What happens when the quiet new girl at prom turns out to be the one person her bullies should have never messed with? I'll be honest with you, some stories don't wait for the drama to show up. They start right in the middle of it. And that's exactly how this night felt for Marina Cole. The kind of night that can change the way a person sees themselves forever.
The prom was held at a hotel ballroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. One of those places with shiny floors and chandeliers that make everything look fancier than it really is. Students poured in wearing bright colors, loud suits, sparkling dresses, everyone trying to outdo each other. But Marina wasn't thinking about any of that. She stepped out of the Uber her aunt booked for her and took a slow breath, smoothing down the soft blue dress she'd altered herself the night before.
It wasn't designer. It wasn't expensive, but it was hers. "Okay, just blend in," she whispered to herself. Inside, the music beat against the walls and the crowd moved like one giant wave. Marina kept to the side, clutching her purse tighter than she needed to.
She didn't know many people yet. She'd only been at Jefferson High for 3 months, enough time for people to recognize her face, but not enough for anyone to really know her. And honestly, she was fine with that. But that's when they noticed her. Dylan Mercer was the first to see her walk in.
He nudged Brandon Katon, who then tapped Jace Holloway. Three smirks appeared at once, like they shared a single brain cell and one bad idea. Jace leaned toward the others. "Who invited charity work?" Brandon chuckled.
"That dress looks like it came from a church basement." Dylan didn't laugh right away. He studied Marina, eyebrows raised as if she offended him just by existing. Then he grinned. "She really thought she was going to slide in here unnoticed."
Marina tried to pretend she didn't hear them, but their voices carried. They wanted her to hear them. That's what made it sting more. Still, she kept walking, scanning the room for an empty table. She spotted one near the back and headed that way, but the boys weren't done.
They cut her off halfway across the room. "Hey," Dylan said, stepping right in front of her. "You lost or something?" Marina looked up at him. He was taller than she expected, wearing a navy suit that probably cost more than her rent.
"No, just looking for a seat." Jace snickered. "Try the parking lot." Brandon grinned at her awkwardly. "Or the kids' table."
Marina felt her cheeks warming, but she forced her voice to stay steady. "Can you move?" "Oh, she's got a little fire," Dylan said. "Cute." She didn't reply.
She just stared at him. Not angry, not scared, just tired. She had met boys like this before in other cities, other schools. They were always loud, always convinced the world spun around them, and usually she ignored them. But the difference tonight was that Dylan didn't like being ignored.