All Chapters of The Night Before Prom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Heat flushed her face. She kept her head down as she walked, boots thudding against the stairs. Two missed classes already. Great.Her fists were clenched, shame still simmering like a fever under her skin.She didn’t see the next step.Her foot slipped.Stacey lurched forward—gravity yanking her down like a punishment she’d earned—And then, a strong arm caught her.“Whoa there,” a deep voice said, half-laughing. “Aren’t you the falling princess today?”She blinked, stunned, chest against someone solid. She jerked back.“You should watch where you’re going,” she snapped without thinking.The boy blinked, then gave a crooked smile. “You’re welcome?”His face hit her then—curly hair, sharp jawline, hazel eyes with too much charm for a school hallway.“You again,” she murmured, half under her breath. “You were watching me earlier.”“I was,” he admitted. “You looked like you were trying not to cry with your beautiful red hair.”Her shoulders tensed. She turned away.“Hey, I didn’t mean i

“Quick, Stacey, let’s go.” Her mother barged into the room, her voice clipped and brisk. She stopped cold at the sight of Stacey still curled under the duvet, her back turned stiff and silent. “Young lady, what is going on here?” Her voice tightened like a pulled thread, thick with rising irritation. She matched across the room in her white hospital scrubs, yanking the duvet off Stacey’s body with one swift, practiced motion—like she was confronting a stubborn patient who refused to cooperate.Stacey didn’t flinch. Her jaw was locked tight, her eyes dry but burning, and her body coiled with defiance.“Stacey, I do not have time for your drama right now. I am running late,” her mother barked.Stacey remained curled up, chin raised slightly as if daring her to say more.“Stacey!” her mother snapped, her voice rising in frustration.“I’m not going. Isn’t that obvious?” Stacey shot back, each word edged with heat.“Stacey, I said I do not have time—”“Then you can go,” Stacey cut her off

The call wasn’t nice, so what could it be? This was just her second day in Blue Ville, so why was she already being summoned?She stepped into the hallway, which stretched before her like a tunnel—long, silent, and cold. The faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzed above, feeding her growing unease. A few students passed by, their eyes flicking toward her, faces frozen in surprises and silent judgment. Each step she took echoed louder than the last, as if the walls themselves were listening.By the time she got to the office door, Stacey was already sweating and trembling. She wiped her palms on her trousers, drew a shaky breath, and stepped in.The principal’s office was bright and polished. A tall shelf filled with trophies gleamed in the corner. The blinds were partially drawn, filtering the sunlight into angled stripes on the tiled floor. The air smelled like lemon polish and faint printer ink.Her legs froze on the spot as she came face-to-face with her mum, who glared at her.“Mum