Once they reached the school, Miles observed the brick exterior with a sense of change. This weekend felt like it had changed everything. He went from his normal routine of school, work and family to having a prom date and his mom and him practicing for the event. It didn’t feel like his life was going to be the same as he looked upon his broad school grounds. There weren’t many that knew him, as he mostly kept in the shadows. Due to that fact, it had surprised him to know one of the most popular girls in school knew of his existence. There wasn’t many who did in the school; he was just required to be there.

“Hey, Miles,” Molly yelled, looking back at him when she was near the front door. “You comin’?”

“Yea, I’m coming,” Miles responded back as he started towards the school, walking on the concrete sidewalk. Once he entered the building, he looked around at the maroon and white brick walls which support the Vikings logo of their mascot. As he looked around the lunch room—where he entered the building—he saw many students sitting and talking with their friends, as some throw their heads back and laugh. Smiles were sprawled across many of their faces, and it looked like they were having a good day. Miles just smiles and continues to his locker. Many students were joking and hanging out with their friends—friendly shoving amongst the jocks, girls whispering in their best friend’s ears. Once Miles reaches his locker, he had to politely excuse himself into the area from some of the girls who were huddled there. He spun his locker around, making sure to get in and get ready for his first class.

“Hey, Miles!” Miles turned and saw Wanda come up to her with a friend, Jennifer. He nodded to Jennifer, who rolled her eyes.

“Hi, Wanda, how are you two today?” Miles asked as she stopped right in front of him.

“Great! Are you excited for this weekend? I can’t wait.”

“It should be a good time. Thanks for asking me again—I don’t know if I said that the first time,” Miles stated as he grabbed his stuff quick. Not long after, the buzzard rung, signaling the first class.

“Wanda, we need to get to Chemistry,” Jennifer implied as she tapped on Wanda’s shoulder.

“Right, right. Miles, you want to eat with us at lunch,” Wanda asked, staring at him with doey eyes.

"Sure.”

“Great!” Wanda kissed his cheek, and then started towards her class. “See you then!” The kiss stunned Miles as he starred at her hopping curls. She turned her head back to give him a smile before disappearing around the corner. Miles took his cue to slowly walk to class. He zoned out as he thought of Wanda, and how it was surreal for this to happen.

“Mr. Wragner, can you start reading on page 131.” Miles heard his teacher’s voice, Mrs. Christly, cut through his haze as he looked around at the other students to find their books already open and on the right page.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Miles apologized as he raced through his textbook to the right page. “In this chapter, the….” Class raced by as he once again became preoccupied in his mind. The idea of how even the change between him and Wanda was drifting in and out of his mind. It surprised him one question could change his mind forever about a person.

“Hey.” Wanda turned to look at Wanda, as it seemed he skipped the entire morning for his escape in his mind. “You ready for lunch?”

“Yea, sure. After you,” Miles smiled as he bowed with his arm sweeping forward, and he got his desired reaction of her musical laughter. They made their way through the line, picking up the scalloped potatoes and ham which was lunch today. Miles couldn’t help but try and make Wanda laugh by making funny faces at her as they went. Once they were done with the line, they turned and looked for a seat.

“Where do you usually sit?” Miles heard Wanda questioned as she scanned the crowd.

“I usually sit with my brother and sister. We like to keep the family together.”“I would love to meet them if you want to sit over there,” Wanda suggested, and Miles nodded as he led her to where his twin siblings were.

“Hey, Miles. Took you long enough,” Claude scuffed as he heard the trays pound on the table. Miles watched as Molly slapped her hand on the back of her head.

“Claude, we have a guest with us,” Miles heard Molly whisper before turning over to Wanda and smiled. Claude looked up to give her a nod, and Miles looked over to see Wanda smile.

“It’s nice to meet you two; I really haven’t seen you before,” Wanda greeted as she took a spoonful of her meal.

“We’re freshmen; that’s probably why,” Claude stated as he dug into his food even more.

“HEY, WANDA!” Miles turned to see some of the jocks, as well as Jennifer, come over to their table. “What you doing over here? Don’t you know where we sit?” Miles recognized the speaker as Wade Jackson; he was the jock who he thought Wanda was going to prom with.

“So, I changed seats. I wanted to get to know my prom date more before this weekend. You guys know where we usually sit; if you got a problem with it, go sit over there.” Miles watched as they proceeded to sit anyways.

“Well, I just wanted to check—make sure if your head needed examining,” Wade smiled as he nuzzled his hand in Wanda’s hair. Wanda scowled and then shook out her hair as soon as Wade’s hand was away from her.

“So, Miles—is it—what makes you think you got the right to take dear Wanda to prom,” Wade questioned as he turned Miles’ way. Miles saw Molly try and pop up to defend her bigger brother, but Miles shook his head at her.

“Well, Wade, Wanda has a right to decide who she wants to go to, so I just accepted her generous offer. I realize it might be a blow to your ego that she turned you down, but in the end, it is her choice to make over anyone else’s,” Miles ended his eulogy with a spoonful of scalloped potatoes and ham. Miles watched as Wade just burst out laughing.

“Ooh, man, Wanda’s like a little sister to me! We’ve known each other since we were in Kindergartner,” Wade laughed as his face turned red from all the laughing he was doing. “That would be the weirdest thing ever!”

“Thanks a lot, dude,” Wanda scuffed as she angrily chewed at her lunch. “Of course, you would see it as an insult.”

“Ah, come on, Wanda, don’t take it as an insult,” Miles watched Wade as he pouted his way through it. “I’m just being honest!” Next thing they knew, the bell for the next class rang. “Now, before we go to the next class—classic warning incoming—you hurt her; your ass is mine.” After that, Wade and the rest of the gang wondered off to class.

“You alright?” Wanda asked as they went to dump their trays.

“Yea, I’m fine. You got your friends, and it is just something to get used to. I’ll see you later.”

“Good, I don’t want to scare you off,” Wanda joked, but Miles saw the truth in her eyes.

“You won’t. It is just different. I’ll see you later though.” Wanda and Miles smiled at each other and went off to their separate classes.