Best-Case Scenario

Epilogue

Fairy lights adorn every rafter and wall of the building. Electric tealights flicker on tables with flowers surrounding them. It would seem magical but for the base pounding from a DJ set up in front.

"Look at us being traditional. I am so over high school," Imari says to my left. He's dressed in a white tux with a crown titled on his head.

We're all sitting at the small tables set up around the dance floor. We've been here for an hour already, but every chance he gets, Imari complains despite being the one to suggest to get a limo together and do prom. To his credit, Seth hasn't complained. He said he was going if everyone else was and though he isn't out dancing, he's cracked a few jokes at least.

"Says the guy dating the prom king," Kali retorts leaning over me. "Why isn't he wearing that? People are going to think you're popular."

Imari gives her an arrogant shrug. "Elliot says I deserve it more than him and that I look better with it on too."

Seth gags a little at that when he drops down our drinks and Kali rolls her eyes.

I squeeze her waist. "Let him think he's cooler than us," I stage whisper and Imari swats at me.

To me, we circumvented the traditional prom just by me and Kali being together. In September, I was sure it would be Finn and I filling the picture frame, but now I can't imagine this any differently.

"I can't believe you guys convinced me to come here," Seth says. "How did you even do it?"

Kali elbows him. "We're going to get adorable group shots and you get free food. Stop complaining." He shrugs his shoulders.

"And Elliot brought a cousin," Imari says to me and points out a boy who definitely looks like Seth's type in the crowd. I roll my eyes. That might be a little too perfect prom for me.

We get all of our photos done and then sit down at the table. We talk and look at the crowd of people on the dance floor. It's finally Kali who grabs my hand and pulls me out.

"Come on Teagan," she says spinning me to her.

We jump around and dance to the music pounding out the speakers. I watch her dress, a tea length blue one, swing around her knees and feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

When the music slows, I spin her back to me and we dance close to each other.

"I love you Kali," I whisper into her ear, feeling the same thrill I get every time I say it and hope it never goes away.

She brushes a curl from my shoulder and closes her eyes, resting her chin on my shoulder. "I love you too."

I hold her and we dance, eat, and laugh with each other and the friends around us. At midnight, the dance ends, the lights come on.

Kali and I leave before the night can be officially over. We walk together, fingers laced, and gently brushing shoulders. We lay in the warm grass, getting clippings on our dresses and not caring.

"No Orion," I say examining the faint stars in the sky.

Kali smiles at me. "No Orion," she says. "But I don't need it."

I groan. "You're going to say something corny, aren't you?"

"I don't think I need to," she says. Her eyes sparkle.

She squeezes my hand and I lean close to her and tell her everything I love about her. I ignore my worries about things being too perfect and live in it instead.

We lay in the grass and watch the stars pointing out constellations to each other. With her hand in mine and our eyes on each other, I don't need to know how the story will go on. I only know that it will.