The cafeteria went dead silent when his shadow fell across my physics textbook.\n\nI looked up, sandwich halfway to my mouth, mayo dripping onto my AP Bio notes. Dominick Vale stood there, football jacket slung over one shoulder, that crooked smile playing on his lips like he’d just pulled off a perfect spiral. Everyone watched. Breathing stopped.\n\n‘Dorothy,’ he said, voice low but loud enough for the room. ‘You free Friday night?’\n\nMy brain short-circuited. This had to be a prank. Madison Cole snickered from across the room. Priya kicked my ankle under the table.\n\nBut Dominick didn’t look away. He waited.\n\nAnd somehow, my traitorous mouth whispered, ‘Yes.’\n\nNow, three days later, I’m staring at my lowest chemistry test score in two years, my mom’s disappointed email open on my laptop, and a text from Dominick: ‘Can’t wait to see you tonight.’\n\nI should tell him I can’t do this. That I need to study, to focus, to keep my promises.\n\nBut I don’t want to.