“I’m not going to Prom.”

Ever since his accident Payton had not been to a single school dance, and he planned to keep it that way. Even prom.
But Payton’s girl friend, DaeRi a junior who’s prom wasn’t until next year, assumed that he was going, and bringing her. And after listening to her rant for hours Payton knew what kind of person she was, the kind of person who put popularity above all. And what would make her more popular than Harriette and Tamarai? Going to prom first.
But of course Payton had no plans to go to prom, and after listening to DaeRi rant about how stupid it was to buy your prom dress in january when there was still a lot of time till prom Payton thought he should probably tell her about his stand on prom.
“Yes?” she asked when he tapped her on the shoulder.
Payton wrote down in his notebook “I’m not going to Prom.”
“What?” she said, shocked. “Why? You’re a senior, it’s like the last thing good about school.”
“Not for me,” Payton wrote.
“But what about for me?” DaeRi asked.
“You’re gonna go next year,” Payton wrote.
“That’s not the same,” DaeRi said, “I want to go with you.”
Payton almost laughed. “No you don’t, you want to go before Harriette and Tamarai,” he wrote.
“Why would you think that?” DaeRi said.
“Because that’s just how you are,” Payton wrote.
“Good to know you think so terribly about me,” DaeRi said.
Payton just shrugged and put down the notebook.
“You have nothing else to say?” DaeRi asked, looking miffed.
Payton nodded.
“Maybe something along the lines of ‘sorry that I just assumed that you’re a shallow person,” DaeRi said.
Payton just shook his head and stood up. DaeRi glared and him and then briskly turned and walked out of the room.
If Payton could talk maybe he would have called her back.