I stared at the mirror next to my dresser, examining myself. I wasn't used to wearing a dress. The black one I was donning had sat in the back of my closet unworn for the past year. Tonight, it would finally get a moment to shine before being drenched in red.

I yawned, still feeling the effects of the previous night's lack of sleep. After talking to Matthew, the four of us set up our trap in the gym while he recruited his friends. Thankfully, everything went smoothly. Our can of paint was sitting on the backboard of one of the raised basketball hoops. Thankfully, the makeshift stage that had been set up in the gym was positioned right underneath it. If everything went right, in a couple of hours I'd be standing up there waiting for Ian to lower the hoop down.

Explaining to my parents that I was going to the dance with an actual boy put both of them into over-protective mode. My dad asked a million questions ranging from Roy's age to the car he drove, but sometime between me saying "he's a good student," and "yes, he's very nice," permission was granted. By the time I was getting ready, it almost seemed like my mother was more excited than I was-- she already had her camera out and was undoubtedly waiting to embarrass me by taking a million pictures.

I adjusted my dress, then my hair, for what was probably the hundredth time. Just as I finished making sure I had everything I needed in my purse, the doorbell rang, and the sound sent my nerves haywire again.

I hurried down the stairs as best as I could in my heels, relieved to see that my mother-- or worse, my father-- hadn't gotten to the door before me. As I pulled it open, my eyes immediately met Roy's, which widened as they looked me over. A smile grew on his face and I blushed, fiddling with the silver chain around my neck. I couldn't help but give him a quick once over as well, admiring the way he looked so unusually polished in his white button-up and black tie.

"You look..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I- Wow."

I bit my lip to try to suppress the giant grin on my face, but I couldn't stop it-- his reaction made all my insecurities melt away. "I could say the same about you."

"Roy." My dad's voice made me flinch as he came up beside me, opening the door wider. "Come on, come in. I'd like to talk, and I think my wife would like to take some pictures of you two."

"Only if you don't mind!" she chimed in, coming out of the living room with her camera in hand.

Roy smiled, stepping into the house as my dad shut the door behind him. "Not at all, I'd love to."

My mom directed the two of us to stand together, and I could feel my face heat up as Roy put his arm around my waist. We smiled as the camera shutter clicked, and my dad took the opportunity to start questioning Roy.

"So Roy, how long have you known Jade?"

"Ok, Jade, stand with your back against him," my mom spoke before he could answer, and I shifted accordingly as she motioned with her hand.

"Uh, we met earlier this month, actually," Roy said, trying to adjust himself into the new pose.

"Roy, you can put your arms around her like th- perfect! Okay, smile!"

"Hmm." My dad nodded, seeming to take in the information as he watched us from behind my mom. "Just a month is moving a little fast, don't you think?"

I hid my face in my hands, my mother hissing out a disapproving "Garret!" before I emerged.

Roy just laughed, smiling sheepishly. "Well, yeah, I guess so. I didn't nagingreally think about it that way, I just knew I wanted to ask her."

"I see. So what time is this dance over?"

He could've just asked me these questions, but he was taking the opportunity to grill Roy with anything and everything.

"I think it ends at ten?" He formed it as a question, glancing at me for confirmation. I nodded, hoping whatever my father asked next wouldn't be too ridiculous.

"So we can expect to have her back soon after ten, then?"

"Yes, sir." Roy nodded, his answer managing to weasel out a small smile from my dad.

"Alright. Well, I'll leave you to your pictures then." He turned to me. "You have fun tonight, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, relieved that his interrogation was over.

The sound of Matthew's sneakers smacking against the wooden stairs drew my parents' attention away, and I took the opportunity to open the door, signaling the end of the impromptu photoshoot.

"Where are you going?" Mom questioned Matt, watching as he headed over to us.

"Jade and Roy said they'd give me a ride to Shawn's house."

"It's a special night, you shouldn't have to do that. I can take Matt."

"I don't mind, Mrs. Walsh," Roy insisted. "It's on the way there, and we're running early anyway."

"Plus, we're giving a ride to some friends in Shawn's neighborhood," I lied, knowing Mom would find it strange if there wasn't a solid reason I was okay with Matt tagging along.

"Well, alright. But you behave, okay?" She pointed to Matthew, her gaze stern.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be an angel."

♧

The drive to the dance wasn't exactly what I imagined it would like when Roy first asked me. The main difference was that in my imagination, there hadn't been five twelve-year-old boys piled in the car with us.

Any normal teenage girl would've been mortified by having her brother and his friends talking over each other in the back seat of the car on her first-ever date, but if I was being honest, it was somewhat of a relief. I didn't have to worry about awkward silences between me and Roy, and the fact that we weren't alone in the car helped calm my nerves a little bit.

"Aiden!" One of the boys grumbled, and I glanced in the rearview to see the blonde one shoving at his redheaded friend. "You're practically on top of me."

"There's nowhere else to be!"

"I think this is illegal," another one chimed in. "I'm not even wearing a seat belt."

Then it was my brother's voice, his deadpan unmistakable. "Jackson, if you keep sitting that way my arm is going to permanently lose circulation."

I laughed to myself, sharing a smile with Roy as he pulled into the school parking lot. Even after picking up all of Matt's friends we were still ahead of schedule, arriving just ten minutes after the start time of the dance. I watched groups of teenagers as they mingled near their cars or headed up to Rutherford's main doors, where a chaperone would be waiting inside to take their tickets.

I stepped out of the car, watching as the five boys flooded out of the back doors, all of them dressed in black from head to toe. The four whose names I was still learning stood behind my brother, who walked up to me and Roy.

"You remember which window you're meeting Ian at?" I quizzed him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded up piece of paper.

He unfolded it, revealing a map of the school, and pointed to a red circle along the thick outline of the building. "Fourth window at the furthest part of the west wing. Computer Lab 1B."

"If Ian's there, that means Madeline is already inside and will probably get to the window soon," I explained, even though we'd been over the plan a hundred times. "If not, just stay quiet and try not to get caught."

"Got it." He nodded once before looking to his friends, nudging his head in a motion that told them to follow. He turned back to me as they started walking, giving a two-fingered salute. "See you on the other side."