The gym was bright and loud. Lights hung from thin wires. Paper banners hid the hoops. Students stood in a wide ring. They held up their phones. Music stopped when Jonathan went to one knee.
He held a box with a ring. He also held a bouquet of red roses. The thorns had been cut away.
“Will you marry me and be my Luna?" he asked.
Emma stood in a plain blue dress. Her shoes were low. Her hands were steady. “No," she said.
The ring of students gasped. Some whispered. Some stared. Others waited for her to take back the word. She did not.
Jonathan rose. He kept his face calm. He spoke in a low voice that still carried. “Emma, think. You are nervous. Take the flowers. Say yes. We will talk later."
“No," she said again. “I will not marry you."
He looked at the crowd and then back at her. H
