"A night to remember?" Sophia tilted her head, her brow raised in curiosity as she looked at Aiden, her expression playful but intrigued.
The group had gathered at the usual spot—Diamond High’s café, where they often spent their free time after school. The café buzzed with energy as students milled about, but at their table, a lively conversation was already brewing.
Aiden nodded, a confident grin spreading across his face. "That’s right," he said, leaning back in his chair. "A night to remember. I need to tell the rest of our class, too. Everyone’s going to be talking about this school dance event."
Marcus, sitting across from Aiden, immediately perked up at the mention of the dance, his mind already spinning with possibilities. "When’s the date?" he asked, tapping his fingers on the table as he mentally went through his options for a dance partner. "I need to make sure I get the right girl."
"Whoa, school dance event!" Marcos chimed in excitedly, his eyes lighting up. He turned his gaze to Sophia, his grin wide and expectant. But before he could even ask the question, Sophia shook her head, cutting him off before the words could leave his mouth.
"Nope, not happening," she said, her tone playful but firm. "I’m partnering with Rohan, not you."
Marcos’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why not me?" he asked, raising his hands in mock disbelief.
Sophia leaned forward slightly, her smirk widening. "Because you’re loud, and I’m loud. If we go together, it won’t be a dance party—it’ll be a loud party. And I’m not up for that." Her voice was teasing, but there was truth in her words.
Marcos stared at her for a moment before laughing, shaking his head in defeat. "Damn, you’re right," he admitted, slouching back in his chair. "We’d probably get kicked out for causing too much noise."
Marcus nodded in agreement, a grin on his face as he joined the banter. "Yeah, you two together would turn the whole event into a circus."
The group burst into laughter, the easy camaraderie making the café feel even more lively. Even as the teasing continued, Emma sat quietly, thinking aloud. "School dance event…" she muttered, glancing at Aiden from the corner of her eye. "I’m guessing your partner is Mabel, right?"
Aiden’s expression shifted into one of smug satisfaction, his grin widening as he crossed his arms. "Who else would it be?" he said, his voice filled with playful arrogance. "Mabella’s my girl—who else would I want to go with?"
The group collectively groaned, rolling their eyes in mock disgust at his tone. The exaggerated arrogance in his voice was enough to make them cringe.
"Oh, here we go again," Marcos said, shaking his head as if he were genuinely repulsed by Aiden’s confident attitude. "Please, spare us the lovey-dovey talk."
"Yeah, save it for the dance," Sophia added with a smirk, crossing her arms as she shot Aiden an amused glance. "We already know you’re obsessed with her."
Aiden chuckled at their reactions, clearly enjoying their teasing. "I can’t help it," he said with a shrug, still grinning. "When you’ve got a girl like Mabella, you can’t help but brag."
"Gross," Emma said with a playful grimace, shaking her head. "Just wait until the rest of the school has to deal with you two."
The conversation shifted as Emma leaned forward, her eyes glancing between the other pairs in their group. "So, I’m guessing it’ll be Rohan with Sophia and Gianna with Marcos?" she asked, already piecing the pairs together in her mind.
Without even needing to discuss it, Rohan, Sophia, Gianna, and Marcos all nodded in unison, as if it had already been decided long ago.
"Of course," Marcos said with a grin, nudging Gianna with his elbow. "Wouldn’t want anyone else by my side."
Gianna just rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
"Obviously," Sophia added, giving Rohan a nod. "We’re gonna look like we own that dance floor."
Marcus, who had been sitting quietly until now, suddenly spoke up, leaning forward with a thoughtful expression. "I think I’ll ask Lydia," he said, nodding to himself as if the decision had already been made in his mind.
The mention of Lydia—the girl who had once confessed her feelings to Aiden—caught the group’s attention.
Marcos let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair with a raised eyebrow. "Whoa, you’re gonna ask Lydia?" he asked, his tone half-surprised, half-amused. "You mean the hottie who confessed to Aiden?"
Marcus nodded confidently. "Yeah, why not? It’s not like Aiden’s into her," he said casually, glancing at Aiden with a knowing look.
Aiden, who had been quietly sipping his drink, gave a small nod of agreement. "She’s just a friend," he said simply. "No one else matters to me—at least, not in that way. Friends, sure, but when it comes to more than that…" He trailed off, his thoughts clearly centered on Mabella. "It’s always going to be Mabella."
His words hung in the air for a moment, and everyone nodded in understanding. Aiden’s relationship with Mabella was no secret, and they all knew just how much she meant to him.
"So, what about you?" Gianna suddenly asked, turning her attention to Emma. "Who are you going to the dance with?"
Emma smirked, her expression full of pride as she puffed out her chest slightly. "Me?" she said, her voice playful. "No one. I’m going solo. A single mother at the dance."
The group burst into laughter at her dramatic tone, knowing full well that Emma was far from being an actual single mother, but her self-proclaimed independence had become something of an inside joke.
Sophia shook her head, still smiling. "That’s so like you."
Emma shrugged, unfazed. "What can I say? I don’t need a partner to have a good time."
The conversation continued, light and full of banter, as they discussed plans for the upcoming dance. But beneath the surface, there was a sense of excitement buzzing among them—an anticipation for the night to come. It was shaping up to be a night to remember, after all.