"We really need to find you like an after school activity or some club or something," Kylie informed me, as we headed out to the underclassmen parking lot.

"What?"

"You need something to help bulk up your college application," she informed me. "They like to see someone well-rounded."

"I am well-rounded," I defended.

"You go to school," Kylie stated.

"And I have community service hours."

"Which are required to graduate."

And I'm unofficially Valedictorian.

"You can't ride into college on being Valedictorian anymore," Kylie said, shaking her head. "It's tough out there."

I don't want to be committed to any after school club.

I want to go home and sleep. Or go hang out with Bryce. Or go to the mall with Kylie.

"I can see it on your face," Kylie said, with a laugh. "At least think about it. I don't want you to be denied from college because you don't have any extracurriculars."

"Okay," I conceded. "I'll think about it."

"So where are you headed?" Kylie asked me, as I reached my car.

"Bryce has his follow-up for his whole Bronchitis-thing," I said, leaning against the side of my car. "And I have to drive him there because Lord knows his mom can't take one more second off of work."

"You're good to him," Kylie said, with a shake of her head.

I just hummed in agreement. "And then after that he's going to have to suffer through a trip to the mall with me because I've got my dress on hold for Kayla's wedding and I've got to pick it up."

"Oh yeah, you leave in like a month don't you?"

"Supposed to, yeah."

"What's that mean?" Kylie asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I don't even know how we're getting there," I admitted. "Bryce's doctor told him he can't fly, and he's really not even supposed to attend the wedding with all of those people. That's why he hasn't been here at school, because it's so germy and he got sick from Steven in like a week."

"What about driving up there?" Kylie offered.

"My parents aren't going for that idea."

"Well I don't blame them."

I just chuckled. "And Regina is flying up a week before the wedding to start setting up for the wedding and getting everything in check. She offered to fly back down and then drive Bryce back up but he declined that offer because Kayla needs her and yada yada yada but Bryce needs her too."

"Just talk to the doctor about it," Kylie encouraged. "I'm sure he'll have some sort of idea."

~*~

"I don't think it's a good idea," the doctor informed us.

"It's my sister's wedding," Bryce argued. "She only gets married once, hopefully, and I can't miss it. I'm supposed to be a groomsman."

"You're doing very well on your speech therapy," the doctor commented.

"Thank you," Bryce muttered.

He can't help but be polite, even when he's frustrated.

"And I can understand your frustration," the doctor added. "I just want what's best for your health."

"And I want what's best for me," Bryce countered.

"Sassy," I whispered.

A smile tugged at the ends of Bryce's lips.

"Your sister's wedding is in New York, correct?" the doctor asked, looking to Regina for confirmation.

Regina nodded.

"So you'll be flying to get there?"

Regina nodded again. "If need be, I can come back down and drive him there."

"No she can't," Bryce countered. "She'll be there all week helping out with the wedding."

Regina just sighed, but she knew it was true.

The doctor stood up from his spinning chair and rummaged through his cabinet before revealing a face mask.

"What is that?" Bryce demanded, even though we could both clearly see it.

"This is what you'll need to wear on the plane," the doctor informed him.

"I can't."

"Let me see," I said, reaching out and taking it from him.

It was what the little kids had to wear in the waiting room if they were coughing or contagious, to keep them from spreading germs.

I strapped it over my face and turned to look at Bryce. I smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it underneath the mask.

"I have to wear that the entire time?" Bryce asked, inspecting the mask currently strapped to my face.

"Yes," the doctor said, with a confirmation nod.

"What if there are people that I know on the plane?"

I rolled my eyes, pulling the mask off my face. "At least you still get to go."

Bryce let out a sigh, flipping the face mask around in his hands a few times before looking over at his doctor. "This is the only way?"

"That's the only way that I'll feel comfortable with you flying in a crowd of people, yes."

Bryce nodded, letting out another long, drawn-out sigh.

"As for the wedding, you'll need to keep person-to-person contact to a minimum. Your Bronchitis is only just beginning to clear up, and we don't need another round of something else. I don't think you understand just how weakened your immune system is."

Bryce nodded again, his shoulders drooped in defeat.

"Alright, I'll see you back here next month for your MRI," the doctor said, standing up to leave.

"Hey doc?" I asked, looking over at Bryce.

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Can I get one of those too?"

~*~

"It's the first Prom poster," Kylie sang, tearing it down from the wall.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that," I informed her, with a laugh.

"The theme is Cabaret," Kylie read off the flyer. "I wonder how they got that one past Administration."

"When is it?" I asked, taking the flyer from her.

Three weeks.

A week before Kayla's wedding.

"Has Bryce mentioned anything?" Kylie asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

I shook my head.

"Promposals are all the rage right now."

"A promposal?"

Kylie shook her head at me. "You disappoint me Sophie Allen."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need a promposal."

I just need him to ask me.

I know it seemed silly. We'd been dating for almost three years, he really didn't need to ask me to Prom.

But I wanted him to ask me. It was like a symbol, like he still wanted to do the simple things with me. That it wasn't just expected.

"I just need a boy to notice me," Kylie said, flashing a smile to a Senior boy as he walked by.

"Steven notices you," I teased.

"Disgusting. Let me rephrase. I need a man to notice me."

I chuckled, retaping the flyer to the wall.

"You're such a goodie two-shoes."

"Possibly," I agreed, sticking my tongue out at her. "But when are we going prom dress shopping?"

"Right after your club meeting."

"I'm not joining a school club."

"You are," Kylie argued. "Sophie Allen I want you to get into college."

"Where is this coming from?" I asked, with a laugh.

"My cousin didn't get into college."

"Which one, Darcy?"

As if that was a surprise. I'm not sure that she attended a full Quarter of school her Senior year.

She shook her head. "Jasmine."

I stopped short, whirling back around to face Kylie. "Wait what?"

"Yeah, Jasmine didn't get in."

"But Jasmine was Salutatorian."

"And?"

And nothing else.

"Oh my God you're so right I'm a loser."

"No," Kylie argued, with a laugh. "You're far from a loser my dear. I'm just trying to help round you out a bit so you don't end up like Jasmine, stuck at a community college even though she had the brains to be at a university."

I'm going to attend Duke University. Even if it's the last thing I ever do.

~*~

"So have you seen the Prom theme?" Bryce asked me, taking his seat next to me in Art.

"One, when did you get to school?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. "And two, why are you here?"

"One, about five minutes after it started because I needed Chick-Fil-A and the drive-through line was ridiculously long. And two, because I have to attend school to graduate. It's like the law."

"I thought you were going to do virtual school."

Bryce rolled his eyes. "I don't forsee that in my future."

"Alright Magic Eight Ball, yes I have seen the Prom theme. Have you?"

"Yeah, last period. That's the lamest theme ever."

"I thought it was cute," I defended.

"You think everything is cute."

"Not you."

Bryce chuckled. "So I was thinking that we should go out this Saturday."

"Are you asking me out on a date? Or telling me out on a date?"

He wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion for a moment. "Is there a difference?"

I gave him a good nudge in the side with my elbow.

He laughed. "I'm asking you."

"And where would we be going this Saturday?"

He leaned in close to me, and I felt my heartbeat pick up a bit in my chest.

"Well it's warming up a bit outside, and so I thought we could go paddleboarding again."

That wasn't where I was expecting this conversation to go.

However, I wasn't disappointed.

"I would love to watch you fall off of a paddleboard again," I said, with a smile.

"That was one time," Bryce defended, his lips still close to mine.

I could smell his minty fresh breath as I looked directly into his caramel brown eyes, which were sparkling with amusement.

"So what do you say?" he asked, biting on his bottom lip as he stared at mine.

He was doing this on purpose.

"About what?" I asked, unable to stop staring at him.

"What are you two doing?" Clayton's voice asked behind us.

Have I mentioned how much I hate him?

Bryce chuckled, pulling away from me and looking over his shoulder at him. "Having a conversation."

"You look like you're about to jump her in the middle of the classroom," Clayton informed him, taking his seat next to Bryce.

Bryce just looked back over at me, a smile tugging at the ends of his lips.

And then I leaned over, planting my lips on his face.

Fuck you Clayton.

"Bryce Harrison and Sophie Allen!" Mrs. Jacobs called from the front of the classroom. "Don't make me have to write you both up."

I reluctantly pulled away from Bryce, and he shot me a full-blown smile.

"So that's a yes then?"

So what did you guys think about what Kylie had to say about college? What do you think would be a good club fit for Sophie? What about Bryce's doctor? Do you think he's overreacting or does he have a good point? What about promposals? Overrated or should Bryce ask Sophie?

Teaser: Sophie & Bryce go paddleboarding. And Bryce gets clearance from his physical therapist that he wasn't expecting so soon.