Chapter 3 The Sean Harris

Ivy's POV

As soon as I hung up, I squealed into my pillow. I'd just asked a strange guy to be my prom date, and he agreed.

Was this really happening?

He was so nice, and his voice…I fanned my face as it got hotter. It was low, sexy, with a timbre that sent a shiver down my spine. That helpline must get a lot of calls.

That voice has to belong to someone equally visually captivating. But why would an attractive man agree to go to prom with a random girl?

Taking my phone, I made a video call to my best friend, Zoe. I couldn't wait to share the exciting news. She would think I'm crazy, but at this point, I didn't care. I was just happy to have a date for prom.

“Hey, Ivy. What's up?”

“You won't believe what just happened,” I told her excitedly.

Zoe raised her brows. “Spill.”

“So, I've been having a hard time finding a prom date–”

“You?” she cut me off incredulously. “Are the boys at that school blind?”

“Clearly,” I agreed quickly, eager to get to the point. “But it doesn't matter anymore.”

“Are you going to miss the prom?” she asked.

“No. I found someone to go with me. I called a helpline to vent, and guess what. The guy agreed to be my date.”

“What? A stranger? Are you crazy?”

“He was nice!”

“Do you even know his name?”

“Sean Harris!”

Zoe's brows pulled together. “Did you say Sean Harris?”

“Yes.”

“The Sean Harris?” she emphasised.

“What do you mean? Do you know him?”

“There's a popular guy from my campus with that same name. If he is the one you talked to, girl…I'd say you are playing with fire. Women worship the ground he walks on, and he soaks up the attention like sunshine. Rumour has it that he has a different girl in his bed every night.”

I chuckle. “That must be an exaggeration.”

“If you saw him, you'd see it's quite possible,” Zoe insisted. “He’s just…I can't explain it to you. Trust me, you don't know a celebrity who is hotter than him.”

“I'm sure my Sean is not that Sean,” I told her. “Why would such a guy accept a date from a random girl?”

“He could be bored and looking for his next plaything,” Zoe deduced. “Let me send you a pic.”

Moments later, the photo arrived. My eyes widened as I looked at the man in the photo. I swallowed and nodded. “Okay, you are right. Who wouldn't want to jump that?”

“Told you. He is a serious player.”

“Well, it can't be him,” I told her. “First of all, like I said, there's no reason for a guy who looks like that to accept a strange girl's proposal. Second, I'm not that lucky.”

“Let's hope so,” Zoe said.

I stared at the guy in the photo a bit more. He was ridiculously good looking. Zoe was right, I could not think of a celebrity who was this good looking.

I was sure he could not be my Sean Harris, but…just saying, his face would totally match the voice over the phone.

And such a combination? I couldn't even begin to imagine how lethal it would be in real life.

“I just hope he won't stand me up,” I told her. I was excited, but I was aware that he could fail to show up.

He had insisted on accompanying me, but I wouldn't blame him if he changed his mind.

Zoe clapped her hands together. “Now that you've found yourself a date, I'll be in charge of your makeover. I'll turn you into a princess and make those meanies at your school eat dirt.”

“I already have a dress,” I said, getting out of bed and heading to my closet. “I found it a few months ago and held on to it. Let me show you.”

I opened my closet and removed the dress. It was a red sleeveless mermaid gown embellished with rhinestones.

“Wow, that's perfect,” Zoe said, giving me a thumbs up. “Once I do your makeup and hair, they won't know what hit them.”

***

The next day, Zoe came to my house and did my makeup and hair as promised.

Sean had not retracted his offer. In fact, he called me in the morning to confirm our date. After hearing his voice again, I'd been thinking about him all day, imagining what he'd look like in person.

Once Zoe was done with my makeup and hair, I showed her the scarf I had knitted overnight. “I made this for my date. Do you think it's fine?”

Zoe took the scarf and examined it. “This is so beautiful. It must have taken a while to make.”

“Yes, but it's worth it. He's saving my ass, so I wanted to give him a gift in gratitude.”

Zoe wiggled her brow at me. “I'm saving your ass too, what will I get?”

I grinned at her. “What do you want?”

***

My mother dropped me at the prom venue and wished me luck, demanding to see photos of my prom date once I got home.

I stood outside the venue, waiting and watching my schoolmates arrive. Everyone was dressed to the nines and in a happy mood.

While I waited for Sean to show up, I attracted a lot of attention. I caught a few of the words as people went by.

“Hold on, who's that?”

“Does she go to our school?”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

“Are you blind? That's the new girl in senior year.”

“What new girl…Ivy?”

“Oh my god, it's really her!”

“Wow, look at that dress. Where did she get it? It looks designer.”

“Didn't people say she is a poor small-town girl? She doesn't look like one right now.”

“Let's take a picture with her.”

“Uh…but we don't really know her.”

“Who cares? Come on! I want to know where she got her dress.”

The two girls approached me, smiling at me. “Hello, Ivy. You are so gorgeous. Where did you get your dress?”

“I found it online.”

“Really? What's the name of the shop? I have to check it out!”

Before I knew it, I was involved in a conversation with five different girls who had never spoken to me before. Some wanted to know about my dress, others about my hair and makeup. It was the first time any of them had started a conversation with me or regarded me with anything besides contempt.

Even though Sean hadn't shown up yet, I started feeling relaxed. See? It was a good idea to show up despite everything. Maybe after this, I could make a few friends.

“What on earth is going on here?” Demi’s annoyed voice broke through the circle.

As if they had been caught red-handed doing something wrong, the girls all backed away from me.

Demi walked forward, backed by her clique of girls who always followed her everywhere like she was the centre of their world.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking me up and down, her lips twisted in a sneer.

“I'm here for the prom, what else?” I asked.

“Only couples are allowed inside,” she told me. “And you don't have a date.”

“What is she wearing?” Casey, her main minion, asked. “This looks like something from a thrift store.”

The second minion, Annie, reached forward and tugged on the dress. “I know, right? It's so tacky.”

I pushed her hand and stepped back. “What do you want?” I asked Demi.

“For you to leave,” she said. “We put a lot into this prom. The last thing we need is some has-been ruining it.”

“What is this?” Casey asked, grabbing the gift in my hand. Annie blocked me when I tried to get it. Within a few seconds, Casey tore the gift wrapping and opened the box.

Suddenly, she started laughing. “Oh my god! What are you, an old lady?” She lifted the scarf and showed everyone. “Is this supposed to be a gift for your date?”

“Give it back,” I demanded.

“It could be a bribe to some poor boy to take her to prom,” Stacy, the third minion, said. “As expected of small-town trash.”

“Who would accept this?” Demi asked. “This is the ugliest scarf I've ever seen.”

Casey held it out to me. “Here.”

I reached for it, but she laughed and threw it at Annie. Annie threw it to Stacy. Meanwhile, Demi produced a lighter from her purse.

Seeing her intention, I rushed to stop her, but Casey pushed me back. I barely caught my balance to keep from falling. By the time I recovered, Demi had set the scarf on fire.