More Than Just Us

The Invitation

The end of the school year had come faster than Kaye expected. The hallways buzzed with countdowns—final projects, farewell practices, and of course, the much-awaited graduation ball. Everyone had been talking about it for weeks now, whispering about dates and gowns and who would show up with whom.

Kaye had tried not to think about it too much. Part of her—maybe the hopeless part—was waiting for Kiko to ask her, the way he always had for every school event. They had gone to every prom, every party, and every recognition day together, even when it wasn’t official. It had always been a given: Kiko and Kaye. That’s how people saw them. That’s how she saw them, too.

So when Adrian, a cousin of a friend who had recently joined their circle, nervously walked up to her in the library that afternoon, Kaye wasn’t prepared.

“Kaye?” Adrian’s voice cracked a little as he shifted his books from one arm to the other. “Uh… do you already have a partner for the graduation ball?”

Her pen froze mid-note. Kaye blinked at him, her heart skipping—not from excitement, but from sudden panic. “Me? Oh, um… I—”

Before she could even find the words, a too-familiar voice cut through the air.

“Oh my gosh!” Lianne, arms linked with one of her friends, appeared right on cue, her tone dripping with faux delight. “That’s perfect! Adrian, you’re asking Kaye? Finally, she won’t be left alone since Kiko’s going with me.”

The words landed like sharp pins under Kaye’s skin. She looked up, stunned, searching Lianne’s smirk for some hint of a joke—but it wasn’t there.

Adrian, mistaking the tension for awkward shyness, gave Kaye a hopeful smile. “So… what do you think?”

Kaye’s lips parted, then closed again. Her heart thudded so loud she could barely hear. Every fiber of her wanted to protest, to say she wasn’t anyone’s second option. She wanted to tell Adrian no—not because he wasn’t kind, but because deep down, she had been waiting for someone else.

But Lianne’s smug look lingered like a challenge.

Kaye’s chest tightened. “Y-Yeah,” she heard herself say, her voice weaker than she wanted. “Sure. I’ll go with you.”

Adrian’s face lit up with relief. “Really? Thank you, Kaye. You won’t regret it.”

He excused himself after a short chat, clearly overjoyed. Kaye tried to force a smile as he walked away, but her fingers curled into fists under the table.

Lianne leaned closer, pretending to fix her hair, but her whisper carried sharp enough for Kaye to catch. “Good choice. At least you won’t look too out of place standing alone.” Then she laughed, strutting off with her friend as if she hadn’t just driven a knife between Kaye’s ribs.

Kaye stared at her notes but couldn’t make sense of the words anymore. The letters blurred, her throat thick.

That night, Kaye sat on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest. She kept replaying the scene in her head, each version leaving her more frustrated.

Why had she agreed? Why hadn’t she just said no?

Because, she admitted silently, she didn’t want to look pathetic. Lianne had cornered her into a corner she couldn’t fight her way out of. And maybe, just maybe, saying yes was easier than waiting to be disappointed by Kiko.

Still, the thought stung. She had always imagined he’d be the one to ask, like he always did. That maybe this time, it would mean more. That maybe, after everything, the ball could be the night where things finally changed between them.

Her phone buzzed, startling her.

Kiko: Are you done with your notes? I need to borrow some for tomorrow.

Kaye exhaled slowly. His texts always carried that easy, familiar weight—like nothing in the world had changed. Like he hadn’t even thought of asking her yet.

She typed back quickly. Yeah, I’ll bring them tomorrow.

She hovered on the keyboard, wanting to add more. By the way, are you going to the ball? or Do you already have a partner? But the words felt too heavy, too desperate.

Instead, she locked her phone and lay back against her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Her heart whispered the question anyway. If you wanted me to wait, Kiko… why didn’t you ask first?

The next day, the news traveled faster than wildfire.

“Kaye’s going with Adrian!” someone announced in the hallway.

“No way—Adrian from Section B? Good for him!”

Kaye walked with her head held high, though each comment made her stomach twist. She caught Kiko’s figure across the corridor, leaning against his locker with his usual easy grin. But when their eyes met, she swore something flickered in his gaze—a quick jolt of surprise, maybe even disappointment—before he masked it.

She almost slowed down, almost turned toward him, but Adrian’s voice called her name. He was waving at her from the end of the hall, smiling so wide it was impossible not to respond.

So she waved back, forcing her lips into something that resembled a smile.

And Kiko? He looked away, jaw tight, the grin gone from his face.

That night, Kaye sat at her desk, scrolling absently through her messages. Everyone seemed excited about the ball, buzzing about gowns, limos, and playlists. But Kaye felt nothing but heaviness.

She opened her drafts folder and stared at the unsent message she had typed out hours ago.

I said yes to Adrian, but only because… I thought you already had someone else.

Her thumb hovered over the send button, trembling. But after a long moment, she hit delete.

Better to keep the words unspoken than risk finding out she’d been right all along.