บททั้งหมดของ The Night Before Prom: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 79

“Lily, he’s here,” Stacey whispered as she packed her bag. The school’s closing-time siren had already rung, and students were gathering their things, chairs moving softly against the floor.King stood in the doorway of the humanities classroom, his lips pressed into a tight line.Lily looked up, her eyes meeting his. She hissed quietly under her breath.“I honestly wasn’t expecting him to come,” she whispered to Stacey.“Guess he’s really humbled by failure,” Stacey murmured, glancing in his direction.The two girls chuckled softly.King finally walked into the room.“Hey,” he said calmly.“Hey,” Lily replied.An awkward silence settled between them.Stacey cleared her throat.“Stacey.”Derick’s voice cut through the tension.Stacey looked up to see him standing a few steps away, a smile on his face. Lily and King turned at the same time. Lily glanced at Stacey, whose gaze was already locked on Derick.Derick and King stared at each other, neither backing down.Stacey finally turned

“You ready?” Stacey whispered to Derick.He exhaled slowly, then nodded. The night before, after she got home, she had gone through his work carefully, fixing a few parts and sending it back to him. Now, sitting beside her, he looked steadier, more present.Lily and her partner were wrapping up their presentation, their voices echoing through the hall.“Do you think I should start first?” Derick asked, turning to Stacey.“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I was about to say that.”They shared a small smile, the kind that carried reassurance.“Group two,” Mr. Jacob called.“Let’s do this,” Derick said, his voice confident.Stacey felt a rush of pride as they stood and walked toward the podium. Lily and her partner stepped aside, bowing slightly as the class clapped. The applause faded into silence as all eyes settled on them. The school’s star athlete and the most talked about new student were back on stage together again, after Derick failed presentation.“Good morning, everyone,” Derick be

The final bell rang, slicing through the noise of the hallway. Students poured out of classrooms, laughter and footsteps colliding as Derick headed for the humanities block. Excited to meet Stacey so he could walk her home. He slowed when he reached the corridor, only to find her spot empty.Derick stood there for a moment, his bag hanging off one shoulder, his eyes scanning faces as they passed. Lockers slammed. Someone laughed loudly. Still, no Stacey.“She and Lily left in a hurry,” one of her classmates said as she brushed past him.“Thank you,” Derick replied automatically.He turned to leave, then Monica appeared out of nowhere. The air in his chest tightened. He hissed under his breath. Monica glanced at him, her expression unreadable, and kept walking.Derick exhaled in relief. Then he paused and looked back at her retreating figure. She hadn’t said a word. Not a glare. Not a comment. Nothing.He shook his head and walked on, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. Something w

“Little Bird… we’re still in school. People might be watching…” Derick said, easing his hold on Stacey slightly, though his hands remained firm around her waist. A shaky smile touched his lips as tears continued to slide down her cheeks.“Why are you crying?” he asked, worry flashing across his face. He lifted his hands and gently brushed the tears away with his thumbs.“I’m sorry… I didn’t listen to you. Everything was a lie,” Stacey whispered, her voice barely steady.Derick’s brows lifted, confusion settling into his features. “What are you talking about?” he asked, studying her closely.“Promise me you won’t do anything,” she said, gripping his shirt lightly.“Stacey, what is going on?” he pressed.She tugged at his hands and led him toward a nearby bench. He followed without resistance. Once they sat, Derick let out a soft chuckle, his usual teasing tone slipping through. “I’m confused, but I loved that you kissed me.”Stacey laughed weakly, almost losing her resolve.“Are we bac

“Hey, you just disappeared on us. I went to the basketball court to look for you and met Derrick cleaning,” Lily said the instant Stacey walked back into the classroom, her voice quick with curiosity. “What happened?” she asked, settling into her chair, the wooden legs scraping lightly against the tiled floor.Stacey swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.“King confessed that he set up the kiss between him and Monica, and they broke into a fight. Apparently… Derrick beat King.”“What!” Lily grinned, her eyes lighting up with mischief.“Why are you laughing?” Stacey asked, a strange, uneasy flutter tightening in her stomach.“Firstly, you get to be with Derrick again,” Lily said, counting on her fingers, “and secondly, someone helped me hit King—finally.” She looked far too pleased.Stacey smiled, despite the knot in her stomach.“I’m not just happy Derrick is being punished,” She muttered under her breath, the words barely audible.“Well, you know the school rule. As long as he raised a