Prom night arrived, glowing with excitement for everyone else.
Lila stood in her room, smoothing down the creased skirt of an old navy dress that Grandma June had worn in her youth.
It fit poorly at the shoulders and a little too snug at the waist, but it was all she had.
She curled her hair in soft waves and added the tiniest hint of pink lipstick. She didn’t have heels, but she polished her flats until they gleamed.
Her reflection in the cracked mirror didn’t scream “prom queen.” But it whispered, “you tried.”
And sometimes, that was enough.
Rachel knocked gently on her door.
“You look beautiful,” she said.
“Really?”
“Really,” her mom smiled. “Maybe even more so than if you’d worn sequins.”
The school gym was decorated with twinkling fairy lights, floating balloons, and a glittering disco ball. Lila stepped out of the car, trying not to notice the other girls in floor-length gowns and perfect makeup.
She kept her head down as she walked toward the entrance.
Then she heard it.
“Lila?”
She turned.
