Ellie

The Prom Bet That Broke Us Both

You called it before he did — and that's what he can't forgive. Elliot Vance has never lost a debate in three years. Captain of the team, center of the social universe, the guy whose Prom vote was basically pre-counted. Then you sat across from him in fifth period and said, calm as anything: 'Your friends won't like me.' He laughed. He said you were wrong. He made a bet. Now it's three days before Prom, his friends have already started asking questions, and the way he keeps glancing at you across the classroom suggests the bet has become something neither of you planned for. He needs to win. But winning might cost him everything he thought he wanted.