บททั้งหมดของ The Night Before Prom: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

“Go and keep your bag and come back here,” Derick’s mother said sharply the moment he stepped into the house.Derick paused. The air in the living room felt tight, and heavy. His mother sat with her arms crossed, her foot tapping against the tiled floor, her expression cold and unreadable. His father sat quietly beside her, disappointment etched deep into his face.Derick swallowed and turned toward his room. With the way they were looking at him, he knew they had already seen his result.“Calm down,” Derick’s father said softly to his wife as Derick disappeared down the hallway.“I’m calm,” she replied, her tone tight.Derick dropped his school bag in his room and returned immediately. He stood before them, with stiff shoulders.“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry, Mum,” he said quickly, hoping the words might soften the tension.“I wonder,” his mother began, already rising from her chair, but his father reached out and gently held her down.“Hey, baby.”She turned back to him and sat again.

The echo of bouncing basketballs filled the court, sharp and rhythmic, cutting through the humid afternoon air. Sweat clung to Derick’s skin as he moved across the floor, his sneakers screeching against the polished surface. Normally, this was where his mind went quiet. Normally, the court made sense to him, a place where he found himself in the midst of chaos. Today, it didn’t.He missed an easy pass, and the ball slipped through his fingers and rolled to the edge of the court.“Focus, man.”Derick didn’t respond. He bent to retrieve the ball, his jaw tight, and shoulders stiff.King watched him from the other side of the court, his movements slower, his eyes sharper. Something had been off for days now. Not just on the court. Everywhere. Derick barely spoke to anyone. He arrived late. Left early. And when he wasn’t distracted, he was angry.King finally blew the whistle hanging around his neck.“That’s enough.”The other players slowed, exchanging glances before drifting toward the

Stacey dropped her book on the table and exhaled loudly, she sat down heavily, almost sinking down as if the weight of the day had finally caught up with her. The noise faded away as her troubled mind was filled with noise. Lily walked into the class drinking water from a bottle, her eyes widened when she saw Stacey. “You look like someone just unplugged your soul,” Lily said, going to her seat. She belched the moment she sat. Stacey raised her eye brows. “Sorry excuse me.” She said chuckling.Stacey shook her head and huffed out a breath. “I ran into King.”Lily’s eyes widened instantly. “Wait—King King?”“Yes,” Stacey replied, rubbing her temple. “And Derick too few minutes after.”Lily slowly sat up. “Okay. What happened?”“King sent me an evil glare so evil that I became afraid for some minutes.” Lily shook her head.“That boy is always wearing a scowl, I sometimes wonder if he is permanently angry.” Stacey signed, hesitated, then spoke. “Derick asked if we could meet for the pr

The classroom buzzed with low chatter as students filtered in, chairs scraping softly against the tiled floor. Stacey sat at her desk near the window, arranging her books with unnecessary precision. She straightened a pen, aligned her notebook, then adjusted it again.Anything to keep her hands busy.Her mind kept drifting back to the night before. The laughter at home. Her mother’s relief. Her grandfather’s knowing eyes. Everything was finally stable.Yet her chest still felt unsettled.She exhaled slowly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear just as the door opened.Derick walked in.The noise in the room dipped almost instantly. He looked different. Quieter. His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed like he hadn’t slept properly. He scanned the room until his gaze landed on Stacey.Their eyes met.Stacey looked away immediately, her pulse quickening.Derick hesitated, then walked toward her desk. Every step felt deliberate and heavy. A few curious glances foll

“You came?”Derick looked up from his book the moment he sensed her presence. Stacey caught the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he masked it, straightening in his seat.“Of course I was going to come,” she said, pulling out the chair beside him and sitting down.“Thank you,” Derick said quietly.“Well, if this goes well, I’ll accept the thanks,” Stacey replied.He chuckled softly. “It will. I’ll make sure of that.”“Let’s see,” she said. “So… what have you been doing? Thought of a career yet?”Derick shook his head.Stacey studied him, worry flickering across her face.“To be truthful, I don’t know what I want to be, little bird,” he said, his gaze drifting away, a faint smile playing on his lips.Her heart skipped. He still remembered her favorite nickname.“I wish I was as sure as you,” he added, looking back at her.“What do you love most?” she asked gently. “We could start from there.”“I don’t even know anymore. I’m torn between choices.” He looked down, tracing invisib