buddy. Getting out on a Saturday night.”
Ed was usually done by ten, even on weekends. He wasn’t a party guy—he preferred sitting around watching movies, which made working at the Coop ideal.
“Well, that’s settled,” Dave said. “We’ll meet up after prom. Make sure the other two know.”
He hopped back over the counter to resume rewinding VHS tapes.
“All right. I’ll meet you around midnight,” William said.
“We’ll be in Ed’s Chevette, eating McNuggets,” Dave replied.
“Sounds fun,” William said as he exited the video store. The flickering neon glow had started to give him a headache. He didn’t know how Dave and Ed stood it for hours.
Sliding into his car, he took a deep breath. He hoped he wouldn’t be expected to dance much. Slow dances were fine—just a gentle sway with his hands on Casey’s hips. But anything fast-paced? He dreaded it. He’d once seen a video of himself dancing and swore never to do it again. He moved like a malfunctioning puppet.
At Casey’s house, she didn’t come running out the moment he pulled in like she usually did. He waited a few seconds, then shut off the engine. Grabbing the corsage from the passenger seat, he made his way to the front door.
He hovered a moment before pressing the doorbell.
Mrs. Harlow answered with a camera in hand. “Oh, William. You look so handsome,” she said warmly. “Casey will be down in a minute—just finishing up.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Harlow.”
“I think we’ll take some pictures by the fireplace first,” Mrs. Harlow said, gesturing to the room to William’s right before stepping inside to wait.