The real shock, however, came once we reached the school gym. Eli walked to the DJ booth, took the microphone, and addressed the room. He spoke of his confession, urging Hazel to look beneath the largest rose on the skirt of her dress. Her hands trembled as she reached into the fabric, pulling out a small, hidden velvet pouch. As she opened it, the entire room went silent. Inside was a silver locket containing a photo of Mason, along with a handwritten note from him that Eli had spent weeks tracking down from an old school project—a note where Mason had promised to be her date if no one else stepped up.
Hazel gasped, the sound echoing through the stunned gym. As she held the locket to her chest, the classmates who had once whisper
