May 15th 1999
William finished dressing for prom. The corsage he’d picked for Casey rested on his desk beside a picture of them at Chuck E. Cheese. He lingered on it, imagining their future. At least two more years together—until she moved on from community college to pursue her bachelor’s degree. But he knew high school sweethearts rarely lasted.
Shaking off the thought, he reminded himself that the future wasn’t written yet. Instead of dwelling on what-ifs, he focused on everything they’d already shared.
The mirror offered little reassurance. The tuxedo felt stiff, unnatural—he’d never worn one before and would’ve skipped prom like Dave and Ed if Casey hadn’t wanted to go. David convinced him it was just one night. If it made her happy, he should go.
David and Eric had planned to skip, too, but Casey talked David into taking her friend Abby. William joked about telling Abby she had a date, but not informing David. Casey found it amusing but refused to trick her friend.
With most restaurants booked for weeks, the group settled on Cooper’s Diner for a late dinner. Abby resisted at first, but Casey worked her magic, and soon she was in.
Getting ready took less time than expected. At five-thirty, he’d pick up Casey, then meet the others at Cooper’s around six. Since Casey’s curfew was midnight, they decided to drive separately, just in case the night ran long.