Dare You to Fall for the Catcher (Rock Valley High 3)

Audrey was watching me, her lips pursed. “Why do you look like you just ran a marathon? What or who are you thinking about?”

I giggled nervously and looked around the cafeteria. Thank goodness people couldn’t read minds. I’d been this close to considering Jayden Paul as a potential prom date. It was so strange and laughable. I’d never thought of him like that before. We were definitely spending too much time together. It was clouding the utter dislike I held for him.

“I’m just excited about pizza for lunch today,” I said, slamming my tray a little too hard on the counter near the food. “It’s my favorite.”

She gave me a look that told me she didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth, but there was no time to discuss it further. The lunch ladies served us and motioned for us to move ahead. We each grabbed a drink at the end, paid, then headed for our usual spots at the table nearest to the doors.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I checked it again, happy to have something other than Audrey’s curious smile to look at.

Collin: Is everyone in their seats?

Mason: We only get one shot at this. Let’s make it a good one.

I looked around the cafeteria for a sign of them, but didn’t see anything. Mason and Collin were usually in class during our lunch period and ate in the second shift. I typed into my phone, assuring them both that their girlfriends were digging into their meals.

Collin: Good. Cue the music. Cut the lights.

Mason: On it.

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but the moment the lights in the cafeteria dimmed, I had the sinking feeling I was about to find out.

“What’s going on?” Trina asked, putting her slice of pizza down. “Did the power go out?”

A few seconds later, her question was answered when a song began to blast out of the speakers in the wall. It was “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons, a song I had recommended to the boys because of Heath Ledger’s epic performance in Ten Things I Hate About You.

In that moment, I was very much regretting my participation in their plans.

“Is something happening?” Audrey stood a little from her chair to look around. “What’s going on?”

Ten girls dressed in cheerleading outfits marched into the room. I held in a groan as they began to dance a coordinated routine to the song. All those texts should’ve prepared me for what was coming, but I’d been totally blind. And when Audrey’s gorgeous cousin, Savannah, came marching toward us holding a giant sign with reflective silver letters, I sank deep into my chair.

“Every Prince needs a Princess,” Savannah read aloud from the sign, tossing her long dark hair and flashing a smile. “If the shoe fits, will you be their prom dates?”

Audrey and Trina both squealed as Collin and Mason entered the cafeteria dressed in white suits and wearing golden crowns on their heads. They each carried a plush, satin pillow with a single high-heeled shoe on top. I could tell from Mason’s expression that he was highly uncomfortable with all the attention they were getting from the cafeteria crowd, but Collin was eating it up. He threw a thumbs-up at some guys from the football team and grinned as if he were a celebrity greeting his fans.

And when they finally reached us, they got down on one knee and each presented their girlfriend a shoe.

“May I?” Mason asked in a steady voice that didn’t betray the nerves in his eyes.

Trina nodded her head and held her hands over her mouth, not quite hiding her grin.

He tugged off her pink ballet flat and put the heel on. It slid on perfectly and Trina squealed with delight.

“For the record,” he said in a low tone, “this was all Collin’s idea. I think he planned it this way as a special kind of torture for me. But with that in mind, will you go to prom with me?”

She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “I’d love to!”

By the time my attention diverted back to Audrey and Collin, he had her shoe on her foot and they were already locked in a similar embrace. I played with my pizza, trying to avoid the gazes of the kids around us still staring. Prom-proposals were officially not my thing—not that I had a boyfriend to ask me.

The reassuring thing was the fact that Collin and Mason going to this length—getting the cheerleading team involved, including Savannah, of all people—meant t

hey really did care for my friends. It was yet another checkmark in the list of reasons why I could root for their relationships.

I was truly happy for my friends, but that grumpy feeling was back. And so was the ache in my ankle.

Collin slid into the seat next to me and elbowed me softly. “You know, Mandy, we didn’t forget about you.”

The lights came back on and the music faded. The cheerleaders had already marched back out of the cafeteria. Savannah lowered the proposal sign and handed a bouquet of pink flowers to Mason before following her team out the door.