. Plus, you're the only girl that knows about my dad," Ace signed. "So, we good?"

I nodded, and he leaned in, kissing me, then I signed, "Do you know your mom spent $500 on a dress for me? Is she crazy?"

He chuckled. "Just a little, for you, Mom would have gone higher."

I fell backward on the bed as I passed out once he told me that. He laughed.