The cafeteria buzzed with its usual chaos:laughter, trays clattering, the dull hum of conversation. Betty sat at the Unseen’s usual corner table, poking at the soggy fries on her plate. Across from her, Jade and Sasha were hunched over their phones, giggling at something, while Carlos draped himself over his chair in his typical lazy sprawl.
A glossy piece of paper slid across the table toward Betty, catching the light as it stopped in front of her. She glanced up to see Mira holding a stack of identical flyers, her expression bright with mischief.
"Prom season, baby!" Mira announced.
Jade snorted. "Oh, great. Another overhyped excuse for everyone to dress up and pretend they’re in a movie."
Carlos plucked a flyer from the pile and squinted at it. "‘A Night to Remember,’ huh? Real original."
Betty stared at the flyer in front of her, the gold script glaring up at her like a taunt. Without a word, she picked it up, crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into her tray.
Across the table, Stacey raised an eyebrow. "Not even a maybe?"
"Yeah, no. I’m not going to be the fat girl standing awkwardly in a corner while everyone stares."
"Who says you’ll be standing? Dance with me. I’ll even wear heels."
Betty rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Hard pass."
"Come on," Stacey pressed, leaning closer. "Think about it. You, me, tearing up the dance floor. I’ll even let you pick the music."
"Still no."
Stacey sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "Fine. Be boring. But mark my words, you’ll regret it."
"Not as much as I’d regret showing up," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, before walking away.