They Don't Know (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 70

A few months later, Malcolm, Ty and Jackson have a competition to see who can have the best prom proposal. Prom is two weeks away and each boy is intent on being the winner. The girls have no idea about the competition but Corey and Shaun are the designated judges. Whenever the boy is ready to ask the girl to prom, Corey and Shaun have to be there to tape it and later review it to compare it to the others.

Ty went first. He had been secretly planning it all weekend and he decided Monday was the day he wanted to ask Talia.

"Why are we here so early? I'm usually the one that has to rush you to school." Talia says as she backs into a parking spot at school.

Ty hurriedly opens the door, "Just hurry up."

Shrugging, Talia climbs out the car and grabs her bag from the backseat. She locks up her car and follows Ty to the school, slipping her phone out her pocket as they cross the parking lot. While she's engrossed in her phone, Ty sends a quick text letting certain people know they've arrived.

When they reach the steps, a loud horn and drums begin blaring in Talia's ears, making her jump and almost drop her phone. She jerks her head up to the see the school band, dressed in their uniforms playing a familiar beat on their instruments. Talia stares at them confused then smiles, "Are they playing Beyonce?" She asks. Ty nods his head as an instrumental version of Beyonce's 'Love On Top' fills the air. People lingering around the building come out to see what the commotion is about and students from inside peek their heads out to watch. Talia looks at Ty, "What's going on?"

Ty only smiles at her and she gives him a suspicious look. She sees Sevyn, Monica and the rest of their friends walking towards the building looking around at everything. Some people start dancing to the music and a few pull out their phones to record. "Do you know anything about this?" Sevyn asks, once they've approached them. Talia only shrugs while Ty continues to smile. "Look up." He points and everyone's eyes travel upwards until they reach the very last row of windows at the top.

Painted in bright red letters for everyone to see are the words: TALIA MORGAN, PROM?

Slowly, everyone notices the proposal too and they gasp and cheer. The sound of pictures being taken is all around them as the band finishes up the song.

"How did you pull this off? Principal Anderson let you paint on the windows?" She questions.

"Out of all things to say you're worrying about Principal Anderson?" Ty laughs.  "What he doesn't know won't kill him." he says,  then walks to the top of the stairs where one of Talia's friends hands him the blood red rose he picked out yesterday. He then turns to face the crowd and extends his arms widely as Talia beams up at him. "Will you go to prom with me?" He asks her. All eyes land on Talia again, the smile on her face stretches from ear to ear as she gazes at Ty.

"Yes, I'll go to prom with you Ty." She confirms and the crowd ooohs and awws as she walks up to him. He hands her the rose and she admires it for a moment then grabs him into a tight hug. He smiles and holds her close, then looks over her shoulder at Jackson and Malcolm with a slick smile. They exchange a look with each other and shrug it off. Ty winks at Corey and Shaun and they nod their heads in approval.

Sevyn looks between the boys, "Are yall communicating telepathically?"

"Maybe..." Malcolm responds. Jackson only smiles. Now he really has to step his game up.

After school on Wednesday, Jackson brings Sevyn and Jamie to the park. But instead of heading to the playskate, he drives a little ways pasts it and parks near a clearing with few people.

"Jackson got me a new volleyball. Will you teach me how to play?" Jamie asks as she hops out the car and holds up a pink and white volleyball to Sevyn.